[YonkFiorc]

It's really not.

agree wholeheartedly. I stayed in an expensive hotel in tokyo ($200 a night), but from what i've seen there are plenty of pretty cheap ryokan(have heard of $30 a night or possibly less) if you look around. Also food was really cheap, but i didnt do any drinking. The answer to Tenchu's question is it depends. I'd bring lots of spending money, though credit cards are becoming more widely accepted from what I saw, its a good idea to carry at least goman en around to be safe. (i get nervous with less than $100 in my pocket). If you are just going for an experience trip, have no idea about the culture or the language, have no friends you plan on visiting there why not just goto a travel agent assuming you like to have things planned. If not just get a plane ticket and a pocket full of cash and go and figure it out once you are there. No need to book a hotel as you can just find a business ryokan when its time to sleep, and kinda bum around on trains to see things. As for visiting dojo you will need a letter of introduction, I'm not sure about just watching but depending on what kind of dojo it might not be allowed, should talk to you sensei (sound familiar) because they would likely have contacts to assist with this. I would assume there are specific things you want to go see if not see above travel agent comment. I wouldn't fly anything but JAL, the slightly higher price is worth the astronomical increase in service. (then again narita is usually a stop over on the way to malaysia so an extra 6-7 hours of flying the service really matters)

Also if you go in monsoon season, and have no idea how to get to your hotel from the train station, do not just wander around ikebukuro in the rain with your fiance, saying 'you will recognize the building when you see it'. Your SO will become quite agitated and grumpy with you in short order and your luggage will become soaked thru.

Cannot rep you 1stdan but that joke made me laugh and almost puke in disgust at the same time