Originally Posted by jpatokal
Grab a copy of Alex Kerr's Lost Japan for a rose-tinted look at the place.
Kerr is distinctly over-rated. You can go and trash (sorry I mean crash at)
his house though if you're in the mood.
How about visiting one of the islands in the Inland Sea? If you like art
Naoshima could be just the place (access from Takamatsu). And if you do, be sure to pick up a copy of Donald Richie's classic
memoir.