Japan concentrates most first trips along one corridor: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, linked by shinkansen in a few hours, with Kyoto carrying the temples and Tokyo and Osaka the urban side. The country rewards precision — timetables, reservations and opening hours are followed exactly, and planning around them works.
The guides here cover Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Japan overall. Two seasons draw crowds and price surges: cherry blossom in late March and April, and autumn foliage in November, both of which shift by a week or two each year and by region. Cash still matters at smaller establishments despite the country's reputation for technology, and a rail pass is worth pricing against individual tickets rather than assumed to be cheaper.