Two Weeks in Japan - What to do?

My boyfriend and i are going to Japan for the first two weeks in September. It will be our first trip to Japan and we want to see as much as possible without trying to do too much and end up not seeing things properly. If that makes sense.

We are flying into Tokyo and the plan is to stay there for four days then get the bullet train down to Osaka spend 3 or 4 days there then travel to Kyoto and spend 4 days there. Finally we will travel back to Tokyo and spend our last few days there before flying home.

Is this too many places to try and see in such a short amount of time?

We have bought the Japan rough guide and the Tokyo rough guide so we have read about all 3 plaes in detail but any information on "must see" places would be very much appreciated.

We have tried to find out if there are any train ticket deals which include only the central line as this is the only one we will be travelling on but the JRPass is the only one that seems to cover this. Is it worth getting the JRPass or should we just buy the tickets when we need them?

Any advice on what to do or not to do while we are in Japan would be really useful.

Thanks.

Is this too many places to try and see in such a short amount of time?

It depends on your preferred pace of travel and your interests. I consider it an average to slow paced itinerary. Pacewise, it sounds just about good for you. Not sure about the selection of places, since this depends on personal preference. For example, if you are more interested in traditions and history than modern cities, then I recommend to allocate more time to Kyoto/Nara as opposed to Tokyo and Osaka.

any information on "must see" places would be very much appreciated.

About Tokyo:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164.html

About Kyoto:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2158.html

About Osaka:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2157.html

We have tried to find out if there are any train ticket deals which include only the central line as this is the only one we will be travelling on but the JRPass is the only one that seems to cover this.

I assume you refer to the Tokaido Shinkansen when writing "central line". In any case, I recommend a 7-day Japan Rail Pass for your itinerary, assuming that you complete the round trip between Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto within 7 calendar days.

Other ways to travel between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2363.html

If you have decided to see Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka only you got a problem with the JR pass. a 7 days one means that you have to stay in Kyoto and Osaka 5 days only.
day 1 will be the Tokyo to Osaka trip (3 hrs in the morning actually. not before 9am to avoid the crowds)
day 7 will be the return trip Kyoto to Tokyo.
A 14 days pass is only worth if you also see Hiroshima, Himeji, Nara, when you are in the Kansai and Nikko, Kaamkura or /and Yokohama and perhaps Mt Fuji when you are in the Kanto region. I love the Kansai but 4 days in Osaka and 5 in Kyoto are a bit too much.. (yes I know that one could stay in Kyoto for years and not see all the temples and shrines but..)
definitely for me, and anyone I took to the Kansai, Nara, Himeji, even Kobe's Mt Rokko, were extremely interesting. in the Kanto I loved Kamakura and Nikko perhaps more than someplaces in Tokyo (Roppongi, Ikebukuro and Shibuya leave me cold but the old Shinagawa, Yanaka,
Asakusa, Ueno, Odaiba, and a couple of other places have my vote). You do know also that if you have a pass and can take the train a lot you can stay in the same hotel in the Kansai (Osaka-Kyoto is a short commute). You can also go to Hiroshima for a day trip.
if you prefer your original plan of visiting only the 3 towns then a return ticket Tokyo-Osaka is the best bet plus local passes or special tickets for the Kanto and Kansai. .

Thanks for all the info so far. Our plans have changed again and i'm sure it wont be the last time.

After a little more research we have decided not to spend so long in Osaka and instead spend two full days in Nara. There seems to be so much to see there. We are planning to spend a day going around Nara Park and seeing Todaiji, Kafukuji, Kasuga Taisha and having a general wander around the park. Then the second day traveling outside the center of Nara to Horyuji.

We now plan to only spend a day and a half in Osaka. We will go to the castle on Sunday as we have heard Rock bands play there every Sunday. Does anyone know if bands do play on a sunday?

Is it worth only doing Osaka as a day trip on the Sunday as i'm having a little trouble finding accommodation and there doesn't seem to be a huge amount to do apart from see another big city and the castle.

I think 4 days are still planned for Kyoto but one of those days might turn into a day trip somewhere.

We are interested in history and culture rather than the modern cities so where would be a good place to go for a day trip from Kyoto?

As we are flying home on a monday we are planning to make it back to Tokyo for the weekend. Do a day trip on the Saturday and spend Sunday wandering around the city picking up presents and things like that. Where would be a good place to go for the day from Tokyo? Is there anywhere on the coast that would make a good day trip?

As for the trains i think i'm going to wait until we have decided exactly where we are going and when and then work out whether to buy the Japan Rail Pass. If we do the day trips in Kyoto and Tokyo it might be worth getting the 14 day pass.

I think Asakusa is where our hotel is in Tokyo. I was reading about Ueno Park yesterday in the DK Japan book i got at the weekend. It looks great. We get into Tokyo early morning so our plan for the first day is to see Sensoji and then go to Ueno Park. I read somewhere that you can hire boats on the pond/lake. Does anyone know where you go to hire them?

Sorry for all the questions and thank you so much for all your help.

Pkw.