Ways to getting to Tokyo, Japan are pretty darn simple. Almost every airline (I'm using United Airlines here) is in accord to Tokyo, and since it's the capital of Japan, it has the most airports. It's not that hard to get there. I'm sorry if this is sort of a cop-out, but that's really it. More will be covered in the hotel passage.

There are many places to stay in Tokyo. By looking at a hotel site on Tokyo, you'd almost think every building was a hotel. And not all of them are perfect. There's 5 star 3 star hotels, most commonly, and you most likely want a 5 star hotel. (Or maybe you prefer 4 star hotels! I don't know.) One of the 5 star hotels would be the Part Hyatt Tokyo hotel (look it up at the site provided), a hotel that is 5 star and has spa, swimming pool, and health club. It has free internet, and very high quality places to stay and sleep. The rooms are gorgeous, usually very large with beautiful views. It's almost like a bird being blocked by a plastic bag, however, as there's not much to see other that buildings. Service is also rated very high, as well as the quality. Enjoy your stay!

-Hotels.com (Search Park Hyatt, Tokyo. The URL takes up 5-6 lines, so it'd be a waste of space to put it. Images also found there.)

Activities in Japan are very common, it's just that a lot of people are afraid to approach them due to their different nature (as explained in the culture section.) Nobody thinks wandering around Japan will get them anywhere. Not even I do! But being brave enough to look and try new things can be quite amazing.

One of these activities is also one of my favorite - checking out the city. Now, I know I just stated that it's redundant to do so. However, when you know where to go, you do less wandering and more doing active, amazing things. I won't state any of them here, (and I really apologize for this) as what you want to do depends on the person. Anime studio? Great! Photography? Fantasic? Deep, dark ally? Well, I wouldn't want to be closed up in that box, but whatever suits you. Japan is an interesting place.

Lastly, there are garden preserves. What's Japan's main religion? Buddhism! So why wouldn't it be a great place to see nature? (Implying that Buddhists protent nature, in which they do.) Some of the gardens in Japan are downright beautiful, having things from flowers and short rivers to large, cherry blossom - filled forests. (Make sure to go in April for that.) There are also amazing rock gardens, which aren't as impressive but still are remarkable. (You don't see them in the USA, do you? Pshh...)

Source: http://content.time.com/time/travel/cityguide/article/0,31489,1897812_1897772_1897742,00.html

Images found in:

content.time.com, www.npointercos.jp and www.agoda.com. All made in Tokyo.

Going to a different country can be problematic. I know that. You don't just get there, smile, and leave. Featured here would be some common questions that people would most likely ask about the country, and how to solve them.

Q: What if I don't know how to read Japanese? What about billboards? Hotels?

A: Most Japanese billboards (From what I've seen) usually have a English translation right below the Japanese characters. Also, there are usually pictures showing what they are. Hotels are usually easy to get into. Look for the price, ask for a room (It's easy to signal for a room) and get a room.

Q: What about currency exchange?

A: Currency exchange is incredibly easy. Lots of airports, large hotels and banks have currency exchange for USD to Yen, and it's very common to find. Yen is ~100 per USD, and if you were to go in detail, it's about 99 Yen per USD. It doen't really matter unless you go spending thousands on Yen.

Q: What if I get mugged?

A: Japan is one of the safest countries in the world, (possibly even outdoing the US) and it has one of the most calm religions in common. People often have an effect that when they go to a different country, they feel unsafe. Japan is different.

Q: What if I get lost?

A: Make sure to mark the airport name and street it's on. Seriously. You'll need it. When you get lost, don't feel afraid to ask anyone, or go to an info desk, for help. If you're too afraid to say, "oh noes I'm lost" then you really shouldn't be traveling. If you're lost, get help. In an RPG, when you're lost you talk to NPC's. So why not real life?

Sources: http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g294232-s601/Japan:Banks.And.Money.html

Culture-

Culture in Japan is quite unique, and many people in America find it "weird" due to it's different nature. Many people in America (from what I know) scoff at Japanese pop culture "Because it's different" or "It's weeeiiiirrrrdddddd." And you know, I don't blame them, all the time. But I find it amusing.

Pop culture today is a very common thing in Japan - You'll see it on billboards, shirts, people's devices, etc. And trust me, some of these things are very popular. There's Hello Kitty (Which for some reason here is regarded as very women-like)

that is broadly accepted by female of all ages (unlike here, which is accepted as a teenage - girl plaything.) and likings. Trust me, it's very common.

Another one of these things would be Pokemon - something that was accepted by everyone in the US for two years, then everyone thought it was childish, THEN it came back to mainstream audiences in 2007, where even adults played it. I've been playing it since 2005; never have stopped. In Japan, however, it kept going, never stopping, since 1996 in its intital release. it had no real cultural problems except for one episode airing only in Japan that gave ~600 kids seizures. (Which is why it never aired in the US.) In Japan, it is also something seen in many places such as the 'Pokemon Center" or "Nintendo World", where it is shown as a prize video game, and many pieces of merchandise are sold, such as figurines.

Religion in Japan is still very common. Unlike China, there isn't any Confuctionism, just Buddhism. I'm certain you've heard of Buddhism, but Buddhism is a form of religion that preaches reincarnation and several ways to make the world better.

Food is pretty similar to what you see on an every Japan related foodthing - octopus, basic seafood and sushi.

History -

Japan's history has many ups and downs, usually starting in disasters whithin varying magnitudes, tailing behing something really good. When devestated, it usually only comes back to normal. Even though Hiroshima and Nagasaki were hurt, they still held rescilliance andbounced back, signing a treaty with the US and becoming the second largest economy in the world.

However, in recent years, gun laws on earning weapons have been lifted, but only for security. Also, a Tsunami, earthquake, and nuclear disaster all happened to them, within 2 years.

Sources:

www.infoplease.com

http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/

www.japan-zone.com/modern/

www.wikipedia.org

Honestly, Japan can be a great place. It has many, many great things it's done for technology, and its culture has a great example of what we can evolve into as a country. It shows how cultures can rebuild, grow, and exceed. Activities include beautiful gardens and buildings, something not many other countries try to achieve. While there are problems, they are solved faster than (Kyoko can eat Pocky) its culture rebuilds. Hotels are easy to find, and as it's the largest city of it's country, most airports are a straight flight there. Enjoy!

My name is Ozymandias... No! It's Miles M. Claver! I enjoy Japan and cultural studies, usually studying within Japanese culture in relation to video games. I love studies like this, as they show how people express culture through obscure pieces of art. Japan is one country I love due to its kind, accepting culture (in theory) in accord to new things. Nintendo was made from Japan, and I've loved Nintendo my whole life. And it's a full Japanese company. (I also watch anime.)

I live a simple, everyday life, not doing much but sitting in front of a screen. I don't usually have much to do, as I don't sign up for sports (which are shoved down your throat via media.) I still find sports in ideal of exercise, however, and that's great.

I love technology, as well. I use it every day. Yotsuba style message boards, forums, news sites with internet, and Khan academy for message boards. Lastly, I play a ridiculous amount of video games. Most people say playing 3 hours of Angry Birds is a lot - but try 53 days worth of gameplay on a single game console.

However, I really enjoy making articles. Thanks for reading!

-MMC