sabbath, I've only been to an airport in Japan while waiting for a connecting flight, but something I found very helpful when planning our Asia trip last year was Trip Advisor. I spent hours on their site reading suggested places to visit, checking out hotels and restaurants and reading reviews. It helped us avoid unexpected unpleasant surprises as well as preparing us for what to expect.

Hope you have a wonderful time on your trip!

Thank you Dawn! My husband hasn't been to Japan in 40 years so I am sure it has changed a lot. I will definitely look on Trip Advisor.

I have nothing to add, since it's been almost as long since my last trip as your husband! I was there for a year in the military and have many places I would love to go back to...and many places I didn't go (like Tokyo and Mt. Fuji, for starters). It's changed a lot, I'm sure....

I look forward to hearing about your trip!

What cities do you plan to go to? Arriving in Tokyo I assume, and most likely going to Kyoto. I ventured all over Japan several years ago without speaking the language. My favorites: a guided walking tour of the Gion district of Kyoto, and staying overnight at Koyasan - near Osaka, I think - and walking through the graveyard.

No advice or stories but Japan is a country I find fascinating. It's one place I'd like to visit.

One of my kids was there last month. For me, it's been 20 years.

English is widely (if not sometimes a bit shyly) spoken. Signs of all kinds (street names, directional signs, info signs in airports and train stations, etc) are in both Japanese and the Latin alphabet we use. It's very easy to get around. Local language knowledge may open doors and trigger hospitality as anywhere else but isn't strictly needed. Food everywhere is great if you enjoy and want to explore the many different styles of Japanese food, including out of this world sushi.

Any of the better travel guides - Lonely Planet, Fodor, Frommer- can supply information and recommended destinations and itineraries. It's easy to get around, the bullet trains (shinkansen) are fun to ride and offer a different experience if you haven't experienced the equivalent in Europe. Depending on whether your interest is nature and parks (or seeing Mt Fuji), cities, historic temples and palaces, there's lots to see and do.

My strongest recommendation is sometime on your trip, stay outside a large city and book a night in a traditional ryokan. This is an old style Japanese inn with tatami mats in the guestrooms. You'll bathe in a hot bath, maybe get a massage, eat dinner and breakfast sitting on the floor using a table they bring in, and sleep there on the floor with bedding they make up for you. The food is delicious but you may encounter some traditional dishes, the origin of which may not be clear and that you may not want to eat if you knew what they are*. Don't ask, just enjoy. That was our experience in two places, it was memorable. A deep dive into traditional Japanese culture.

*-There were several dishes of an unspecified source, almost always fish or seafood related, that were delicious but offbeat. One I remember was served to us as a munchy with our cocktails - for lack of a better description, it was a small bowl containing what seemed to me to be dried and salted tadpoles or some other small fish of similar size. They were crunchy and good, like eating chips or pretzels with our drinks. Just a bit different.

There were other mystery things served for both dinner and breakfast. Smile and enjoy.

Have a great trip.

Thank you so much everyone for your great advice. We are flying into Tokyo. We want to especially see Yokohama, Kyoto, and Okinawa (which will require another flight). I would like to see Osaka as well, we are trying to see some relatives and my husband wants to go to Okinawa which will take up some time so I am not sure we can fit in Osaka. I do want to have a tour of Kyoto. I would be interested in staying in a traditional Japanese Inn with tatami mats. Such great information, thank you!

I'm planning a trip for sometime in the next 3 years. I have to save for it. You'll have to come back and tell me how it is. I've never been. My mom was from Japan. Going to take my kids to meet the family.

This is going to be a wonderful trip for you. I'm happy for you and envious too.

I was there in 2015.

If you are interested in history, go to Hiroshima.

You can save money by buying a train pass (available to tourists only).

You might want to take a small roll of travel TP (available BBB). If you use it once, it's worth it. Also small hand towel as sometimes bathrooms don't have them.

The shrines and temples are lovely, but one of the most interesting is Fushimi Inari Taisha near Kyoto which has thousands of torii gates. Very impressive.

One of the most memorable things we did was travel outside Kyoto to Miyama Village where we slept Japanese-style in an inn, had traditional Japanese meals, walked at night to view the firelfies. The Village is lovely with rice paddies, tall, slim cedars rising from the surrounding mountains. It was a very special experience off the beaten track.

We also stayed at another very nice inn and slept on mats, but I cannot remember the name of it. I can get it if you like.

My group went to Disney Sea, so I tagged along. Pass on this unless you have a Disney fanatic with you.

We took the ferry to Miyajima to see the torii gate and deer. It was low tide when we were there, so we walked out to the gate.

In Miyama Village:

Last thing, I promise. We traveled totally by train and had to haul our own luggage. At one hotel we had our luggage shipped ahead to the next hotel, and that was worth the expense.

Socks- Thank you! Please tell me more! Tell me all about your trip!

Socks- Thank you so much! I love hearing about it. Please tell me more. I would love to hear how many days you stayed and what you did each day. We are flying into Haneda and out of Narita. We are going to Okinawa which will take up some time, my husband was born there and wants to see it. I am interested in the Monkey Park about 30 minutes from Kyoto. I am mostly interested in Kyoto and Tokyo and seeing my Mother-in-law ' s childhood home which is somewhere near Yakohama. Please share more pics! I love it!!

I really want to see authentic old style Japanese villages so I love hearing your recommendations.

Our trip was quick, only 7 days. I'm unable to give you day by day detail as I did not keep a diary. (sorry) We visited shrines, temples, took a Tokyo harbor tour in a boat (Symphony). Hiroshima was meaningful, but not sure if that would work for you with your plan to go to Okinawa. If your kids are older (like teens at least), it would be educational for them.

We arrived in Japan by flying into Haneda and took the train to the Via Inn/Ooimachi. It was a fine place for our first night. The rooms were a bit on the small side, but not a problem. Next morning we went to a restaurant downstairs which had a wide range of breakfast items which was good for that first morning.

After that first night in Tokyo, we transferred to the ryokan Tsurugata in Kurashiki, Okayama, mentioned above where we spent two nights. It really is a charming place. I recall it was a little pricey but included breakfast and dinner. We spent two nights there. Other places we stayed were less expensive, so it evened out somewhat, and it was worth the expense to be in that traditional setting.

After that we went to the thatched roof village, Miyama, for one night.

We then stayed one night at the Granvia Hotel in Kyoto, which is at the train station. Very nice hotel. From there we went to the Disneyland resort (Hilton Tokyo Bay) so the Disney-lovers could get their fill of Disney Sea theme park.

Maybe not too interesting to you, but I must share with you that we visited an elementary school since one of us had a contact there. It was really fun to see a Japanese classroom, and the kids were thrilled to have us as visitors.

If you are out shopping and see a Daiso store, it's a good place to stop in to pick up odds and ends affordably, maybe little souvenirs. Not joking here: check 7-11 for affordable food. They have fresh, good food available, meals. (I know, sounds wrong, but they are better in Japan than in the US.) It can save you quite a bit if you can pick up some meals there.

If anyone in your group cannot function without coffee, take a couple of packets of instant coffee. Every place but one had coffee.

Here's the Fushimi-Inari shrine with over 1,000 gates. It's reachable from Kyoto and is very interesting, amazing actually.

The fox is significant to Shinto believers, so there are a few statues at the Fushimi-Inari shrine. Very charming.

Bullet train (shinkansen). Comfortable, clean, well maintained. (Local trains are more crowded, often packed. When you think no more can fit in the car, many more come in and everyone bunches up! You get to know your fellow travelers!)

The shrines offer an opportunity to write a special message like a prayer on these small wood plaques.

At shrines you can purchase inexpensively small, beautiful charms of all sorts to help you get a wife, heal your knee, make more money--anything you want. Fabric with the message inside. I bought several as gifts but neglected to make a note of what each one was for and so never gifted them.

Last, the Golden Pavilion, near Kyoto

Thank you so much Socks!!! I love hearing about your trip :)

Than you for sharing! I really enjoyed your travel memories as I have not been across our Pacific Ocean and think I have missed that adventure.