Need suggestions for a 1-2 month stay

I'm planning on living in Japan for 1-2 months this summer, and I was hoping to get some help with where to stay. I've heard about travel houses that look to be somewhere between a hostel and a real apartment (you get your own room, but there's a shared kitchen, and it's more expensive than a hostel). I'm not going for business and I don't have anything planned yet.

The purpose for the trip is that I've spent about 3 years studying Japanese in college, but I haven't gotten any real-world experience actually practicing it outside of the classroom. I'm also a photographer and would love to spend time shooting in Japan. So basically, my questions are:

What would be a good, private place to live for one or two months (for around 1,000USD or less a month)?

Does Tokyo or the surrounding area have much wildlife? I specialize in nature photography and I know there are densely forested parts of Japan with spectacular animals, but I'd like to live in or near a city.

Any suggestions on what to do for my time in Japan? I'd like to practice speaking Japanese as much as possible, and would also like to see/photograph a lot too.

Any information would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

If you want to "live" in one place, you could try some place like this:
http://www.sakura-house.com/index.htm

As for things to do, if you have the budget, you can travel around Japan; that would get you to the remote corners with wildlife. To be honest, if you stayi in Tokyo, it would be a hassle to get out to places with wildlife, though. Or, if you want to stay in one place, maybe you could look around for a one-month intensive language course (offered by language school)?

the Tokyo area is home to 35 millions people so whatever wildlife there is has got to be very clever at hiding...

As you would expect in a city of 30 million people packed into a relatively small area, the wildlife consists mainly of crows, pigeons and strangely dressed Harajuku kids ;-) I'm afraid that in Japan you have to be in fairly rural areas before you will see any wildlife- it's either the city or wild animals, a choice has to be made.

You'd get a much better chance at photographing wildlife and practicing Japanese in a rural area. Big cities have a lot of English speakers and little wildlife.

Thanks for all the replies. I think I'm going to stay in or very near Tokyo, and just make trips to the countryside when I want to see nature and wildlife.

How long does a train take to get from Tokyo to Kyoto?

Is it plausible to ride the train there, spend a day exploring, and then return?

Would I be better off just going to Kyoto and staying at a guest house for a few days (or a week)?

Also, what areas of Japan are really spectacular in terms of natural beauty?

Thanks again for all the information.

How long does a train take to get from Tokyo to Kyoto?

2.5 hours:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2363.html

Is it plausible to ride the train there, spend a day exploring, and then return?

Yes, but unless you have a Japan Rail Pass anyway, it is a very expensive daytrip.

Would I be better off just going to Kyoto and staying at a guest house for a few days (or a week)?

Yes.

Also, what areas of Japan are really spectacular in terms of natural beauty?

Daisetsuzan and Shiretoko National Park in Hokkaido. Iriomote National Park in Okinawa, Kirishima National Park on Kyushu. The Japan Alps in central Japan. Mountainous and some coasts of the Tohoku Region. To name just a few.

In other words, in and around big cities like Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, or Nagoya, you cannot expect to see much of natural beauty or wildlife; you will need to be "out there" constantly, and some places just aren't within reach of a day trip from those cities. You will need to pick between cities or nature, and for photo shooting, base yourself in a rural area. Please have a look at the Travel section to see how far those places mentioned as a few examples by Uji are located.

not to avoid your desire to be in tokyo or kyoto, but if you`re looking to save money and practice your japanese wwoofing for part of your stay would be an obvious answer. it would also get you closer to the wild areas of japan. money saved on accommedation could go to having more fun in the big cities.

http://www.wwoofjapan.com/main/index.php?lang=en