I recommend /against/ Alex Kerr. Someone must have dropped a brick of concrete on his head when he was a kid, because he's /really/ got it in for the concrete, and he has no qualms about using up a ream of paper to beat his hatred for concrete into your head...

For stereotypical beauty of old Japan, Arashiyama comes highly recommended. Or, if you want a cheaper day/overnight trip from Tokyo, take the Tobu train to Nikko and wander around the bamboo forests.