Japan for a month (Summer 2009)

Hey next year I will be able to visit Japan for an entire month but first i would have to make some plans to show to my parents. I was able to go with my family to Japan last year, but all I heard was my sisters complaining and my parents restricting me from pretty much doing ANYTHING(like bedtime at 9 even though i was 15), so it was hard for me to really enjoy it as much as i should have. During my trip I visited everything ''educational''. Although we spent 3 days in Tokyo, a huge portion of our time was spent seeing traditional temples and the things like Tokyo Tower, Kyoto festivals and other Main Attractions. Hopefully I will be able to visit more modern and fun sites next year. I am not gonna go there to learn, I just want to have fun. But unfortunately, there are some problems. I once lived there so i think i can survive with my speaking skills

Issues

I will be 17 so i cannot rent a car (big bummer)
I will first arrive at my Grandmother's house in Yamanashi (kind of far from places like Tokyo or Yokohama)
Although i can speak pretty fluently, my Kanji reading isn't too good (but i can learn a lot since I have a year)
Transportation (how will i get to these places from YAMANASHI)

Things that are not issues:

money (my parents will supply me with whatever, but this doesnt mean i should just waste it).
I have access to military bases but am not sure when i will be able to use it

Parental Control (do not think i will have too much parental control, but i do not think i would want to go to like an 18-over place)


Thanks everyone for your help and if you have any questions, i will try my best to answer them.

Most of us foreign tourists manage very well with a bare minimum of Japanese. Trains are a wonder and get one all over the place. I checked trains from Yamanashi to Tokyo only on both www.hyperdia.com (enter Yamanashishi) and Jorudan: http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/e-norikeyin.html
the journey is about 1hr 47 min.one way, 4000 yen. or 2 1/2 hrs for 1600 yen one way.
If you are a typical western driver--even a good one-- you could never park in the tight spots Japanese drivers squeeze in.

well i guess i can use that to travel from Yamanashi to Tokyo, and it luckily isn't too expensive. Does anyone have any suggestions on what to do in tokyo??? Can i like go to a hotel or motel in Tokyo even though i am not 18????

you shouldn't have any problems. you may want to bring a notarized letter that's been translated into japanese (as well as english) from your parents. that may solve any issues.

you will not need a car in japan. if necessary buy a scooter and sell it when you leave. get your international motorcycle permit before you come.

it's unlikely you would be able to drive here even if you had a car; not only do you drive on the opposite side of the road but the traffic rules are different, and the parking spaces leave you literally only an inch of space, one mistake and your paint job is wrecked (lots of cars with scars here in tokyo).

by the way the legal age for adulthood here is 20 so you can basically forget about going to adult establishments here entirely. they aren't supposed to let you in and it could get you deported if you get caught inside.

Well, at least I am not worried about being unable to drive. I hope I can get into one of those Capsule hotels without having to be 18 (or any other place to sleep at least). Is there any place I should visit in Particular in Tokyo or Yokohama (since train tickets are like 5 dollars)????

not 5 dollars....4000 yen. more like 40 dollars, one way.

I was looking at the site above and it said that a Tokyo to Yokohama Ticket was 450 yen. I was just saying that to see if anyone had ideas on what to do when I am in Tokyo, and maybe Yokohama

But yes, a Yamanashi to Tokyo does cost 40 dollars. Kind of expensive, but not as much as Tokyo to Kyoto!

a trip on the keihin tohoku line is around $5 from Ikebukuro station to Yokohama station. It's actually the same price for most of the other lines as well, some of the other trains are quite a bit faster. I usually take the keihin tohoku because it stops at my station saving me a train transfer.

if you have to go farther you can take an overnight bus to almost anywhere in japan for under $100. the buses going south are closer to the $100 end, the buses going north are generally under $60. it can be a long trip by bus though.