Japan in a short period of time

Hi There,

We will be in Japan in March and would like to experience as much as possible in 8 days. Any recomendations of great things to do and see. Also great Hotels / Restaraunts.

Thanks So Much,
Debs

It depends on what you like. You can buy a Shinkansen (bullet train) ticket outside of Japan for a week. For me it would be Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka and if you have time, Hiroshima (it's a long distance but the Shinkansen eats up the miles (it did a thousand miles in 7 hours, with stops, when I first rode it in 1986). And a few days in Tokyo.

The ticket I had allowed free rides on subways.

If you haven't been yet, I agree with Cyberia, get a pass for the Shinkansen. When I got mine it covered several days, but I had to purchase it before I entered the country. It's mainly for travel between towns/cities, but I was able to use it on a few train/subways in Tokyo too.

I highly recommend, Tokyo, Hiroshima and Miyajima. Kyoto was also very nice.

Have a great time!

A Japanase rail pass (JR Pass) is a must - this must be bought before you enter Japan. I wouldn't try and do too much in 8 days; I'd suggest concentrating on 3 places such as Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima. There's loads to do in Tokyo and Kyoto and the peace museum in Hiroshima is excellent.

what is the budget for the hotels and food in Japan?