A colleague of mine is going to Japan soon - woohoo! As is part of going pretty much anywhere when you know someone who has already been there the natural thing to do is bombard that person with questions about everything.
One of the most important things you'll need to work out is where to stay. Japan has an overwhelming selection of hotels and the like but also a whole load of traditional 'ryokan' or Japanese Inn. Before I go on though I'll say this - BOOK ACCOMMODATION WELL IN ADVANCE!
Annie and I have been to Japan twice now and the first time we stayed in a place called Ryokan Kangetsu, an authentic ryokan located a decent train ride from Tokyo central. The second and 3rd times in Tokyo we stayed in places much closer to the main train lines, e.g. Kimi Ryokan in Ikebukuro.
The train stop for Kangetsu is called Odaiba and it requires, from memory, 2 train changes to get there from central Tokyo. This is a bit scary if you're new to the place. Kimi on the other hand is located on the JR Yamanote line, probably the most important train line that loops around Tokyo's major city centres.
So, where to stay? The transportation systems in Japan are amazing. They're immaculately clean, on time EVERY time and get you where you want to go quickly. Don't be scared to stay a little bit out of Tokyo city, especially if it means getting an authentic experience and staying at a place like Kangetsu. If you're into walking everywhere though, it might be an idea to stay somewhere a bit closer.
