3 months in Japan

I decided to stay in Japan for
3 months, the first two weeks I'll be with my twin brother but then he'll leave for college and I'll be on my own.
We will leave from JFK around early January.


I'm aware this sounds vague..but I'm definitely doing it. The problem is that I have no idea how to plan a trip, how to make an itinerary and such. It would really help if someone could post a list of places to visit/ a list of things to do/ tips on how to organized my trip/ what cloth should I take/ect.



so far I've decided I'm visiting Tokyo, Fuji and it's surroundings. Also Hokkaido, Miyajima and the romantic road.
I'm still undiced but I'm also considering Hiroshima and the west coast.

The bottom is that I want to see all of Japan...get to know every aspect, every layer of the japanese culture...and also learn a little bit of Japanese.

Take a look here for suggested itineraries:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2400.html

and on budgets:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2410.html

if you want to know everything about Japanese culture,which is a very daunting, practically impossible task, you don't necessarily have to move around the whole country. people in every country know a lot about their national culture without often having seen most of their own country..The Kansai region is considered by the Japanese themselves to be the craddle of Japanese culture. Kyoto and Nara, 2 former capitals, have a wealth of temples, shrines, palaces, gardens, etc. that surpass anything the Tokyo region has. Osaka, also a former capital, is a very modern city with shopping facilities that match those of Tokyo in quality if not, obviously,in quantity. Osaka people are also famous for their love of good food. Then there are all the other towns in the region that have a rich past. In other words staying in the Kansai would immerse you in Japanese culture BUT you can't really learn about a culture without first being reasonably fluent in the language! 3 months are nowhere near enough to learn the basics of the language, unless you have a gift for languages and already speak quite a few. On the other hand you certainly can learn a lot about culture just by being there..I learned about Japan for years, including watching Japanese news daily on TV, here in North America, and watching tons of movies, well BEFORE my first ever trip to Japan. Funny enough being born in Europe helped me to understand Japan as there are numerous similarities between the 2 places, especially compared to North America. Besides all that, 3 months in Japan, especially if you want to travel a lot, is rather expensive, even on the cheap. several train passes alone would cost more than the flight from the USA. budget accomodations and basic food for 90 days would cost $ 5000-9000.
Unless you are already familiar with most aspects of modern Japanese culture, you should first visit Japan for 2 weeks. I truly love Japan but many people, especially young people who had little experience of other cultures, have been disappointed.

Well for me to better assist you with an itinerary why don't you state your budget ranges, what your likes/dislikes are, what you want to see in Japan besides the culture. You can see a lot of the culture by watching the TV but it's tainted and all about FOOD (if you see food on TV expect the same reaction 24/7 even if it is just rice, they are all amazed), dumb games, news, or Korean dramas. On the other hand it gives you a glimpse. Seeing the culture...Well the best way is to dive headfirst in it. Submerge yourself, talk with people and don't be afraid to ask questions. Learn as much before you go, bring a pocket book with you. Get brochures from Travel Companies. Talk with Japanese people on Myspace or other sites like that to get an idea (this forum works well too). As I said for the itinerary, I have many suggestions just need to know the budget your looking at, what you want/don't want etc. Yes you were being vague. So once you clear it up, we can be of a lot more assistance. Most of the culture can be summed up and seen in 3 months I don't want to say that but it can(if you really push yourself and have no budget). Kyoto to see the old side of Japan with day trips to Himeji, Mt. Koya, Nara, and Kobe.. Tokyo to see the bustling city life with day trips to Kamakura, Nikko, Hakone... Yokohama and Osaka along with Tokyo all have great nightlife and are fast paced.. Hiroshima and Miya Jima are very close therefor if you go to Miya Jima you'll pass through Hiroshima. Hagi is a good place to visit, along with Hofu and Yamaguchi. Going further down. Nagasaki, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, and Beppu.
The country side of Japan, Shikoku, nice little area does not get that many gaijins compared to the other 3 islands. Worth a visit. Good luck if you further your information or give a rough draft what you're planning people on here would love to assist.