great shopping in Harajuku and Shibuya. high end to thrifty boutiques. mayonnaise and raw eggs are popular toppings for many japanese dishes but don’t be afraid to try something new. If you find yourself craving something familiarly American, definitely hit up Kua’Aina Burger instead of McDonalds. Yoyogi Park is a popular spot to socialize or chillax. You’ll see bongo drummers, skate boarding, picnics, and a sidewalk flea market on the weekends. Explore as much as you can Joy! It’s an amazing place!

enjoy your wonderful trip! would looove to go there someday!

From Kyoto you should definitely visit the city of Nara. The train ride won’t take long and it’s worth the effort.
Maybe you should see the Himeji -castle as well. In my opinion that was one of the prettiest places I saw in Japan!

Congratulations, that sounds amazing!

I recently returned from my honeymoon in Japan and one of my husband & I’s favorite places was Kyoto. If you are looking for a mindblowing meal try Giro Giro, it’s a tiny little restaurant (reservations needed) in a renovated old wood house in Kyoto. There’s a U-shaped counter with the chefs in the middle and each night they serve an inspiring set menu. It was probably the best meal I’ve ever had (and it was really reasonable price-wise)
It was written up in the New York Times (#2) http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/04/25/travel/25hours.html which is how we found out about it. It’s off the beaten path (our taxi driver was dubious there was a restaurant where he dropped us off) but well worth it.
Also there are many beautiful temples in Kyoto, one of my favorites was Kiyomizudera. There are three fountains there symbolizing love, wisdom, and longevity. If you drink from them they are supposed to grant you those qualities…Although the story goes you are only supposed to drink from two out of three or else it’s greedy 🙂
I believe it is near Kiyomizudera that there are cute little shops along the way. They are touristy but fun to look into.
Also, Nara is a nice day trip from Kyoto. The largest Buddha statue in Japan is in Nara (at Todaiji) as well as tame deer (that will try to eat your ice cream and anything else they can get to!). There is another shrine in Nara (I think it is called Kasuga Taisha) which has hundreds of lanterns leading up to it. It’s a beautiful walk (~1/4 – 1/2 mi or so) to the temple and each side is lined with gorgeous stone lanterns.
I could probably babble about Kyoto for awhile so I’ll stop here! Have a fabulous time, it’s a beautiful city.

enjoy your trip!!!
and yesss!don’t forget our souvenirs 🙂 😉

Loft, Ginza, Tokyo – Loft is the 3-story building filled with wondrous stationary, including your beloved Happy Tape.
Ghibli Museum, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo – the museum of the amazing animation by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. It has a giant robot on the roof along with a bamboo garden, inside there is an amazing display of the history of animation, and you are able to see a short film that is only available in the museum. It’s a magical, amazing place!
Address:
1-1-83 Simorenjaku, Mitaka-shi,
Tokyo 181-0013
Tsukiji, Tokyo – eat the freshest sushi, caught early that morning, in the row of sushi restaurants right outside of the fish market.
Zojoji Temple, Tokyo – temple right by the tower of Tokyo. If you walk by it late at night, you can sometimes hear the monks having a service, chanting and hitting a gong. Its very quiet and serene in the middle of the hustle and bustle to watch their movements in shadow and listen to their ancient rituals.
Only 1 day in Tokyo! This is like a puzzle trying to figure out where else you have to go! I spent a month and a half in Tokyo last year while working on a film, and I had a ton of exploration time. You will love Japan!!!

i’ve never been to japan before, but here’s a food blog i’ve been following: http://kyotofoodie.com/ everything looks amazing!

Gion district in Kyoto is great for a meander at night, spotting Geisha and trainee geishas going into teahouses, admiring the old wooden houses, traditional wrought-iron lampoosts and the stream that runs through the middle of Gion. Kyoto’s taxis have cute heart/moon/star-shaped lights on top, so if you’re quicker off the mark than me and can get a photo I’ll be very jealous!
The park of 10,000 Torii gates is lovely, and great exercise if you walk to the top of the hill and view the city spread out below. There are so many beautiful temples there that I didn’t get to see (only 1 full day there!) though, so use your time wisely 🙂
Whatever you end up doing, have fun!
http://amywilley.blogspot.com

Enjoy your trip…I’m sure it will be amazing whatever you do!

if you’re stopping by shibuya… be sure to make a stop at LOFT! they have the greatest collection of stationary! trumps muji anyday!
also the sakura/green tea ice cream shop just beside kiyomizudera (in kyoto) is a must!

Japan!!! wow that’s so exciting! I’ve always wanted to visit Japan (maybe someday) – have loads of fun. And those images you posted are so beautiful – that window is quite overwhelming.

It’s very easy to get around by train. I would even recomend day trips to Tokyo – there are some amazing art galleries and fashion. I loved the history and temples in Kamarura. You shouldn’t miss the opportunity to visit Mt. Fuji. It is as beautiful as they say it is.
Enjoy your trip!

oops, forgot one more thing…
in tokyo, make sure to check out the neighborhood of Daikenyama and Naka-meguro.
there are so many excellent shops there (including tsumori chisato).
and if you’re in need of a place to stay, the claska hotel is not too far off.
http://www.claska.com/en/hotel/

SO fun! I got to tag along on my husband’s biz trip last year too and Tokyo and Hong Kong were by far my favorite places I’ve ever been. You are going to have the best time!!
Tokyo is amazing. There are SO many people but I found it to be remarkably quiet and clean – even in Harajuku, which is like Times Square. The people are enormously polite and will never tell you no (it’s a cultural thing and I like!).
Even the taxis are cute. The drivers wear white gloves and the seats are covered in lacy doily things.
Everything is really expensive — especially transportation (and hotels). Unlike in NY, you don’t pay a flat rate, you pay by the distance you travel (just something to keep in mind). For instance a taxi from the airport into Tokyo would have been $160. But the buses were really nice and a lot less. And the train we took to Kamakura was nice (of course, we accidentally sat in “first class”).
The food everywhere is insane. SO good. Top quality. I love the mom and pop restaurants, where the pop is the chef and the mom is the server (I forget what they’re called). I had the best pizza of my life in Tokyo (somewhere in the Ginza). Speaking of the Ginza, it’s like Fifth Avenue in NY, except there are like five Fifth Avenues (multiple Chanel stores within blocks of each other, for example). The amount of shopping is incredible, as is the way everything is displayed. So artful.
We only went to Kamakura as a side trip (fun!), so I’m really looking forward to hearing your Kyoto suggestions!

I live about an hour’s train ride away from Tokyo, but I’ve visited Kyoto a couple of times and I LOVE IT. It’s my favorite place in Japan. I HIGHLY recommend that you purchase Lonely Planet’s Japan guide, as it covers all the must-sees of Kyoto and anywhere else you might visit. There is just way too much to list here; Kyoto is Japan in a (big) nutshell. My favorites are the Fushimi Inari Shrine and the bamboo forest. The golden and silver pagodas are must-sees, and Philosopher’s Path is very pleasant. The gardens of Nijo-jo are beautiful. For souvenirs, the Kyoto Handicraft Center (http://www.kyotohandicraftcenter.com/jp/) is well worth a stop! As for something NOT in Lonely Planet, you MUST MUST MUST eat at Grill Miyata (http://www.bento.com/kansai/rev/7067.html) in Gion. Make reservations and take cash. Expect to pay 9000 yen (about $100) per person, but it is INCREDIBLY worth it!!! Hiroshi-san loves Americans and loves entertaining in general. I use http://www.bento.com all the time for dining out and drinking. It’s an amazing resource. Also, if you get a chance, you really should visit Hakone, my second favorite place in Japan! It’s a beautiful area with amazing views of Fuji-san and interesting transportation! I recommend staying at the Fujiya Hotel and the Setsugetsuka ryokan. Again, you must get the Lonely Planet guide! I hope you have a wonderful time in Japan!!!

I second the suggestion to make a little side trip to Nara from Kyoto. Such a cute laid back town, and all the deer are adorable! Ok, some of the deer are adorable. And some of them will just be after your biscuits.
When touring temples east of the river, I totally recommend renting a bike to do it. The temples are a bit too spaced out to walk it comfortably, and you’ll see more if you’re not in a taxi.
And, there is surprisingly good food to be had in the department stores. Really!
Have a lovely time 🙂

I live in Tokyo.
So,I’m just one of the fans of your blog.
BUT! I want to applies to guide Tokyo for you If it possible.
Please E-mail me if you want.!!!!!!!!

Hmmm, where to go in Kyoto & Tokyo that hasn’t been mentioned?
Depending on how long you are there, it is well worth getting out of Kyoto and visiting other cities nearby. Kyoto is very near to Nara, Osaka and Kobe, and all of these cities have different feelings to them and are worth a wander. If you do plan to travel around, I would strongly recommend buying a JR Pass before heading to Japan. For about $300, you’ll have unlimited use of the Shinkansen and other JR trains and buses for 7 days. With the JR pass, you can do return trips around Japan and still base yourself in Kyoto.
Department (depa-chika) store basements are wonderful. The gorgeous array of food isn’t to be missed, but can be a bit overwhelming!
LOFT and Tokyu Hands are a must on any visit to Japan. Simply fun to wander through floor after floor of “creative life goods”! And, of course, finding a good Daiso (100 yen shop), Muji, and Uniqlo are always high on my list. As well, it’s always fun to head to a big supermarket to stock up on all sorts of food to bring home – we always find the local AEON or JUSCO (type of mall) and there’s sure to be a substantial supermarket.
One of my favourite places to shop is called Shimojima. These can be found throughout Japan – there’s a complex of multiple shops in Asakusabashi in Tokyo, but I’m sure there’ll be one somewhere in the Kyoto area. It’s basically a huge office supply shop, but sells a variety of stationery, ribbons, tapes, chiyogami / yuzen, seasonal decorations, and all sorts of other wonderful stuff at wholesale prices. By September, they might even have their fabulous collection of calendars in!
In Kyoto, eat yatsuhashi – a traditional sweet you’ll see everywhere. Made from rice flour and cinnamon, and either served raw with filling or cooked like a cookie. The texture of the raw version is like mochi. The black sesame is to die for! The shops on the way up to Kiyomizudera are wonderful! I’ve visited Kyoto 5 times (I think?) and we always do the Kiyomizu route. There are lovely little artisan shops tucked in between the tacky souvenir places, great for a wander.
My favourite shop in Kyoto is Daishodo, a shop selling antique woodblock prints and rare books. Found in the Teramachi (a well known covered shopping street), it’s great for unique souvenirs.
This year is the 1300th birthday of Nara, I think there’ll be special events throughout the year. The deer can be a bit too friendly but there are some gorgeous sights.
Himeji Castle is wonderful and well worth a visit. There’s a really great covered shopping area between the train station and the castle that’s worth a visit.
Kobe feels very fresh and international with its lovely port and Chinatown. Osaka is a bit rough ‘n’ tumble, but has some great shopping. (And is pretty much the love hotel capital of Japan! Though you’ll find them throughout the country).
Well, this is turning into a novel, so I’ll stop. But I do have lots more suggestions if you’re interested, or would be happy to answer questions about any of these suggestions! I lived in Nagoya for about 4 years, and my husband lived in Japan for about 8.

NAOSHIMA ART ISLAND–it’s close to Okohama (you would have to travel some from Kyoto, but TOTALLY worth it)
Most beautiful and quaint town–bursting with contemporary art.
It’s hard to figure out what’s there and how things work in your research, but once you’re there it’s so simple.
Look it up! I was there for 2 days and out of my three trips to Japan, it was my favourite. Actually, scrap that out of all my trips it was my favourite place.
But don’t believe me—go see for yourself!!!!!!