"Japan (14 - 21 Dec 2008)" a Tokyo Travel Page by chatterley

We booked our flight pretty early on the Singapore Airline website, and the main draw was the chance to fly on the Airbus A380! We were able to get the seats (both ways, from Singapore to Tokyo and Tokyo to Singapore) on board the world's largest commercial plane, and we chose to sit on the upper deck. The seats gave us more leg space (that's important, as we are both quite tall).

Our plane took off on 13 Dec (it was a night flight), and we landed at Narita Airport on the morning of 14 Dec. From then on, it was non-stop sight-seeing, sampling Japanese food and commuting on Shinkansens (bullet trains) and local trains etc.

Having purchased the JR Pass (as well as the Hakone Free Pass), we made full use of it to visit places both in and outside of Tokyo:

In Tokyo -
Shinjuku (Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office)
Roppongi Hills
Ueno (Ameyoko and Ueno Park)
Marunouchi (Imperial Palace and Nijubashi Bridge)
Harajuku (Meiji Jingu Shrine, Takeshita Street and Omotesando)
Shibuya (Shibuya 109 and Hachiko Statue)
Asakusa (Nakamise, Sensoji Temple)
Tsukiji Market

Hakone - we spent 2 days 1 night there, stayed at a traditional ryokan and enjoyed the onsen bath. Also visited Owakudani, saw the Hakone Shrine, cruised on Lake Ashi... and shopped at Gotemba Outlet before we return to Tokyo.

Kamakura - visited temples and shrines, saw the Daibutsu (Buddha) and also went to Enoshima island to see the sunset.

Kyoto - we woke up really early to catch the shinkansen to Kyoto (2 hour plus ride). Went to see the beautiful temples and shrines.

The fresh sashimi (we both LOVE Japanese food, especially sashimi), snow crabs, etc etc ... Quality of the food was top notch.

The people are friendly and willing to help. Service is impeccable.

The transportation system runs like a clockwork and gets you to virtually every place (we took the shinkansen bullet trains, local trains, bus and the electirc railway).