There are buses, but I never took one when I was in Tokyo. Trains are ubiquitous, always run on time, and the fare is cheap, so unless the trains don't go where you want to (might be the case in e.g. Kyoto, where the subway is pretty small), then I wouldn't bother with busses.

It's all a matter of perspective, of course; Denmark is pretty expensive as it is, so Japan didn't feel 'that* expensive to me. Compared to Argentina, however, I suspect it's pretty expensive, especially Tokyo.

If it helps, I spent about 350.000 yen on my entire 2-week trip, excluding air fare - of that, about half of that was on hotels (just across from the main station in Kyoto; next to Akihabara Station in Tokyo). Of the remaining about, about half went to the Japan Rail Pass and tours/events (which I paid in advance, online, using my credit card), and the rest (80000 yen) was cash for general spending (local transportation, food, other purchases). You *will* need cash - credit cards are still not widely accepted. Use an ATM in a 7/11 to withdraw more if you need to.

If that seems too high for you, it is *definitely* possible to spend less than I did. If you can set aside about 1000 yen per person per meal, you'll have a *ton* of options open, and you can go even cheaper than that if you need to (you can get basic food at a convenience store for less than 500 yen, and my cheapest meal at a restaurant was a bowl of rice, pork and kimchi for 550 yen).

i practice eisa dance which is drums but there´s a coreography involved, (watch the video below) i practiced very little of kumidaiko which is percusion in a stance like kodo, great energy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcll21OwaSs

Wow. Not been to Japan, the closest I've visited is Singapore (which I recognise are a completely different culture in case anyone thinks I'm referring to Asia as one).

Sooo....no advice other to say, it's no wonder you're excited. It'll be awesome.

Listen to Dir En Grey on the way there.

She.......inside the canoe......is like a birth´s paradox :P

Congratulations! You chose one of the 2 absolute best times to visit Japan. One is in March /April when the cherry trees bloom and the other time is November to see koyo (fall leaves turning colorful). November is perfect for the Kanto/Kansai region, if you're going up North than the leaves turn earlier because it gets colder earlier and in the South the leaves turn colorful later. It's not only a matter of latitude but also altitude, meaning places that are higher up turn colorful quicker and you also have to take into account general climate differences within the same regions.

Here is a website that I highly recommend studying before you go, to acqaint yourself with the ideal strategy for koyo appreciation:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3953.html

In real life, the red maple and yellow gingko trees are even more impressive, so magnificent it will inspire you to spout poetry on the spot.

Two of my 4 trips to Japan were entirely based around hunting koyo so I could make paintings of temples and castles etc with colorful fall leaves in the picture. I used the website above a lot but once you're in the country, it's best to rely on local sources (koyo reports on TV, hotel staff etc) and you'll have to be flexible because due to weather and temperatures, koyo can't always be exactly predicted if you want to be somewhere when the colors are at their absolute peak. The timing is drastically easier to get right with koyo compared to cherry blossom (sakura) viewing in the spring because the time window for perfect cherry blossom viewing is much narrower than the turning of the fall leaves.
Before doing the koyo trips, I made one trip to Japan entirely for the cherry blossoms and it was quite a challenge, fortunately I had a JR rail pass which allows you to move quickly from one place to another and I was willing to turn my plans upside down, meaning I didn't care if I knew where I would sleep the night as long as I got to see cherry trees in full bloom. As a result, I didn't plan the subsequent koyo trips in detail and didn't book any hotels more than a couple days in advance, often just the night before. Reservations are necessary if it's a small hostel/ryokan especially in smaller remote locations. One reason being that they need to know in advance if you require meals and if it's a small town where everything is closed down on Sundays, you are going to need those hotel meals.

I could give more detailed recommendations about koyo etc but I don't know if you're all into that so I'll leave it at the link above, it's a very good website for traveling info on Japan in general.

The one website you absolutely need is Hyperdia which has already been mentioned in this thread. I find it quite reliable on all my trips but don't rely on it blindly, always double check at the train stations. If you have a JR pass which allows you to make seat reservations for free, you're going to go to a ticket counter anyway.
If you're in a hurry and there's a line, just board the train and sit in the non-reserved cars, it's rare that you won't find a seat at all, practically never happened to me even on the most crammed lines during rush hours. But I enjoyed sitting in the reserved seat cars because they are emptier and it's more relaxing.
I can really second the idea of getting a JR rail pass, it looks expensive but if you move around a lot during your trip, it's entirely worth it. Just look at what a bullet train ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto and back costs and you'll realize that you can definitely save money with a JR pass. You can't use it for the absolute fastest train (Nozomi) but the other bullet trains are almost as fast, doesn't make much of a difference unless you're a commuter using it every single day to get to work/home asap.

I can highly recommend using the Sunrise Izumo sleeper train for the return trip from Kyoto to Tokyo. You'll arrive in Tokyo early in the morning and with luck, get to see a beautiful sunrise on the way shortly before arriving. There are tatami mats in the sleeper cars so you can lie down and catch a good night's sleep, falling asleep there isn't much harder than sleeping at a youth hostel with other people in the room.

One cheap way way to spend the night in cities is going to a internet/manga cafe (mangakissa) that has private booths with mats & pillows on the floor. The light is dimmed and there are showers you can use so many people use those internet/manga cafes as hostels to sleep at. You can use the internet and read all the manga and watch all the anime you want there but I just used the all-inclusive vending machines which are really cool, got one coffee of every type until I was so tired that I was able to sleep despite the fact that I was at a 24 hours internet cafe.

I only used internet cafes to sleep twice, capsule hotels allow for better sleep and cheap business hotels are even better and often don't cost more than hostels, plus you won't run into as many Western tourists. If you like meeting and teaming up with other Western tourists to go on trips with than hostels are ideal but if you want to fully immerse yourself into another country, capsule hotels as well as cheap ryokan and business hotels are a better bet. Some hostels are great though and offer a fully authentic experience even if other foreign tourists are staying there. The smaller the hostel, the more authentic it usually is.
If you're in a large city, I recommend using bigger hostels that have a 24 hour reception, you have a lot more freedom tha way to explore he city at night and won't have to fear being locked out. I can't emphasize enough how important 24 hour reception without curfew is in cities and I could go into this in greater detail but one thing is for sure, this is an absolute must on any future travels I'll make to larger cities. One time I was out painting the Shinjuku neon lights a night and came back at around 2 Am and couldn't get into my hostel because they had a curfew I forgot about and everything was locked down so I went to eat late night ramen and had o search for another hotel which cost me quite a lot. And sometimes you wan to have the freedom -not- to arrive a the time you told the hostel you'll arrive because you decided o take a later train for whatever reason. Smaller traditional hostels and ryokan are keen on you arriving at the time you tell them, Japanese people in general are very punctual and reliable and expect the same from you so if you wan to be more flexible, 24 hour reception is king.

Avoid capsule hotels if you are claustrophobic as you might get a panic attack. Personally, I found those capsules quite spacey and practical. You're only there to sleep, you can do all the bathing and washing etc in the shared spaces so that's no problem.

One hint not yet mentioned in this thread: don't go into a Pachinko parlour without ear protection. Those places are LOUD!

But yes, get the rail pass and take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto. Kyoto is a very nice city and you should take some time there. Take a stroll through the old town at night. There are lots and lots of very small restaurants (some of them feel more like private housholds who just happen to serve to a few strangers as well) offering a variety of very interesting food.

And if you want to be all touristy or like nature, make a stop at Mt. Fuji. You can get there either by hopping off at (Shin) Fuji or by first go to Gotemba in the first place. In any case it is a beatiful region and worth to see more of it than just by passing the mountain in the train.

Suicide Forest

True. But I would add to this advice: if you really ARE claustrophobic, avoid Japan. The cities, while fascinating and/or beautiful, are stuffed full of people.

This is most excellent advice, really boiling it down to the essence. It really doesn't matter how much you try to "blend in" or not, unless you're Asian and speak Japanese you'll be categorized as a gaijin within a split second regardless of what you do or what you say. It's not a bad thing though, there's advantages, too. For one, if you make a mistake people usually won't be angry because they don't expect you to know.

Not necessary for simply getting around. The first time I wen to Japan I literally only knew how to say one word (thank you). Once in Japan, I quickly found out you only need to say sumimasen (excuse me) and do quick and short bows. Long and deep bows are inappropriate unless one is sincerely apologizing for something.

Later on, you can throw in a couple "ne? so desu ne? hm...soka. so so. ne....ne?" with pauses in between and it will already be enough to give someone the impression you're making conversation even if you understand jack.

Actually, the locations in many anime and manga series look precisely the way they look in real life. True for both urban and rural settings. This has to do with the fact that background artists (a specialized function) put in a lot more research and work than in e.g. Marvel/DC comics.
Also, schoolgirls do really walk around in short skirts (that were probably invented by horny old men) and even grownup women often speak in those annoying high pitched anime voices, especially in service oriented jobs. I think it's considered attractive in Japan so it's an acquired feature, people don't naturally talk like that.
I didn't go to Japan expecting it to look like in anime but was often surprised when it actually did.
Another thing: Even if you're like me and have no interest whatsoever in Naruto, you'll turn into a ramen slurping ramen maniac once you try real ramen. People stand in line a good ramen shops. Ther eis one in Kyoto close to the train station that I very highly recommend, I've made it my mission to go there every time I went to Kyoto, which was 4 times already.
Didn't find out the name of the place until years later, here's a link:

http://www.ramenadventures.com/2013/12/daiichi-asahi-in-kyoto.html

It's two shops right next to each oher, the yellow one on the left side is he best imho because I'm very much in favor of miso broth over shoyu (soy) broth, and the broth is pretty damn crucial. Respect the broth!

Imho, cold soba is an acquired taste (aka hipster shit), I tried it but don't like it. Feels like swallowing cold spaghetti. Seriously overrated.

The best food, his time not humbly stated because just about every reasonable Japanese person will agree, is Okonomiyaki. It's not only the best dish but the most epic as well, and the most fun to make yourself.

Sometimes, you can get lost within the bowels of a large train station, Shinjuku station being a prime example.
The most useful tool to not get lost is a simple old school compass (non electronic, for obvious reasons). That way, you'll know which of the many exits you're taking.

Ah Japan.

Home of the stealth assassin.

Is that a twinkle in your eye? No. The glint of a Shuriken.

May your death be swift and painless OP. :P

Try to visit Hatsumi Masaaki! Going to japan and not paying a visit to that man is a sin... I myself reached 5 kyu (oh, but i doubt we mean the same, yours probably is about language proficiency, no?). You HAVE to go to a sushi bar and try traditional japanese food, you are going to be excited! Visit a karaoke in the evening, if you can and can afford to, if you are lucky, it is going to be full of beauties! You should visit and pay respect to a shinto temple, too, even if you don't believe in this and buying a talisman as a memento is even better (try one for good luck or finding real love). If you had lots of money, i would recommend visiting a musem in iga or koga prefecture featuring samurai and ninja era relics and even buy for yourself, modern replicas of these (togakure ryu shuriken are adorable and a folded steel katana is a collector's dream).

It goes without saying, if you are visiting now at srping, you should go to see the cherry blossom (cherry trees in bloom). This is a sight and a smell to soothe you, make you relax and enjoy nature and its wonders, and hopefully, beautifull girls doing the same in same area!

Man, i envy you! Make the best use of your trip and stay there! Just remember to NOT buy meat (very expensive, especially bovine -matsusaka, can cost you a bill identical to a night stay at the most expensive capital hotel), to not shake hands but bow instead (shaking hands is considered rude and crude), to avoid dark alleys and punk-ass troublemakers and be respectful and considerate towards the locals. Trying a public bath for relaxation or a hot spring, if you can afford it, is good idea too.

Certain places can get extremely packed during peak times, and November is such a time. Kyoto's parks are going to be full of people, mostly domestic tourists taking group tours. This will especially apply to the most popular spots like Kyomizudera and Tofukuji. At Tofukuji, I decided to make a painting while standing on the bridge near the entrance of the temple because the view of the fall leaves and the temple was the best here. The amount of people passing through was absolutely indescribable, there wasn't a single free inch on that bridge. The security guards were asking me every 5 minutes if I am about to be finished, they first didn't want to let me stand there at all because it's a choke point where they try to herd people through as fast as possible and they actively tried to move people along who tried to stop to take pictures of the view. It's a beautiful sight alright but if someone has any kind of crowd anxiety or just wants to experience a peaceful zen moment, I recommend to stay clear from all the popular places and visit the smaller less frequented temples instead during such peak visiting times.
Some of the leeser known places are beautiful, it's all a matter of how much time you have to find hose places and how willing you are to adventure around and discover stuff by yourself. If you are on a tight schedule like I was, you'll mostly stick to the places that are known to be good and soldier through the masses. If was there for a full month on that trip but if you're painting, that is only a fraction of the time it would be for a regular tourist with a camera.

Another time you'll encounter massive crowds is during special koyo festivals when parks and temples open at night and the leaves are illuminated. This is a massively popular attraction for the locals as well as for tourists so the more famous spots are completely overrun. Again, it's all up to someone's tolerance threshold for crowds and patience level. At Kodaiji (in Kyoto as well), I saw a line that of several hundred people waiting outside the temple. Fortunately, I had already gone there the day before where it was 100% crammed but the line outside wasn't so massive.

Is it worth it? Imho yes, but if there is a line that's too long, skip the location and go to another one. If you really want to go there, come back the next day and be there when they open at night. They close they temples in the afternoon, usually at 5 and then reopen in the evening for the illuminated festival.

Hiding your passions and interests is weak, whether it's at home or in Japan or anywhere. Do you need approval from others for your pastime interests? Hell no! You don't need it at home, and you don't need it in Japan. Indulge in the stuff you're interested in. Of course, you don't have to rub it into everyone's face all the time without being prompted to but "keep it to yourself" is poor advice.
Reminds me of the self-conscious people who were interested in games back in the 80/90s but didn't dare to "come out" because they didn't want to be made fun of or considered dorky/geeky/whatever. And now that it's socially safe they're prancing all over the gaming scene. You're supposed to be into whatever you're into regardless of what people will think. As long as you follow general etiquette and the laws of the land, no one is entitled to take issue to your leisure interests (as long as it's legal stuff) and if they do, that makes them "those locals", it doesn't make you *those tourists". Of course, there's a time and place for everything. If you want to cosplay as Sailor Moon, maybe the Harajuku district is a more suitable place than others.

I've seen Japanese businessmen in formal attire read manga on the train. No one gives a damn or will think less of you if you're interested in their pop culture, worst thing is they might ignore you or giggle at you, which they will anyway because you're a foreigner and there aren't that many foreigners in Japan, hence society is rather homogeneous. It's not meant offensively when people stare at you, most of the time anyway.
On the contrary, reactions are more likely positive. One time I went to a local pub in Nagoya with a local friend and a group of friends of his and at some point they asked me what kind if anime/manga I knew and they were very delighted that I knew and enjoyed all their classics. Anime is not a core interest of mine but art is and when anime is art - which it often is - then I'm very much interested in it. I didn't even start on the topic, it just naturally came up. Another time, I was invited for dinner and we started talking about movies and they were genuinely (not just fake politely) happy to find out I was a big time fan of old black & white Japanese movies, as well as Ghibli anime. Btw, Studio Ghibli movies are something everyone in Japan is proud of, even regular people. It's not even remotely considered a silly thing. And even if, it wouldn't matter.

Humans are tribal animals and identify with their respective tribe to a certain extent, so when you applaud something from a tribe someone belongs to they tend to be pleased, and vice versa. Anime is part of the Japanese "tribe" so if you're a fan of that, most Japanese people will see it as a compliment towards their tribe, and accept it as such. They'll interpret it as a collective accomplishment rather than an individual flaw of yours for being into it. Western thinking is a bit more focused on the individual so it's no wonder many Westerners seem to feel so self-conscious about their own interests.

My first trip to Japan was in order to see a museum exhibit that showed several hundred original paintings by Kazuo Oga, background painter for many famous Ghibli movies such as My Neighbor Totoro. It wasn't the only reason I went to Japan, I also wanted to travel around and make my own paintings from various sights (Himeji castle etc) but visiting that exhibit was the driving factor that made me go at that time and I happened to have 7-8 days off work so I went for it. Three more and decisively longer trips followed in subsequent years and weren't in any way connected to anime but I'm really glad that I spontaneously decided to fly to Japan to see that exhibit. It is one of the best things I ever did in my life, zero regrets even if it did cost a lot of money and I had to work many 12 hour night shifts to finance those travels.

Eating on the train is only problematic if it's super crowded and you have no trays, in subway style commuter trains for example. If you're sitting in a seat with a tray in front of you, they'll even try to sell you food on the train and you can buy bento boxes at the train station which are designed to be used on the train. So in effect, etiquette regarding food & drink is more or less the exact same as everywhere else in the world.
Even if you don't have a tray, no one is gonna cut off your head with a samurai sword just because you're nibbling at that onigiri you bought at 7-Eleven.

Drinking on buses is perfectly fine, many locals keep a plastic bottle of green tea in the pouch in front of their seat.

OP, the stealth assassin would see your end far too quickly for you to even bid this realm goodbye.

First rule is you must learn to blend with shadow. Darkness hides many foe. But for a true master darkness is best friend.

Or you could like bring a flashlight or use mobile phone app :P