So many questions.....

I have so many questions....I've scoured the web and this site for answers to as many questions as possible, and these are the one's I have left. There are a fair number of them, and if someone could take the time to answer each, I would really appreciate it.

I'm planning to spend the month of July [08] in Japan. I'm going for pleasure, but am a writer/photographer and have a gig set up with a magazine here in the States for reviews/photos. I'll be reviewing hotels and restaurants and stuff. I'm trying to get the the final aspects to the budget worked out, so I can start purchasing tickets/passes/whatever come January.

First, my itinerary:

Fly into Narita, go to Tokyo
Stay in Tokyo for 4 days, visit Akihabara, Shinjuku, etc. Just sort of settle in and get a feel for things.

Day 5: head to Fuji, go to the Aokigahara [sp?] forest and take many pictures.

Day 6: go to Nagoya, stay two nights

Day 8: go to Nara, stay the night

Day 9: go to Kyoto, stay the night

Day 10: go to Osaka, stay 5 nights

Day 15: go to kobe, stay a night

Day 16: go to Hiroshima, stay 4 nights

Day 20: go back up to Tokyo, and spend the rest of the time on vacation enjoying myself.

Day 30: Back to the airport

Now, my questions: There are many, and I am sorry about that. Again, thanks for your help.

1: Does my Itinerary seem possible? I'm not familiar with how long it takes to get to each location. Do I have things too close together?

2: How much does the average 'good' restaurant cost for one person? By good, I mean the kind of restaurant you would go to celebrate something, take a friend or relative that is visiting, etc. I am planning on $25 a day for food/drinks (frugal eating), plus $40 for one meal at a 'good' restaurant at each city (7 cities). Will $40 cover the cost of dinner at a more 'up-to-do' restaurant?

3: Beaches: can you name a beach at one or more of the cities in my itinerary that are decent? By decent, I mean not covered in too much litter, with nice looking water, and preferably no unsightly buildings in the distance. I need to get some good sunrise/day/sunset pictures. Plus, I'd like to do some swimming. I know the best beaches are in Okinawa, but I don't think I can make it that far this trip.

4: Can you recommend a restaurant/place that you really like in one or more of the cities above (Tokyo, Nagoya, Nara, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima)? Places I have listed now:
the aquariums in Ikebukuro and Osaka since I'll be in those locations longest
: Store reviews in Akihabara
: Temples in Nikko
: Peace Park in Hiroshima
: Universal Studios
: ???

I need suggestions to other places. A restaurant that you absolutely love, a place such as a temple, aquarium, library, anything.

5: Mailing packages: I'm backpacking. I'll only have a backpack with me, so there will obviously be no room for anything I buy. I want to get some electronics while I'm in Akihabara, and some books/manga, snacks, etc. Can I mail packages without having a Japanese address?

6: Taking pictures: what exactly is 'off limits�h? I know if its public, it's likely free game, etc. Are there any particular times/places/situations where it is a big no-no to snap a picture? For example: during a prayer, inside a temple, inside a restaurant (without flash), etc.

7: Weather in July: how often is it cloudy/rainy in July? I understand that is very hot and humid, and that the rainy season ends two weeks into July, but can someone give me some personal info on this? For example, Tokyo, can I expect it to be pretty much dry and hot? Or is rain a frequent thing like in England?

That's the extent of my Q's for now. Thank you for taking the time to read and answer. Any info you can give me is very much appreciated. I'm open to all suggestions.

Does my Itinerary seem possible?

Yes! But I feel that you spend an unproportionaly long time in Osaka and Hiroshima compared to the time spent in Kyoto.

Do I have things too close together?

Too close? Kyoto, Osaka and Nara are all within a 60 minute local train ride from each other. They could be covered from a single base. If you go for multiple bases, I would select the order Kyoto - Nara - Osaka for slightly more efficient travel.

How much does the average 'good' restaurant cost for one person? By good, I mean the kind of restaurant you would go to celebrate something, take a friend or relative that is visiting, etc.

This varies widely from person to person. $40 will be enough for a medium level dinner. Nothing fancy.

I need suggestions to other places.

The two-star (two-red-dot) recommendations in the following travel guide are most recommended:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e623a.html

Can I mail packages without having a Japanese address?

Yes, see here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html

Weather in July: how often is it cloudy/rainy in July?

The following data is for Tokyo. It is similar for the other places visited:

Percentage of sunny days (sunny = the sun shines for more than 40% of the day):
1st third of July: 27-33 %
2nd third of July: 33-41 %
3rd third of July: 43-61 %

Percentage of rainy days (rainy = more than 1mm):
1st third of July: 38-43 %
2nd third of July: 33-38 %
3rd third of July: 25-32 %

Percentage of days with considerable rain (considerable rain = more than 1cm):
1st third of July: 17-21 %
2nd third of July: 13-16 %
3rd third of July: 11-12 %

Average daytime high temperature:
1st third of July: 26-28 degrees
2nd third of July: 28-29 degrees
3rd third of July: 30-31 degrees

1. Your itinerary looks OK, I mean, you have one month to cover just the main island, so it's slow-paced and good. I assume you will be riding "Shinkansen" bullet trains between major cities - then it's 2 hours between Tokyo and Nagoya, and one hour between Nagoya and Osaka. Personally I will allocate more time to Kyoto than to Osaka. Be sure to visit Miyajima while you are around Hiroshima.

5. I assume you mean sending stuff back home. You can simply write: "your name, c/o hotel ABC..." that should do.

6. I believe taking photos is prohibited INSIDE temples, shrines (there will be signs in English), and inside restaurants (unless you ask the waiter to take a photo of you/your friends).

If you want to take photos inside any commercial premises, particularly if you intend to publish them later, you might need some permission, so it's better to ask.

7. Expect it to be very humid and hot even in Tokyo. Summer is simply not a dry season in Japan (except for Hokkaido, where you are not going). It's not really a matter of "how often" it rains; the air is heavy with moisture :(

Very humid at that time of year. Even if it isn't raining, you will be sweating buckets if you have to walk up a hill.

Any reason for one night in Kyoto and 5 nights in Osaka? Most people would do the opposite. Nice looking water, not much litter and no unsightly buildings all at the same place is probably expecting a bit much.

The beaches on the coast of Ibaragi are probably the best within shooting distance of Tokyo, but it would be a long day trip.

A large amount of the Honshuu coastline is developed.

im with sira on this one.
one day in kyoto will barely get you outside the train station. i speeded through kyoto in 3 days and only had time for the biggest sights.

i would recommend that after kobe stop half a day in Himeji before going to Hiroshima. The castle there is just fantastic. i would say a must if you are into photo

Any good reason why you are going in July? April and May are much better (but avoid the last few days of April, first few days of May when all of Japan is on the go)
Hot and humid weather in July doesn't necessary mean rain, only that you will be soaking wet with perspiration walking one block.
Try to stay in hotels that the average tourist can relate to, i.e moderately priced business hotels (small rooms but with lots of amenities, often including automatic toilet-bidets). Many tourist don't really want to pay $ 300 to 500 per night in international chains!
try also to avoid the usual cliches and stereotypes!?.
Do your homework by reading the pages at the very top of the pages on this site (travel, living, Japan A-Z)
Beaches? people don't go to Japan for great beaches on Honshu island!
I love Osaka but I AGREE with the other posts that you should spend more time in Kyoto, less in Osaka. While in the Kansai stay in one hotel only and use limited express trains to commute from Kyoto to Osaka, Nara, kobe, Himeji etc. this will show you how efficient Japanese railways companies are!.
Rather than 4 nights in Hiroshima, stay only 2 days and go to Fukuoka for the other 2 days (a few months ago I went to Fukuoka from Hiroshima for a day visit. Shinkansen trains are very fast and frequent too)

Thanks guys. That really helped. Right now I have Osaka longer than Kyoto because the list of places I was given to review was longer. However, now that I have a better idea of the time differences between some of these cities, I'll probably even it out better. Kyoto has a good number of places to go, I am assuming?

Honshu island for beaches? I'll have to go read up on that.

I really didn't want to go in May, because I hate heat and I hate humidity even more. However, I'm taking grad classes in the the spring and fall, leaving me the summer to do this. I have to climb mount Fuji, which I understand is only officially open during July and August.
When I go back again in the future, I'm definately looking at a time when the temps stay in the 70's.

Thanks again everyone!

Okay. After taking the time to read everything more clearly, and now that I know the time distances between some cities, I’ve redone my schedule. I really want to see some nice beaches/snorkeling, so I’ve cut down my times in the other cities. I’ll just have to eat a lot on those days.

Day 1 – 4 : Tokyo area.

Day 5 – 6 : Fuji

Day 7 – 9 : Osaka

Day 10 : Nara long enough to review a restaurant, then to Kyoto

Day 11 – 14 : Kyoto

Day 15 : Hiroshima

Day 16 - 17: Fukuoka : Fly to Okinawa

Day 18 – 23 : Okinawa

Day 24 – 29 : Back in Tokyo

Day 30 : Airport

Does this still look do-able?

Thanks for the info, its helping me get everything figured out.

Sorry to have to bitch but you are making the same mistake as all these tourists who haven't bothered to learn enough about Japan: spending too much time in Tokyo and not enough in the Kansai. Unlike Rome, Paris, London, Mexico and other capitals with a very long history and therefore numerous historical buildings, Tokyo has been a capital for only 200 years at most. In addition it was nearly totally destroyed by a earthquake in 1923 and by US bombings at the end of WW II. KANSAI is the birthplace and cradle of Japanese civilization. Kyoto has over 1600 historical sights (temples, shrines, gardens, castles..) Nara has a quite a few too, including a Giant Buddha in the biggest wood temple in the world, a sight not to be missed.
Osaka has the same great department stores as in Tokyo and, to save your time, 3 of them, plus amazing electronic store and a huge underground mall, are located around the JR Osaka station in Kita(North downtown Osaka). You mention reviewing restaurants; are you really familiar with Japanese cuisine?
Whatever you do skip Universal studios. American shouldn't be encouraged to visit what is, even in the USA, a typical example of the triumph of commercial greed over good taste.

I'm going to disagree with Red Frog here- Tokyo may not have all the temples and shrines Kansai has, but it is a fascinating city for other reasons and is well worth 3 or 4 days, especially if you are interested in modern Japan. There is only so many temples you can see in one trip too before they all start to look the same!

Also it seems like Blair has to spend a certain amount of time in some places, so the itinerary seems fine to me.

Ideally, I agree with Red Frog. But now I agree with Sira since it also seems to me Blair has to spend a certain amount of time in some places.

Anyway, whatever historical attractions you visit, I strongly advise you to concentrate on The World Heritage Sites and The National Treasures of Japan. There are only 213 archtectures listed as National Treasures and the list is very reliable.

It looks good mate. I am heading to Japan for the month of June but I will have a friend there that is going to help me go to the better places while I am there.

It all comes down to what you want to do. Some good tips about reading all the info on this site. I read little bits here and there for now as my trip is still a while away.

I am also learning Japanese, something you might want to do to get you by incase something happens.

Cheers.

While also prefer Kyoto over Tokyo, your itinerary looks sufficiently balanced.

While its great to get off the beaten path, I would recommend to see the most popular things especially on a first trip to Japan. Save the other things for a second trip after you're more familiar with Japan.

I wasn't trying to diss Tokyo but to raise the profile of the Kansai, especially Osaka, as many tourists don't give it the credit it deserve. I used to design buildings in a former life (before I emigrated to North America) so I am very much interested in modern buildings and Osaka has more and more of them (check www.skyscrapercity osaka). Wherever I am I spend Way MORE time in department stores and malls than in museums as the former shows how local people live now, but I thought relevant to mention the great number of historical buildings in Kyoto etc. because of one specific question Blair asked.
I guess that the more the choices and opinions we all present the better it is for a greenhorn to make up his/her opinion.

Tokyo is overvaluated and Osaka is undervaluated, compared to their real capabilities. That's one reason I love Kansai, I can buy almost everyhing in Osaka at lower price than in Tokyo :P

Anyway, Kintetsu Railway Co. is planning to build the tallest building in Japan(still much lower than world tallest buildings) in Osaka. I hope more foreign travellers will notice Osaka's advantages(^-^)/