Using Osaka Kansai International airport as your point of entry & exit is much less tiring and less of a hassle (it’s much closer to Osaka than Narita is to Tokyo).

Be sure to get a Japan Rail Pass before you come to Japan.
They’re amazing value. You don’t have to travel on consecutive days and you can even travel on many high speed trains with it.

http://www.japanrailpass.net/

I can really recommend visiting Kyushu. Nagasaki, Kagoshima and Fukuoka are great cities and Kyushu has awesome great hot springs.
Shikoku has some amazing nature also.
The San-in area is of the beaten path, but from a historical and religious point of view is the cradle of Japanese civilization.

If you want to work on your Japanese I’d avoid guesthouses and places with lots of foreigners.

If you can read some basic Japanese then you can get some good deals on hotels through the following site:

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

Most hotels offer internet connections nowadays.

(don’t bother with the English language version, only the Japanese one gets all the good prices).

Good luck planning your trip!

Using Osaka Kansai International airport as your point of entry & exit is much less tiring and less of a hassle (it’s much closer to Osaka than Narita is to Tokyo).

Be sure to get a Japan Rail Pass before you come to Japan.
They’re amazing value. You don’t have to travel on consecutive days and you can even travel on many high speed trains with it.

http://www.japanrailpass.net/

I can really recommend visiting Kyushu. Nagasaki, Kagoshima and Fukuoka are great cities and Kyushu has awesome great hot springs.
Shikoku has some amazing nature also.
The San-in area is of the beaten path, but from a historical and religious point of view is the cradle of Japanese civilization.

If you want to work on your Japanese I’d avoid guesthouses and places with lots of foreigners.

If you can read some basic Japanese then you can get some good deals on hotels through the following site:

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

Most hotels offer internet connections nowadays.

(don’t bother with the English language version, only the Japanese one gets all the good prices).

Good luck planning your trip!

Using Osaka Kansai International airport as your point of entry & exit is much less tiring and less of a hassle (it’s much closer to Osaka than Narita is to Tokyo).

Be sure to get a Japan Rail Pass before you come to Japan.
They’re amazing value. You don’t have to travel on consecutive days and you can even travel on many high speed trains with it.

http://www.japanrailpass.net/

I can really recommend visiting Kyushu. Nagasaki, Kagoshima and Fukuoka are great cities and Kyushu has awesome great hot springs.
Shikoku has some amazing nature also.
The San-in area is of the beaten path, but from a historical and religious point of view is the cradle of Japanese civilization.

If you want to work on your Japanese I’d avoid guesthouses and places with lots of foreigners.

If you can read some basic Japanese then you can get some good deals on hotels through the following site:

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

Most hotels offer internet connections nowadays.

(don’t bother with the English language version, only the Japanese one gets all the good prices).

Good luck planning your trip!

Living on a Budget:

1) You should be able to stay 2 months easily with that budget. You could stay longer, but that would mean cutting back on some fun.

2) Staying at a hostel is the best option. Usually the longer you stay, the cheaper the price becomes. The ones I know of, the rooms are quite small, with just a bed and tv. Shared bathroom, and depending on the place, the common area might have wi-fi or internet. Hostels will also let you split up your time between different cities.

There are some cheap places on the outskirts of Tokyo (like Yokohama). It means some travelling to get to places, but Japan has an extremely good transit system so no problem there.

3) Tokyo has plenty of cheap & good food since japanese people love food. Convience store bentos range from 450-600 yen, and snacks (sandwishes and riceballs) are 100-200 yen. There are, however plenty of cheap lunch and dinner sets (600-900 yen) at stations and department store restaurent floors.

4) Minimum fare for trains is about 130 yen. A full day of travelling may cost about 500-800 yen roundtrip. Can be cheaper if you plan ahead and buy day passes. For the Tokyo area, the trains can be complicated so invest in a SUICA or PASMO smartcard. Just put some money on it, and the fares will automatically be deducted when you pass through stations. For long distance traveling I recommend buying the Japan Rail Pass. They are available in 1, 2 & 3 week periods i believe, so plan ahead and activate the Japan Rail Pass for that period.

5) Concert tickets are about 5000 yen. However, during the summer, there are large music festivals such as Summer Sonic, in which you can experience a large number of artists for about 15000 yen a day.

6) Don’t know. But can check here (http://www.post.japanpost.jp/cgi-charge/index.php?lang=_en)

Places:

1) Restaurants everywhere, but popular young hangout spots are Shibuya, and Roppongi.

2) Ride the train, pick a station. I’m sure you’ll find something interesting there.

3) There are good cafes along the Tokyu Toyoko Line (runs between Yokohama and Shibuya). Can’t specify any since I don’t know where exactly you’re staying/going. There are Starbucks everywhere, and they are quite comfortable.

4) Around TV Studios, mainly Shiodome, and Akasaka, Odaiba. If you want female artists, probably young shopping districts like shibuya or harajuku.

5) Most daytime shows have outdoor segments near their studios.

6) There’s a list of 3 sights that Japanese people consider beautiful. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Views_of_Japan). I recommend Miyajima, since its iconic. Otherwise, if you want beautiful japan, just head outside the city and you’ll find it. Other touristy places (kyoto, nara etc) are nice too.

7) Good onsens in Hakone and Nikko around Tokyo. I believe there are several equivalent sites near Osaka too. Tokyo and Yokohama also have urban Onsens (Which are actually like spas) but worth the visit too.

General Questions:

1) I can’t think of any places with a higher age restriction. It depends on the place on how strict they are on checking ID. Clubs that alot of university students go to can be lenient on ID, but always have one with you when traveling.

2) DonQuihote has loads of random stuff.

3) Although Japans relatively safe, be careful. Plan ahead to reduce costs. Enjoy yourself.

Extra Question:

1) There are some rental phones at airports (http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guide/service/list/svc_19.html). They tend to be crappy, but as long as you keep usage to a minimum, it won’t cost too much.

I grew up in Japan, and I’m at university in Canada now. Im going back for the summer, so I’d be happy to help out with anything.

Living on a Budget:

1) You should be able to stay 2 months easily with that budget. You could stay longer, but that would mean cutting back on some fun.

2) Staying at a hostel is the best option. Usually the longer you stay, the cheaper the price becomes. The ones I know of, the rooms are quite small, with just a bed and tv. Shared bathroom, and depending on the place, the common area might have wi-fi or internet. Hostels will also let you split up your time between different cities.

There are some cheap places on the outskirts of Tokyo (like Yokohama). It means some travelling to get to places, but Japan has an extremely good transit system so no problem there.

3) Tokyo has plenty of cheap & good food since japanese people love food. Convience store bentos range from 450-600 yen, and snacks (sandwishes and riceballs) are 100-200 yen. There are, however plenty of cheap lunch and dinner sets (600-900 yen) at stations and department store restaurent floors.

4) Minimum fare for trains is about 130 yen. A full day of travelling may cost about 500-800 yen roundtrip. Can be cheaper if you plan ahead and buy day passes. For the Tokyo area, the trains can be complicated so invest in a SUICA or PASMO smartcard. Just put some money on it, and the fares will automatically be deducted when you pass through stations. For long distance traveling I recommend buying the Japan Rail Pass. They are available in 1, 2 & 3 week periods i believe, so plan ahead and activate the Japan Rail Pass for that period.

5) Concert tickets are about 5000 yen. However, during the summer, there are large music festivals such as Summer Sonic, in which you can experience a large number of artists for about 15000 yen a day.

6) Don’t know. But can check here (http://www.post.japanpost.jp/cgi-charge/index.php?lang=_en)

Places:

1) Restaurants everywhere, but popular young hangout spots are Shibuya, and Roppongi.

2) Ride the train, pick a station. I’m sure you’ll find something interesting there.

3) There are good cafes along the Tokyu Toyoko Line (runs between Yokohama and Shibuya). Can’t specify any since I don’t know where exactly you’re staying/going. There are Starbucks everywhere, and they are quite comfortable.

4) Around TV Studios, mainly Shiodome, and Akasaka, Odaiba. If you want female artists, probably young shopping districts like shibuya or harajuku.

5) Most daytime shows have outdoor segments near their studios.

6) There’s a list of 3 sights that Japanese people consider beautiful. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Views_of_Japan). I recommend Miyajima, since its iconic. Otherwise, if you want beautiful japan, just head outside the city and you’ll find it. Other touristy places (kyoto, nara etc) are nice too.

7) Good onsens in Hakone and Nikko around Tokyo. I believe there are several equivalent sites near Osaka too. Tokyo and Yokohama also have urban Onsens (Which are actually like spas) but worth the visit too.

General Questions:

1) I can’t think of any places with a higher age restriction. It depends on the place on how strict they are on checking ID. Clubs that alot of university students go to can be lenient on ID, but always have one with you when traveling.

2) DonQuihote has loads of random stuff.

3) Although Japans relatively safe, be careful. Plan ahead to reduce costs. Enjoy yourself.

Extra Question:

1) There are some rental phones at airports (http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guide/service/list/svc_19.html). They tend to be crappy, but as long as you keep usage to a minimum, it won’t cost too much.

I grew up in Japan, and I’m at university in Canada now. Im going back for the summer, so I’d be happy to help out with anything.

Living on a Budget:

1) You should be able to stay 2 months easily with that budget. You could stay longer, but that would mean cutting back on some fun.

2) Staying at a hostel is the best option. Usually the longer you stay, the cheaper the price becomes. The ones I know of, the rooms are quite small, with just a bed and tv. Shared bathroom, and depending on the place, the common area might have wi-fi or internet. Hostels will also let you split up your time between different cities.

There are some cheap places on the outskirts of Tokyo (like Yokohama). It means some travelling to get to places, but Japan has an extremely good transit system so no problem there.

3) Tokyo has plenty of cheap & good food since japanese people love food. Convience store bentos range from 450-600 yen, and snacks (sandwishes and riceballs) are 100-200 yen. There are, however plenty of cheap lunch and dinner sets (600-900 yen) at stations and department store restaurent floors.

4) Minimum fare for trains is about 130 yen. A full day of travelling may cost about 500-800 yen roundtrip. Can be cheaper if you plan ahead and buy day passes. For the Tokyo area, the trains can be complicated so invest in a SUICA or PASMO smartcard. Just put some money on it, and the fares will automatically be deducted when you pass through stations. For long distance traveling I recommend buying the Japan Rail Pass. They are available in 1, 2 & 3 week periods i believe, so plan ahead and activate the Japan Rail Pass for that period.

5) Concert tickets are about 5000 yen. However, during the summer, there are large music festivals such as Summer Sonic, in which you can experience a large number of artists for about 15000 yen a day.

6) Don’t know. But can check here (http://www.post.japanpost.jp/cgi-charge/index.php?lang=_en)

Places:

1) Restaurants everywhere, but popular young hangout spots are Shibuya, and Roppongi.

2) Ride the train, pick a station. I’m sure you’ll find something interesting there.

3) There are good cafes along the Tokyu Toyoko Line (runs between Yokohama and Shibuya). Can’t specify any since I don’t know where exactly you’re staying/going. There are Starbucks everywhere, and they are quite comfortable.

4) Around TV Studios, mainly Shiodome, and Akasaka, Odaiba. If you want female artists, probably young shopping districts like shibuya or harajuku.

5) Most daytime shows have outdoor segments near their studios.

6) There’s a list of 3 sights that Japanese people consider beautiful. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Views_of_Japan). I recommend Miyajima, since its iconic. Otherwise, if you want beautiful japan, just head outside the city and you’ll find it. Other touristy places (kyoto, nara etc) are nice too.

7) Good onsens in Hakone and Nikko around Tokyo. I believe there are several equivalent sites near Osaka too. Tokyo and Yokohama also have urban Onsens (Which are actually like spas) but worth the visit too.

General Questions:

1) I can’t think of any places with a higher age restriction. It depends on the place on how strict they are on checking ID. Clubs that alot of university students go to can be lenient on ID, but always have one with you when traveling.

2) DonQuihote has loads of random stuff.

3) Although Japans relatively safe, be careful. Plan ahead to reduce costs. Enjoy yourself.

Extra Question:

1) There are some rental phones at airports (http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/guide/service/list/svc_19.html). They tend to be crappy, but as long as you keep usage to a minimum, it won’t cost too much.

I grew up in Japan, and I’m at university in Canada now. Im going back for the summer, so I’d be happy to help out with anything.