[Troo]

Hi Tony,

Certainly check expedia.co.uk for flights. Because we're from the UK we're one of the countries Japan has a visa exemption agreement with, so you can go for six months without requiring a visa, but that is as a tourist / sightseer. If you're planning to work in Japan to fund your travels, check with the Embassy.

I always avoid stopovers en route to Japan. I know it makes it a 12 hour flight (possibly closer to 13 from Manchester), but it vastly reduces the odds of your luggage getting mislaid during a transfer.

Some countries just don't let you enter if you've no return ticket booked. Also, tickets which allow for you to shuffle about with when exactly you're going to fly are considerably more expensive - the absolute cheapest flights are ones where not only do you fly economy class, but also you agree that your tickets are non-trasnferable and non-refundable.

I've flown both BA and Virgin from Heathrow to Narita. Virgin tend to put a hell of a lot of rubbish on your seat which you then have to (somehow) find space for for the next twelve hours. Legroom is about the same in both economy sections, but if you fly BA and you have long legs, do NOT get the first row behind a bulkhead, or you'll be cramped in place and may have trouble unfolding yourself on landing.

Flying mid-week if possible increases the odds that there may be empty seats on the flight which you can relocate to if you're stuck next to someone noisy, irritating, or who cares not for your personal space. Thurs - Mon flights tend to be completely packed.

If you just want the flights, consider also buying directly from the airline. Sometimes Expedia is cheaper, sometimes the airline is, so shop around.

You can only get a JR pass by booking from outside of the country then collecting the pass from a few offices on or after arrival, and even then only so long as "sightseeing" is on your visa. If you pay for a JR pass in advance, then tell customs you're there to work, you won't get your JR pass and nor will you get a refund. The longest period JR pass you can get is 21 days, so think hard about whether or not you'll need one and, if so, when for.

If you want to travel around for six months, learn enough Japanese to get yourself rooms in inns or B&B's, and indeed to recognise the signs for ryokan and minshukan. More remote places tend not to have English-speaking staff.

Best of luck!