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Hi- DH and I just got back from a 10 day stay in Japan. We hopped from Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka to Koyasan back to Kyoto and then back to Tokyo. You'll want at least a few days in Kyoto. ITs absolutely wonderful and FULL of temples to explore. The Kyoto Handicraft center is a fun place to shop for souvenirs while in Kyoto. You should definitely stay in a ryokan while in Kyoto... for at least one night. We stayed at www.ishicho.co.jp/en a modest ryokan in Kyoto but in a good location. The service was nice- they even had a sign out front with my name on it as a form of greeting when I arrived on the first night. There are MANY ryokans to choose from in Kyoto. Several websites can help you book a ryokan: http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/db/kyoto Japanhotel.net http://www.kyotoguesthouses.com Despite the concern about doing things "too touristy", we ended up using Sunrise Tours for a full day tour of Kyoto, an evening Maiko experience (in Kyoto) and a special Kyoto evening that included a tea ceremony and a night at the Gion Corner theatre (traditional performances). I cannot recommend any of those tours enough- we were pleasantly surprised at how much fun they were. The full day Kyoto tour was a bus tour (groan, I know) but it was a lot of fun. We saw 8 different temples/castles and it was a treat. Too little time in each place, I admit, but it was a great way to get a taste for the wonders of Kyoto. And the tour guides were knowledgeable and fun. The Maiko evening experience and the other "special Kyoto night" events were less crowded (maybe 10 people) and ended up being wonderfully intimate- we were split into smaller groups for the tea ceremony, etc. I was worried that the Maiko experience would be cheap and superfiical, but we had a great time. We were in a small room, with a Maiko performing in front of us (to recorded music, alas, not musicians... but it would cost hundreds of dollars to arrange for an event with actual musicians), and we were able to ask her questions and take photos/pose with her after her two dances. All the Sunrise events were well worth the money. Definitely some of the highlights of our trip. I used Japanican.com to book the sunrise tours. They also offer tours in and around Tokyo. Also check out http://hisexperience.jp/ for some fun classes/experiences you can participate in. Your sun would probably love taking one of the ninja or samurai classes! In Kyoto, there is a Manga Museum that should interest your son. You owe it to yourself to check out some Japan guides- Frommers, Fodors, Lonely Planet, etc. In Tokyo, I highly recommend spending a full day (if not more) in the Asakusa area. I hightly recommend going to Nakamesi Dori http://www.asakusa-nakamise.jp/e-index.html for fun souvenir shopping and traditional eats. If you're OK with something a little cheesy, go for one of the Tokyo theme restaurants. We tried the Ninja restaurant and had a great time. http://tinyurl.com/55hp9m
http://www.ninjaakasaka.com/rin.html
Another fun (strange) experience is Namja Town in Sunshine City (Tokyo)- we went to "Ice Cream City" and enjoyed a variety of ice creams. Its a strange kid-oriented video game/animated cat type place but well worth a brief visit if you need an ice cream fix. Every kind of frozen delight awaits you in a wacky atmosphere. There are several areas in Tokyo that should be fun for your son. Check this out for help: http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/tourists/spot/anime/index_anime.html http://www.jref.com/practical/tokyo_areas_map.shtml http://www.japanvisitor.com/index.php?cID=357&pID=315 Due to unforeseen circumstances, we did not get to spend as much time in Tokyo as we wanted so I wish I could recommend more from personal experience but alas. For things to do outside Tokyo and Kyoto, I can't recommend Koyasan (Mt. Koya) enough. http://www.shukubo.jp/eng/ It can be hard to find Temple Lodgings if you don't book ahead, so if it interests you at all, you should investigate it soon. I used JapanHotel.net to book our temple lodings. I don't know what the weather will be like in January there, but we were there end of October this year and it was already quite chilly. We stayed at a Buddhist Temple and were able to observe a Buddhist ceremony in the morning. The food provided by the monks for both dinner and breakfast was astonishing. We were able to stay at a Hanare (a private residence on temple grounds) which was absolutely breathtaking. But any accomodations at the temple are surely wonderful. The highlight of the trip is a visit to the giant graveyard that dominates the landscape- over 200,000 moss-covered graves. It was a photographer's dream. I wasn't able to explore the following, but they sounded great and I can't wait to go back to Japan to check them out: Nikko's Edo Wonderland and Toei Studios outside Kyoto. Both touristy but fun-sounding. You will I also recommend taking along a travel phrase book if you are not fluent in Japanese. We used the Berlitz Japanese Phrase Book & Dictionary and found it quite useful (even tho' we had taken an 8-week Japanese language course before we left). Because I ended up in the hospital in Kyoto (unforeseen ailment), the section on health was especially useful. To that end, I also highly recommend you get travel insurance. We used TravelGuard but there are probably others out there. Bring cash to change into yen at the airport because using your credit card can be challenging. 7-11s are a godsend for being able to use your ATM and credit cards for cash, but we found it easiest to have plenty of cash on hand initially. We used a 7 day rail pass and it was wonderful. Highly recommended. You need to buy it before you leave for Japan. Good luck and have fun. Japan is a wonderland! -Discodog01
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