For your flight back I don't agree. This is where First class travel comes into its own!

My tactic is to stay up all night (or get as little sleep as possible the night before), so that I arrive exhausted to the plane and sleep as well as I can onboard. Then I get an early, but not too early, night and get up the next day as usual. Like Siempre Viajando has suggested, just without the pill.

For me, it's exactly like coping with a Saturday night out (the kind where you find your way back home at 8am on a Sunday morning)

I can just about get this tactic to work for me in Economy (in the past I've used an alternative version which involves clubbing all night on arrival from Europe), in Business class I can sleep like a Princess and it works out beautifully. There's no reason why it can't work for you in First.

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As to what to do on your first day - Ramen, lights of Ginza, a few drinks, bed, get up the next morning and take advantage of your first day's jetlag-inbuilt-early-wake-up-call and visit Tsukiji before 6am. Or alternatively, get a taxi to Ryogoku to watch early morning practice at a Sumo stable (get in contact with the Concierge at the Conrad prior to arrival and ask them to call to arrange an appointment - ask here if you need more details)

More details on the sumo would be great. It sounds very cool. I planned to take a tour since I've never been to Tokyo before. It's also a way to meet people. I usually travel on my own and thus avoid tours. I expect Asia to be such a different experience that I'll need to get my bearings. I'll have two days in Tokyo before I fly out to Chuuk (Truk).

My own experience of this was in 2002, on my first visit. I used the information on this page: http://www.quirkyjapan.or.tv/Cool.html (note that most of it will now be out of date)
And a colleague's wife based in Yokohama called the stable I chose for me. (The Conrad's concierge should be able to do the same thing for you if you send an email)

My morning there still ranks as one of the absolute highlights of that and of subsequent trips to Japan.

Please post which days you expect to be in Tokyo, this will help us determine whether a visit to a stable will actually be possible (it will depend on tournament dates and holidays). Usually October would be a good time, but there is a small tour this year which will affect some of the stables. The details are here: http://www.sumo.or.jp/eng/jungyo/sch...ex.html#2008_3
It's not the usual sort of tour, so may be ideal as an introduction if your dates coincide (12 & 13th October in Yokohama and Saitama).
There's also a retirement ceremony on the 5th October: http://www.sumo.or.jp/eng/kyokai/event/index.html

For some reason, I never have jet lag either going to or returning from Asia. I take an afternoon flight over. Nap a bit, but not a lot on the plane. Like everyone says, stay up, have dinner, go to bed. On the return, I usually arrive home in the late afternoon. I rarely sleep on the return. I stay up, have dinner, go to bed and I'm fine. The next day is good. Sometimes the second day is the worst for me on the return.

Always try to get out into the sunshine on the morning of your first few days (and all day if possible). That will help reset your clock. One trip I took, we were inside for the first few days and I literally fell asleep sitting in a chair.

I don't know why, but going to Europe is always a problem for me. I try to stay awake as long as possible, but it isn't fun. And I sleep on planes.

Just wanted to add myself to the list of melatonin users. It seems to cut our jetlag a little over half.
Another thing I tried during our spring trip to Japan was eating next to nothing on the plane. I think all I had was the small bag of snacks/crackers that JAL provided and just a bite or two of my wife's meal. Lots of water though. I was starving the night we arrived but my jetlag was shorter than my wife's.
I also did the standard, "change your watch to your destination time once you're on the plane" trick.

Jay71, I tend to hold off on changing my watch until its on the "12" for the minute and this makes it easier to cross reference the minute hand when going back or forward in time. Just have to not confuse myself now what time zone I am headed to...

Sanosuke!

Remember this is F.

SFO-NRT
The tried and true technique is...
1) Enjoy the service then...
2) Sleep for a few hours if you can.
3) Go out for dinner/drinks
4) Bed at Midnight.
5) Usually up at 6-7 (That's a normal nights sleep.)

NRT-SFO (For best results)
1) SLEEP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE!!! You will be returning to a "Full Day" as opposed to "a night out to dinner".
2) I tend to "Enjoy the Service" on the return as well but it's ANA as opposed to err...a US carrier for instance.

-Scho