[Sangetsu]

Warabi is in Saitama, which, though close, is not actually in Tokyo. To get to Warabi, you would take the Narita Express to Tokyo Station, and then take the Keihin Tohoku line to Warabi station. It takes an hour or so to get from Narita to Tokyo, and then another 30 minutes on a local train to Warabi. It should cost about 4000 yen to get to Warabi by train. The Narita Express platform is on the basement level of Tokyo Station, the Keihin Tohoku Line shares the same platform as the Yamanote line.

For the sake of convenience, you might think about finding a guesthouse closer to central Tokyo. From Warabi, you'll be spending an hour each day on the train commuting to Tokyo, plus the 700 or 800 yen the train commute will cost. Many people like Sakura House, the one in Asakusa is well-liked by by friends of mine who have stayed there, but there are other places in central Tokyo which are quite good.

Taxis in Tokyo charge 730 yen for 2 kilometers. I seldom find it necessary to use the taxi, there are enough subways and trains with numerous stations around the city. Taxis are mainly convenient if you get caught out at night after the trains stop running.

Transition to life in Tokyo is not difficult, the hardest thing to deal with in the first week is jet lag. There are numerous foreigners in Japan, and you can get pretty far without needing much Japanese. What you should focus on first is learning basic tourist Japanese, such as learning the way to ask for prices, directions, getting around in a taxi, and basic manners.

Winter in Tokyo is a little cold, last year we had some pretty heavy snow. Bring warm clothes. Keep in mind that in Japan, even a modern city like Tokyo, heating and air conditioning are used infrequently. Rather than turning on a heater, most people will simply wear more clothes indoors, and less clothes in the summer.

You might be wiser to delay starting your trip until February, this will give you time to enjoy the cherry blossom season, which is usually the first week of April.

I have been living in Tokyo for 6 years now (yikes!), if you have anymore questions, feel free to ask.