Japan is the destination where a plan matters most and shows least. Reservations for the places worth eating at open a month ahead and close in minutes, and the trains that make the country navigable reward booking rather than improvising.
Den, Tokyo — Playful, generous, and far less austere than its reputation suggests. Book the moment the window opens.
Kikunoi Honten, Kyoto — Kaiseki at the reference standard. Lunch is the easier reservation and no less good.
Nishiki Market, Kyoto — Go early and eat standing up. Skip the souvenir end.
Kappabashi, Tokyo — Kitchen street. Knives, ceramics, and the only souvenirs anyone still uses ten years later.
Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, Nationwide — Regional crafts, edited well, without the tourist markup.
Late March to early April for blossom, with the crowds that brings. Late October to November for autumn colour and better weather.
A Japan Rail Pass pays for itself on two long legs. IC cards handle city transit; taxis are excellent and worth it late at night.