I have some specific questions if someone could please help id really appreacite. Ive never been to Japan before and am considering going. I would like to spend around 7 to 10 days there. While only being in Tokyo for a Max of 3 days i would like to head south to Osaka, kyoto, etc. Im looking for some specific places to visit as well as specific places to stay. My budget ( for the 2 of us) will be around 1500- 2000 USD (excluding airfare). Thanks for all the help.

We're waiting for your specific questions you promised, as opposed to the general and basically useless ones you asked.

You pretty much nailed most of your trip down with your comments. Since you are staying only 3 days in Tokyo, the rest of your time (4-7 days) should be in Kyoto. As much as it pains me to say so (being an Osakan), you would wasting your time going and staying in Osaka.

As for specific places to go, your question is too open-ended. I have no idea what your interests are, so I can't really confidently give you a list of places you ought to consider going to. Are you into art? Culture? History? Uniquely Japanese? How's your Japanese language skills? Or do you prefer the touristy trek? As Pickles noted, you haven't exactly asked any specific questions. I'm assuming a lot with the following.

I'm going to throw out a list of places that might appeal to all sorts of people. You will need to do your own homework to look up details and see if they're really places you want to go to. You didn't really expect us to do all the planning for you, did you?

In Tokyo, day one: Asakusa Kannon (Sensoji), Ueno Park and its assorted museums and zoo, Ame Yokocho, and choose one: Sumo museum; Jibocho, Imperial Palace East Gardens, Akibahara. Day two: river taxi from Asakusa to Hama Rikyu, Tsukiji, Edo-Tokyo Museum, Kabuki-za. Day three: Meiji Jinja, Harajuku, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Metropolitan Government building, Ebisu Beer Museum (for a quick sit-down and good cheap beer at the end, not the displays!), window shopping at one of Shinjuku's department stores or a walk through Shinjuku Park.

In Kyoto, in no particular order: Kiyomizu-dera; Kinkakuji; Ginkakuji; Gion/Pontocho; Heian Jinja; depending on what special exhibits are going on during your visit, one of Kyoto's museums; Sanjusangendo; Fushimi Inari; one of Fushimi's sake breweries; Nijo Castle/Nijo Jinya; day trip to Kibune/Kurama; day trip to Himeji Castle and Kobe's Sannomiya (or if in season, a game at Koshien stadium in Nishinomiya); day trip to Nara; day trip to Arima hot springs and Osaka's Umeda; day trip to Mount Koya.

Again, with the places to stay, the question is too open-ended. What were you looking for? I got a ton of places I can recommend, but it really depends on how you want to be located (close to the sights, quiet neighborhood), budget ($50 tops? $100?), expectations (Japanese-style ryokan? Backpacker's hostel? Western-style bed?), among others. Just be aware that budget sleeps are quite rare unless you're willing to sacrifice something.

In Tokyo, you should look into the Taito ward hotels/hostels/ryokans. Two I can recommend are Ryokan Asakusa Shigetsu and Homeikan. I heard Sawanoya was good too, but I've never been there. Otherwise Sakura Hotel and K's Backpackers Hostel may be what you are looking for.

With Kyoto, I'm actually not too familiar with, since I never needed to find a bed there. I understand that there are not too many budget choices and they're all scattered around the city. This you will need to research on your own or hope another FTer can chime in.

Alternatives worth considering are Toyoko Inn chain or a homestay via JNTO. Toyoko Inn is like the Japanese version of Holiday Inn: won't win any style points, but the service is Japanese standard and you'll have a bed and hot shower for a decent price. A homestay's merits speak for themselves.

I'm sure other FTers can add some more to this and flesh it out. It behooves you to do some research on your own too, though.

I highly recommend buying a Japan Rail Pass if you intend to travel outside of Tokyo. While this doesn't cover all modes of transportation in all cities, it covers a good amount.

I would also recommend getting a guidebook. I initially smarted at the price I paid for mine (between $20-30 USD for a book I'd use once!), but it was well worth it for someone like myself who knew nothing about Japan.

It is hard to devise a trip for various people because of varying tastes. For example, many have suggested not staying in Tokyo for more than 3-4 days. I thought I personally could have enjoyed Tokyo for a bit longer.

If you plan to spend $1500-$2000, you will likely need to stay in a budget hotel for a few days. In Kyoto, I stayed at K's House Kyoto. It was nice for a hostel and seemed like a new building. The showers were excellent - great water pressure, better than some of the small business hotels I stayed at!

I also combined Kobe and Osaka for a half day trip from Kyoto. In Osaka, there is the Osaka-jo castle. I enjoyed it. Osaka was also "different" than Kyoto, in terms of people's manners and personalities - something I enjoyed experiencing after spending several days in Kyoto.

If Osaka had nothing to see (except Osakajo), then in my opinion Kobe really has nothing to see.

Good luck - re-reading your question, you ask for expert help and I have no claim to being an expert It can be hard to ask specific questions when you don't know where to begin. Again, the guidebooks are invaluable at recommending places to see.

Sorry for forgetting the specifics, my Japanese is almost non existent and I would like to stick to the tourist track and perhaps some nice places to visit ( i.e islands or cherry blosoms, however something not to far from the city) I am thinking of going in Nov/Dec . Is that a good time to go both for sites, weather and price? As far as hotels go im looking for 80-100 USD a night, would it be better to stay in Narita and just travel to tokyo everyday? Also ive seen some nice cities id like to visit though i dont know how far they are. They include a day trip to Nara,osaka,kyoto, atami, hiroshima? Thanks

I've banged on about this before, but unless you have very specific reasons to visit Tokyo, I believe, certainly with your budget, that you'll get an awful lot more out of your trip ignoring Tokyo entirely. And I say this as a confirmed Tokyophile - I adore the city.

Cherry blossom time is incredibly specific to each area and changes from year to year. Best get it out of your head now, there is 0 chance of sakura. What you might get is some Autumn foliage in November and the chance of snow if you're willing to go into the mountains, particularly in December.

Did you mean this November/December or next year?

Let's break it down
1 person - 10 days - $1,000 (roughly 100,000yen)

Accommodation - 2,500yen a day upwards (25,000yen) MINIMUM
Food - 1,500yen a day upwards (15,000yen) MINIMUM
Admission and entertainment charges - 1,000yen a day upwards (10,000yen)
Travel on transport not covered by the JR pass (unknown - but let's say 5,000yen)
JR pass for 7 days - 28,300yen

Total so far: 84,000yen ($840) I stress that this is rock bottom.

And I can promise you that you will find ways of spending that extra 1,600yen a day

----
So, this gives you the most very basic of holidays.

You can step up your experience, get better hotels, spend a bit more on food, have more for snacks and trinkets, all within your budget.

To do this don't buy the JR pass and take Tokyo and Hiroshima out of the equation, concentrate instead on visiting the areas around Osaka and Kyoto. I assure you there is plenty to do for ten days in and around the Kansai region with short trips to Himeji Castle, Mount Koya, Nara, Kurashiki, Naoshima (Island), and, if they still exist then, a stay at one of the Okayama Villas such as Hattoji. All of these will provide absorbing, affordable and memorable excursions.

KIX would be the best airport, but even NGO lets you travel to and from Kyoto/Osaka cheaply. To make the most out of your budget, avoid NRT.

Come back to Japan when you have more time and spend at least a week in Tokyo then.

I wouldn't suggest staying in Narita, the time needed to travel and the train fee to and from Tokyo would be significant. Also like Laplap said, no cherry blossoms in Nov/Dec, but the autumn leaves may be in full color that time of year. Kyoto in particular will be quite full of people visiting temples just to see these.

It's still hard to narrow down what might be of interest to you, so instead here are some general-purpose links which may provide some information you need:

Japan travel guide - Wikitravel
http://wikitravel.org/en/Japan

Japan-Guide.com
http://www.japan-guide.com/

Japan Youth Hostels Inc.
http://www.jyh.or.jp/english/index.html

The time to travel from Narita doesnt bother me. Are there any western style hotels in Tokyo for around 100 USD a night? Im looking for something close to a train/subway station as it seems tokyo is pretty well connected by subway. I dont need to stay in Ginza just someplace where i can easily access a train station and go all around. Thanks everyone

I don't think you understood KIXman's point about Narita.
Even if you believe you're saving money on accommodation there, the costs of commuting to and from Tokyo are considerable. And on such a short trip, you would spend far too many hours on a boring route.
Yes, plenty. Here's rjh's Hotel map which some of us have been keeping updated.
We all know you don't have to stay in Ginza

Best of luck with spending $50 a night each on hotels, keeping Tokyo in your itinerary and sticking to your budget!

A few points of which bundi404 may be unaware.

- Hotels in Japan are usually priced "per person." A hotel room for under $100/night for me alone will not be the same rate as for 2 of you. I assume that when you say "two of us" you mean a couple who will share a double bed or perhaps use twin beds. If you opt for western-style accommodations with beds, that will be your choice. Japanese-style rooms will involve futons laid out on tatami mat floors instead of beds and likely include meals in the room.

- Narita airport is over an hour one-way by train from Tokyo and the train fares are not inconsiderable. Running back and forth each day just doesn't make sense.

- Where are you coming from and how? Depending on which airline and departure point, Kansai airport (KIX) outside of Osaka or Central Japan airport (NGO) outside of Nagoya might make better entry or exit points for your trip. The classic suggestion is to enter via NRT, spend a few days in and around Tokyo, then take the shinkansen "bullet train" to Kyoto/Osaka area, spend a few days and then exit via KIX.

- If you are making the trip between Tokyo and Kyoto or Osaka in only one direction, the Japan Rail Pass might not be economical. If you will be going both directions - for instance to both enter and exit Japan via NRT - then it will almost certainly pay off. The "ordinary" 7-day Rail Pass costs 28,300 yen per person. That is around $285.00 just in Rail Passes for each adult. Understand that you must purchase the Japan Rail Pass outside of Japan, before you travel there. If there is no JTB tourist agency near you, you can buy the Pass online.

- Lower cost hotels are plentiful in both Tokyo and Kyoto but they tend to book up quickly for the more popular seasons - like cherry blossoms in the spring and fall color in the November/December period. For the truly budget options, look at some of the previous suggestions above for hostels and such. I know nothing of them. For some mid-range options, consider "business" hotels. They tend to be comfortable, close to transportation hubs and close to reasonable restaurants. I like to check different areas on a couple of websites for ideas but make my selections on several criteria which may or may not result in actually booking through those sites. Take a look at the two following for an idea of what a 2-person accommodation might cost:

http://www.japanhotel.net/

http://travel.rakuten.co.jp/en/ .

Of course, if you have an allegience to a particular hotel brand, check their site. Almost all international hotel families have a presence in Tokyo and most are in Osaka or Kyoto, even the budget Choice/Comfort line.

- Please, please, please do some research. Pick up a good guidebook and look through your options. Frommer's, Insight Guides, Lonely Planet, Fodor's, etc. - all have good guides to Japan which will at least give you some idea of what you wish to see and do while in Japan.

- For most of the major tourist sites, Japanese is nice to have but not necessary. Many signs are bilingual and many people will speak some English. The farther you get out into the inaka (hinterlands) the less that is so but Tokyo and Kyoto will be no problem.

JR

The OP of this thread PM'ed me with some additional questions but, as I explained in the PM, I much prefer to answer questions in the group so others may benefit. I do not give "private advice." Not anything bad, I just prefer to stay within the group.

The questions were: Regarding the rail pass if i purchase it can i take unlimited rides beetween narita and tokyo station ( on the fast Jr east line). I plant to go to Kyoto from Tokyo and maybe take a day trip to osaka. I guess it would be economical to buy it?. Lastly regarding the hotel i could really use some specific names of where to stay, right now im still considering staying to nartia as i can get a room for 8000 Yen. Any specific names you can recomend in Tokyo.

Others may have better answers, but here is my take.

Several of your questions refer to staying in "Narita" and taking the train to/from Narita. We need to know if you are referring to Narita Airport (NRT) or Narita (city.) They are close together but NOT the same location and do not use the same train station. You can get to Narita city in about 10 minutes on a local train from NRT.

The "fast JR East line" from NRT into Tokyo is the "Narita Express" and your JR Pass will cover rides on it. It doesn't, however, stop in Narita city. The fast train that goes into Tokyo through (and from) Narita city is the Keisei Line and it is NOT covered by the JR Pass. To make it even more confusing, many of us prefer the Keisei Skyliner train from NRT to Ueno in Tokyo but again, the JR Rail Pass does not cover it. If you will be staying longer than the 7 days your JR Rail Pass will cover, you will need to pay out-of-pocket for at least one of your trips to/from the airport. The Keisei option to Ueno is considerably cheaper than the Narita Express and delivers you to Ueno instead of Tokyo Station way downtown.

I am finding it difficult to accept that you can find an airport area hotel room for two for 8000 yen/night. Keep in mind that most hotel room rates in Japan are per person, not per room. You should be looking at "twin" or "double" rates - or even "semi-double" if you are both fairly small and don't mind crowding. I usually book a "semi-double" for myself when I can find one. It is about halfway between a twin bed and a double bed in width.

I repeat, running back and forth between NRT and Tokyo for several days would be a real waste of time.

When you say you are going "to Kyoto," do you mean one-way, or are you coming back to Tokyo before departure? If so, then yes, the Rail Pass would be worth it. Remember that it is good for 7 days. You must plan your long distance travel to fall within a 7 day window. For example, you could use the Pass to ride into Tokyo on Day 1, spend 3 days in Tokyo (Day 2-4), go to Kyoto in the afternoon of Day 4, spend 3 days in Kyoto (Day 5-7) and then return to Tokyo in the afternoon of Day 7. I would do it differently, though. I would purchase a special NRT Express ticket that comes with a 1- or 2-day subway/local train pass (the N'Ex + Suica) for the first trip into the city and a day or 2 touring the city. Then I would "activate" the Rail Pass and use it for the last 7 days of my stay, including that last ride out to NRT to go home. Using the Rail Pass takes a little planning to get the most value.

As for specific hotels, I don't know of many that will accommodate 2 people for under 8000 yen/night other than "backpacker" type places. I found a couple in the Asakusa/Ueno area but have never used them so cannot recommend anything. If you use the website link I gave you for Japan Hotel Net, click on the map for "Greater Tokyo," then select "Central Tokyo" and then select "Asakusa." Asakusa is not in the middle of town but is on subway lines that go nearly everywhere and the room rates tend to be a bit lower. Just look at the various hotels listed and click on one that looks promising. Then select "Room Rates" near the top of the page to see what they charge. If you find something you like, the website will take care of reservations and booking. And Asakusa/Ueno both have great tourist sites to see. Of course, don't limit your search to only Asakusa. Try some of the other links to see the rates in other parts of town. You might get lucky. On the JHN site, I think you are going to have to look for the "Budget Hotel" and "Backpacker" categories to get close to 8000 yen.

I looked at the various hotel offerings and found one or two that come close to your budget but I have never seen them and cannot make a recommendation. For example, the Oak Hotel and the Asakusa Tokaiso both fit your budget but don't look like someplace I'd select. Sorry I can't be more specific but the places I can recommend will run well over 10,000 for a double.

I hope this gives you a little more to go on.

JR

Thanks for that advice, so I would need to leave from Narita Airport, not narita station in order to use the JR line which will take me to Tokyo station. I found on both the raddison narita hotel and hitlon narita both which give me rates around 8000-9000 Yen.

Well, color me surprised but I also see that Radisson rate for random dates in November. The Hilton seems to be quite a bit more on the websites I checked.

Even if you could get the Radisson, I suggest looking for someplace in the city. You have very little time in Tokyo and you would be spending 3+ hours each day either navigating to/from Tokyo Station or riding trains back and forth. Once in Tokyo, you will need to use subways or cabs to get many places although the Rail Pass will get you on JR trains to or near some tourist sites. For example, one of my favorite places to recommend for a visit is Asakusa Kannon/Senso-ji Temple with the adjacent Nakamise Shopping Street and surrounding old-town Asakusa for walking. You can't get to Asakusa on a JR train but 2 different subway lines will get you there. The JR Rail Pass does not cover subways. On the other hand, Ueno Park and all the museums and monuments are right outside Ueno Station, on the Yamanote Loop Line which IS covered by the Rail Pass. YMMV depending on what you want to see and where you want to go in Tokyo. Likewise, in Kyoto, you will need to use buses and subways (or cabs) to get around, which are not covered by the Rail Pass but a ride into Osaka or Nara on JR trains would be. Even with a Rail Pass, you are going to have additional transportation costs.

If you decide to stay out by NRT, you will need to take the hotel shuttle to the airport each morning to catch the Narita Express into the city and then, at the end of the day, return to the airport and catch the shuttle back to the hotel. In this case, you would "activate" your Rail Pass for the day after your arrival right at the JR station at NRT and then take the shuttle directly to the hotel. In the morning, you would go back to the NRT train station and arrange your seats on the N'Ex train using your Rail Pass and repeat each day. Remember that your Rail Pass becomes useless at the end of the 7th day of activation so you would need to be back from Kyoto and to the airport by then or have to pay for any additional rides after that 7th day.

On the day you move to Kyoto, you will have to again travel into town to Tokyo Station or Shinagawa Station to catch the shinkansen to Kyoto.

JR

one last question, what can i expect weather wise in nov/dec

Below is a link you might find helpful. In my experience, early November in Tokyo can be quite nice - I have been comfortable in short-sleeves and a light sweater in my daypack. Later in the month will be cooler but still nice. Maybe long-sleeves with a light jacket available. Late November will be "fall color" time, similar to New England in the Fall. Early December will be cool and dry but rarely cold. November/December is a pretty good time to visit Tokyo and Kyoto.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2273.html .

JR