It’s still more than two months to go, but with a trip of this magnitude, I want to do my homework in time.
What draws me most about Japan are two things:
Ramen-style noodles and the total and utter madness that Tokyo is said to be. I have seen Bangkok, I have seen Hanoi. I’ve made it through rush-hour Saigon. But I expect Tokyo to top it all.
What I’m figuring out at the moment is where to stay. Not an easy thing in a city of 13.9 million people (that’s around 6,300 per km²). Shinjuku district seems to be good choice. Plenty of food, crazyness and easy to reach by train.
Second destination within the country: Probably Chubu region to the west of the capital. Mountains, national park, some coastline… I might need that contrast very much.