Japan Honeymoon yey! (advice please)

I went a few years ago. Flight wasn't as bad as i imagined. Just bring stuff to do!

I just stayed in Tokyo. My one suggestion is take a bus to spend a day at Mt. Fuji. It was gorgeous and a nice day out of the city. Oh, and go to Harajuku, its just fun. Have fun, I loved it there!

Thanks! we're taking a bus from Tokyo to Fujikowaguchiko to stay at a ryokan that's near a lake and Mt Fuji so hopefully well be able to get a clear view of the mountain.

That sounds so cool! I've never been to Japan, but I took a long flight to Rome and I was bored, haha. It might be worth springing for the Internet. I watched movies pretty much the whole time. Bring snacks!

There is a fantastic bus that will take you from the airport to downtown Tokyo - well worth it! A taxi will be very expensive. Stay in Kyoto!! Such a romantic and lovely place! Great food, also. You will love the Ryokan. They are very cool. Book a table in Tokyo at Innsyoutei in Ueno Park. It is a lovely, traditional, fantastic sukiyaki restaurant. You will have a wonderful time!

I've been there twice in the past 6 years. My favourite travel destination ever. This all depends on what you want to do.

Flying, there is nothing you can do. It sucks.

Tokyo - 3 to 4 days MAX is all you need. It's pretty cool and TONS of great food but there are better places to go. Most restaurants are good, just look up online for TYPES of Japanese cuisine (there is a reason why it's my favourite) and make the attempt to try a different cuisine everyday from teppenyaki, sushi, wagyu beef, ramen, udon, pork cutlets, japanese curry etc. Places to see are different stops like Shinjuku, Harajuku, and the Palace etc.

Osaka - is good, again lots of food but less culture. Only real place to visit is Dontonburi and Osaka Castle.

Kyoto - This is where you want to go if you want good Japanese food, culture, sights etc. Temples temples temples. Fish markets, gardens, bamboo forest, monkey village, small streets with geisha's walking around. The sushi (drools) is very very special there that is wrapped in these fragrant leaves. Dear lord.

Get a JRPass as you will be traveling great distances, saves you a lot of money and it's literally like traveling first class. You must buy it in your country because it is NOT sold in Japan and is only available to foreigners anyways. This pass not only gets you to travel to great distances faster (the bullet trains) but it's cheaper than single tickets. Plus you can use them in Tokyo and other major cities for regular transportation too.

Maximize your time there, save time on traveling in between.

EAT EAT EAT EAT EAT!!!!

Longest flight I've been on was 7-8 hours and I slept a lot. Be sure to stay hydrated! Dehydration can make you feel sick when you're traveling that long.

Other than that, I would recommend bringing some movies or series to help pass the time.

My family hosted exchange students and I got very close to the one from Japan. She lives in Yamanashi and it's so beautiful there from pictures I've seen. You can see Mt. Fuji from her bedroom window!

Edit: She always suggests temple tours and going to the market. If you want to experience a more village like atmosphere that might be a fun place to go! It's apparently only an hour train ride from Tokyo.

You are super lucky! Can't wait to visit myself someday!

I've never been - just wanted to pop-in to say I'm super jealous! My hubby is 100% Japanese, born and raised there until he was about 10. I would love to go!

I've flown to Hawaii twice (about 12 hours flying time from FL) and I don't remember it being too bad. They fed us well and had movies available (this was before ipads and ipods). Get up and walk around and stretch, stay hydrated, bring a good book/word searches.

Thanks for the recommendation @Joy I will definitely look up Innsyoutei !!

thanks @VC we are are leaning more towards Kyoto. oh and i definitely intend on doing just that the foodie in me is going to explode haha

we're definitely looking to get a feel of new and old japan - explore the culture, try ALL the foods and just immerse ourselves in the experience, neither of us know the language so it will be interesting to see how we manage navigate.thank the lord for technology

Bring a toothbrush/paste and any other toiletries of choice for the flight. It will help to freshen up half way across the Pacific. Get up early and check out the Tsukiji fish market tuna auctions. If you climb Mt Fuji bring the proper clothes. The temperature drops like a rock in the evening. If it's Sumo season check out the Ryogoku district. You'll have a blast. It's the trip of a lifetime.

@MsJeaT - Japan is unique, most know BASIC English but my it's difficult, not gonna lie. But that is part of the fun, until you get lost haha. Subway and trains are fairly easy to get around. You will shocked at how PUNCTUAL everything is. They leave at the second, it's incredible.

It's rare to find a bad restaurant in Japan to be honest. And like most places, if you want to try something, DO IT. You may never be there again.

I found in Tokyo, since the Olympics were held there, there is a lot of signage in English. Helped tremendously. Also, people often speak some English, because it's becoming common to study English in schools. The younger they were, the more likely that they could - children and college students were fairly likely to be able to speak it. When we left Tokyo for Mt. Fuji, it got a bit harder.

Also, we used the train system to get around Tokyo. Learn it a little, and it's very cost-effective to use.

One more Tokyo suggestion - Akihabara at night. It's the techy/electronics/anime district. Super crazy fun.

We spent over a week in Tokyo and there was tons to see and do. We did museums, temples, shopping (Shinjuku), Harajuku/Akihabara, the palace... loved the whole place. People are so nice, and the city is so clean!

Oh, and all the food was awesome. And I'm a picky eater.

I don't have any suggestions, but that's so exciting!! Japan is my and FH's dream destination as well~ and we really wanna go for our honeymoon, but we don't know when that will be anyways, hope you two have a great time!! <3

We went to Japan last year and LOVED it!

We stayed in Shinjuku as well when we were in Tokyo, and it was the perfect home base. Our favorite places in Tokyo were the Meiji Shrine, Senso-ji Temple and the neighborhood around it, and Happo-en Garden (It's a bit of a trek to get to, but it's a gorgeous Japanese garden). I suggest just exploring the city as well, we found so many markets and temples tucked away in neighborhoods.

If you have to choose between Osaka and Kyoto, I would definitely go for Kyoto. It was our favorite city we visited, there are so many gorgeous temples to see. Don't miss the Fushimi Inari Shrine, and hike all the way to the top, it's worth it! If you have a bit of extra time, take the train to Nara (I think it was about an hour away). There are a bunch of deer than you can feed crackers to! There's also Todaiji Temple, which has a giant Buddha.

Thank you all for your tips and suggestions... definitely keeping me busy at work *wink wink*

@Michelle - FH has recently become obsessed with Anime - adding Akihabara to our itinerary for sure! thanks

@ Lisa K. - Nara is on for one of our day trips. im curious to see all the deer . thanks !!

Nice! It's a must-see for sure, then!

OK more tips! I loved the day trip I took to Nikko. Gorgeous shrines in the middle of a cedar forest. The Wise Monkeys are there (see no evil, etc). Try shabu shabu -- my favorite local dish. I have tried to find it in the US, but it's not the same. Paper thin Kobi steak swirled for seconds in hot broth table-side. It dissolves in your mouth. Oh so yummy. I was there on business and sick of fish, so we tried to find a restaurant that served meat. We saw a picture menu that looked promising. We sat down, and when they found us a menu, everything EVERYTHING was ox tongue. So we left. :-o I second the advice to see the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The long hike up is lined with lovely pottery shops. And you actually see genuine Geisha in Kyoto. I found that ethereal and thrilling! But old and new Japan is thrust together and thriving in complete harmony. You will love the dichotomy. Enjoy. Starting to re-think my honeymoon plans, now!

I stayed in Japan for a month about a year ago with my Japanese friend she lives in Tokyo so we spent a lot of time in Tokyo, but we took trips to Osaka, Kyoto and took day trips to other towns. Like others I would recommend Kyoto. Nara is very cool, at the Todaji temple there are tons of wild deer that will follow you around. IllinoisJoy mentioned Nikko, I would recommend Nikko as well many different temples to see in a beautiful forested area it was a great day trip from Tokyo. Another really great day trip from Tokyo was Kamakura there were many large temples to see and a giant Buddha. While in Kamakura we also went to the beach and spent some time at the ocean. In Tokyo Ueno park is fun! Lots of museums, a zoo, fun vendors, and when I was there they had a really cool public flowering bonsai display. You cannot miss Asakusa temple and surrounding area. For food I agree with IllinoisJoy, shabubu is very good yakuniku too! What makes them both fun is the table has a grill in it so you get to cook your food to your liking. Also try okonomiyaki, it is a mix of potato and cabbage and meat and cooks kinda like a pancake it looks and sound weird but it's delicious! Oh and if you are wanting to do something really unique go to the Tokyo fish market. It is in a big outdoor warehouse and tons of fishermen sell their fish just out of the ocean, tuna, eel, octopus, squid, about any fish you could think of very cool! But not for the faint of heart there were baskets of giant tuna heads laying around.

I lived in Japan for 2 years, met FH there! It's a fantastic place. I too was like you with the flying. I hated flying and sitting on my butt so long. You really just have to deal with it. I also don't sleep on planes. Yes..even planes to Japan. What helped me was constantly watching movies. I love watching movies and living in Japan out me a bit out of touch with the box office so I got to catch up on a lot. You'll also get fed actual meals so that takes some time. Most flights are going to put you in Japan in the afternoon/evening. I'd suggest landing and just going to bed after that to start the next day fresh.

PPs offered most of what I'd say: Kyoto over Osaka (esp if you're going in the fall, according to your wedding date). Spring is gorgeous too. Cherry blossoms peak early April. Yakiniku is the greatest food ever. And yes Kamakura is a must as a small trip from Tokyo (literally 30-60 mins on the train depending on where in Tokyo you're staying). Irashaimasse !

My best friend is Japanese and she always says Kyoto is one you can't miss.