Best reasons for traveling to japan?

Hi everybody!
For quiet some years I have now been dreaming about travelling to, and through, japan. The time for me to spread my wings is getting closer and closer, so I post a simple question, without an easy answear: What would be the best reasons to travel to japan?
I don�Lt want to end upp sitting on a hotelroom in the middle of Tokio, seeing nothing but concrete and cars. So where should I go? What should I eat? What should I do? How long should I stay? All kinds of tipps are welcome!

maybe 1st question to yourself is. What do you like?

i'm from spore where buildings are everywhere. So i want to go somewhere to relax, drive at 60km/h along seas, wheat fields with mountains as the backdrop where the roads are safe, ppl are generally polite, generally good food.
Maybe you can take a look at Hokkaido(as i haven been to kyoto, nara , osaka etc).

If you prefer hip, craziness metropolitan pace.. tokyo maybe? down to ur preference, my wife don like tokyo(shinjuku red light district specifically..)

It is a country of great variety in terms of attractions, culture and foods, extending from subarctic to subtropic climate. Its people are very nice and reliable:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e623.html

Wow, where do I start?

I was born and raised in Tokyo until the age of 12, and went back for work and travel later on numerous occasions, though I have also traveled to at least 30 other countries.

Nothing in the whole world compares to the overall package you get from Japan, including its culture, food, urban and natural sites, convenience, and hospitality. In fact, I would even tell you to go just for the food. It's that good.

In Japan you will witness probably one of the only societies that haven't been entirely overridden by Western capitalist culture. Rather, Japan has incorporated foreign culture in a way that mostly takes the good from it, while preserving its own unique traditions and social norms. The result is a technologically advanced, rich and convenient country that consists of caring people who give respect to one another, and is both culturally diverse and uniform at the same time.

For tourists, Japan offers everything from jostling metropolises like Tokyo, the city that never sleeps, to cities full of tradition like Nara, to mesmerizing nature of all sorts, to tropic resorts in Okinawa, and to skiing in Hokkaido. No matter where you are, the food is to die for and transportation is (usually) readily available.

When I went to Japan, I didn't really know what I was going for either. I basically looked at all the stuff on this site, and made a list of all the places where I wanted to go. I looked them up on maps, figured out whats in the same general area, and started planning things out.
If you have a desire to see Japan, I don't think there is much risk of just sitting in your hotel room all day (I only did it on 1 day, because there was a huge storm). I was constantly out and about, even if I didn't know where I was going. Sometimes I just got off on random train stops in tokyo, just to check out the various cities, and explore. I probably spent a good half of my trip completely lost, but I was having fun while I was lost.

Stay at a hostel or a cheap hotel that is frequented by other foreigners. Talk to them and find out what they are doing. Maybe you can make plans to go out together.
Go into random shops and restaurants. Walk down the streets just looking for anything interesting. Once you get tired of one city, move on to the next. (just make sure you have a good pair of walking shoes)

I would want to see as much as possible of Japan while I am there. Everything from the sparkling karaoke-bars in the center of Tokyo to the tranquil of a remote
shinto-shrine. Perhaps the best way would be to travel a short distans every day from the very north to the very south. But how long time would such a trip take? Where are the "must see�Ls"?
I suspect a few weeks just won�Lt be enough. Perhaps a couple of mounths woul do?

I forgot in my last posting to ask one thing. I�Lve heard that there are
"one-day-jobs" without taxes. Would anyone hire a foreigner who speaks fluent english and some japanese? I beleave it could be a nice way to get to know people. Am I wrong?

Ugglan,

I am assuming that you will be coming as a tourist, on a Temporary Visitor status. You cannot engage in paid work while on that status; you will need one of the work-permitting visa types (employer-sponsored, under full-time employment) or must be eligible (in terms of nationality and age) to engage in any paid activities.
In addition, no, I don't think there is any one-day job without taxes.

For traveling/sightseeing, please take your budget into consideration too. There is plenty of information on this site :)

must be eligible (in terms of nationality and age) to engage in any paid activities.

should be:
must be eligible (in terms of nationality and age) for Working Holiday Visa to be able to engage in any paid activities.

If possible (are you a student?) I would find a way to do a homestay. I just got back from one, I stayed with a family in Nagoya and it has been the best experience...I went not knowing entirely why, or what to expect.
I got a JR Pass and was able to go to Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, and Tokyo all from Nagoya...actually staying with a family totally submersed me into Japan, and I loved every moment. Despite all the incredible things I saw and did, for me it was the people who made Japan so amazing. I hardly speak any Japanese, but we found so many ways to communicate.

If you have the means to go, go!

My experiences with Japan is that the country is not only a good combination of modern, natural, but more that the peoples are kind and helpful.

I went for a summer vocation at Hokkaido and I have misplaced my camera. Gosh ! it was such a pain that I have extorted all means to try to locate for it. However, my effort was fruitless. It was sad and disappointed. Upon returning back to my country, I decided to write in to a hotel when I visited for a meal, and hope that miracle will happen that some kind-souls may have pick up my camera and pass back to the Hotel. The Hotel Front Desk responded and in deed a kind soul found my lost camera. As there is custom clearance for the camera battery, the Hotel go through the trouble of arranging their staff who is also visiting my country to hand carry back the camera. NO WORDS will ever be able to describe my heart-felt thanks for all the people who assist me on this matter. On the other hand, the incident has clearly displaced that the Japan people are kind and warm, and extremely helpful.

Hence, you will feel the warmth of the people if you make a trip there. Walk on the streets, go around the train stations, you will truly appreciate the life of Japan.

"But how long time would such a trip take? Where are the "must see�Ls"?"

This is a good place to start:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e623.html

My advice would be to buy a rail pass and spend at least 2 or 3 weeks. You don't say what time of year you'd like to travel or what your interests are. Spring and Fall offer cherry blossom season and fall colors. On a month long trip I used a 3 week and 1 week rail pass, started in Tokyo, took the train to Sapporo, then traveled all the way to Nagasaki and Kagoshima before heading back to Tokyo. I stayed in ryokans mainly and near hot springs or national parks outside the big cities. The hot springs were an especially nice place to relax. This was my 3rd trip to Japan after 2 shorter visits - the friendliness of the Japanese, the ease of traveling on the trains and busses, the great food and the sites and culture in general have left many favorable memories with me.