wow 6K is quite a lot. then again, is the airfare & accommodation included in there too? it really depends on where you're planning to visit and what you're planning to do. if you don't want to spend too much, i suggest you not go too far from where you're originally staying which i'm guessing would be the city. i think the railway passes only let you ride certain lines. there are different lines such as JR, Tokyu, Tokyo Metro... so make sure you're aware of that as well.

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oh ok I see didnt know that.. ill keep that in mind..oh flight is already paid for we got a great deal for it too 750 each for round trip our friends brother in law works for the airline so he gave us a good discount..so the 6k is for everyting else.

Check to see if the cherry blossoms are out yet. There is a lot of partying going on in Ueno park as people reserve seats under the rows of cherry trees to take them in and to really get out to drink and eat. The park is at Ueno Station off the Yamanote line (green train that circles Tokyo and stops at most major stations). If you bought a JR pass it is good for 7 or 14 days and you can start it at Narita airport to take the $30 train ride into Tokyo. If not take the slow train for $10. It's easy to spend $10-15/day on trains and subways so see if it pays to buy a day pass. There are only a couple of JR lines in Tokyo to use the rail pass. You really need to go to another city to pay for the train pass. Break even is making it to at least Kyoto and back to Tokyo. You better do some research or be on a tour to get the most out of it. Start here: http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/index.html

Stops in Tokyo:
Harajuku on a Sunday for the costume kids, Yoyogi Park on a Sunday to see the rockers, Shibuya shopping, Shinjuku clubs, Odaiba cool reclaimed island, Roppongi clubs and shopping, Ueno shopping under the tracks, Asakusa Senso-Kannon Temple, Sony Building, Akihabara for the electronics shops.

Kyoto is great for temples and history as it was not bombed during WW2. Many many world famous sites there.

Hiroshima - A-bomb museum.

My favorite thing to do is to go to an onsen for a little relaxation.

I agree with kjazz. Check to see if they are in bloom. Sakura is simply beautiful.

In the Tokyo area, it usually doesn't come to full bloom til the first few weeks of April. Then again, it depends on how early or late it starts getting warm. It works its way up from the south and it doesn't last very long.

There are many good spots to go to. Ueno Park would be filled with people. There are many other parks also. Alongside the Meguro River is a good spot also. I experienced my first real "hanami" last year, drinking & sitting under the trees with friends. It was still a little chilly out but it was a very beautiful and fun experience.

Japan in general? I'd certainly eat some of my favorite kinds of sushi(unfortunately escolar is banned in Japan for certain reasons):
Hamachi
Otoro
Uni
Tako
Nisshin
etc.

And my favorite Japanese salad
Hiyashi Chuka

Not sure if Tokyo is the best place for these, but it would still be awesome. I think more like an Osakan, so I'd probably go there before I went to Tokyo, but would certainly go to Tokyo if someone wants to pay .

6k is more than enough?. if you are a tad adventurous discover Japan away form the tourist traps of Kyoto and Tokyo, which are great for shopping?? I am very fortunate enough to have a large family spread over Japan ?we visit twice yearly

My 2 favourite memories from Kobe?

One of the photos is a Foreigners Residential District in Kobe...the Residence have been converted to museums? the other is Kobe?s China Town ?

http://web-japan.org/atlas/communities/com14.html

http://www.hyogo-tourism.jp/english/kobe/kobe01.html







Have a great time ?the 2 weeks will fly by ?allow enough time in Tokyo for shopping ?but there's a Japan outside Tokyo?s tourist commercialism and concrete, that?s to beautiful and wondrous to miss..



Psssss....try Himeji Castle ....i still believe you can try on the Samurai Armour ....

http://www.himeji-castle.gr.jp/index/English/

wow japan is pretty overwhelming huh I checked on the cherry blossoms I wont make it in time unless we go down to Fukuoka side everywhere else will bloom when we leave :( ill try to see what we can do about it.

@Salomonis thxs for the food tips ill write them down, got any tips on drinks too? ^_^

@Pips_Paradise Kobe looks great id love to try on the samurai armor!

@Kjazz awesome that site u sent me has alot of great places thxs

Drinks. I love chuhai and ume shuu

There are many izakaya (drinking establishments) there. Usually the food is inexpensive and there are a lot of drinks to choose from. If you're in the city, a lot of places have menus in English. And you don't have to tip in Japan! Sucked for me when I was working as a waitress there but it sure is customer friendly. I also love going to ramen shops. And make sure to check out the convenience stores/super markets. There are a lot of variety of bread, snacks, candy, juice... If you like sweets, there are a lot of cake shops and cafes to check out. And try out some wagashi (Japanese confectionery) like manju, daifuku, dango, anmitsu, monaka, etc.

If you like amusement parks and rollercoasters, I recommend Fuji Q Highland park. It is near Mt. Fuji.

Anyway, just have fun. Don't feel like you have to accomplish everything. It is very tiring. Theres going to be a lot of people walking around you. And the trains will get packed during rush hour (oh I hated that...)

not sure what your age range is but i would say it would be fun to at least check out the Pokemon Center in tokyo, though that just depends if your into that kind of stuff...other than that I would say you should go to this game store in Akihabara called Super Potato. its an old vintage video game store (they sell new games as well) you can find many rare and out of print games there. never been there personally but I hear its great! enjoy your trip!!

When it comes to sake, I'm a little odd fyi. I prefer dry, cold sake with no fruit flavor or sweetness(traditional), especially when I'm eating sushi. I've never liked warm sake because it takes away the flavor to some degree. Just be sure it's "daiginjo" for cold sake. That means they used the most flavorable part of the rice in making it. If you are having warm sake, I wouldn't spend extra for daiginjo. Ginjo should be sufficient.
a_kikoo must like it very sweet, cause I had an ume sake that was way too sweet for me. It just depends what you like.
Sho Chiku Bai has been the best(most consistent) company for me. You might want to try some beer. I prefer Asahi over Kirin Ichiban. Both are good.
I'm not sure they call it Nisshin sushi. After I posted it I tried to find it online with no luck. I was told at a Japanese restaurant that they have it for New Years. It looks like Mackerel with yellow roe in it(not sprinkled on top like a crunchy shrimp roll or dragon roll).
I'm not responsible, but if you are feeling adventurous, you should try some fugu (puffer fish) . I hear the best sushi chefs can cut just enough poison(microscopic considering how deadly it is) to cause the tongue to tingle and go numb. I'm not sure if I'd do it, but that is certainly something you can't do in the states.