[glg20]

I'm really looking forward to my 20 day trip to Japan in late March during cherry blossom season.

I'm still in the process of deciding what I want to see but I do know that the trip will only be to Central-Western Honshu.

I'd appreciate any input regarding the following questions:

- Which travel guide did you find most helpful? I have The "Eyewitness Travel Japan" and "Tokyo" guides as well as "Lonely Planet Japan" and "Lonely Planet Tokyo Encounter".

- Any specific recommended maps?

- How many days would you recommend I spend in each of the places mentioned? At the moment I'm thinking:

Nikko - 1 day

Hakone - 1-2 days

Tokyo - 7 days

Kyoto - 2-3 days

Nara - 0.5-1 day

Iga –Ueno - ? days - Supposed to be a ninja museum here. Anyone been here?

Osaka - 1-2 days (Is Osaka very different than Tokyo? Is it easy to spot Yakuza here?)

Mount Koya - 0.5-1 day

Himeji - 0.5-1 day

Hiroshima - 0.5-1 day

Miyajima island - 0.5-1 day (including 1 night). Does the great torii gate of Itsukushima shrine appear to be in water during this time of year?

Iwakuni - few hours - 0.5 day – Is it worth coming to see the bridge?

- Where would you spend the night to visit these spots? I was thinking Tokyo (for Nikko as well), Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka, Mount Koya (heard it's nice there at night) and Miyajima island.

- Any other place in Honshu you'd recommend?

- My cousin and I are thinking of flying into Tokyo and leaving the next day to other spots on our tour in order to leave Tokyo for last. We figure that we can always find something to do there where in other spots on our trip we should have a more fixed timetable. Do you think that this is a good idea?

- Good Hotel/Ryokan/accommodations you can recommend from experience in these places? Has anyone spent a night in one of the monastaries at Mount Koya? Miyajima island? Hakone? Good Ryokan in Kyoto?

- While my budget isn't limitless and I would prefer to spend the night in places that would cost less than 100 USD per night per person (I'll be travelling with my cousin so we'll share a room) , I would like to spend at least one night in a 5 star super modern luxurious hotel in Tokyo. Any recommendations? I was thinking of the Park Hyatt as an option. Oh, if you have recommendations for exceptional accommodations (places you think are worth to stay in a more expensive hotel/ryokan) in my other planned spots, I'd love to hear about them.

- Should I get a Suica card or PASMO card while in Tokyo?

- Would you recommend a 14 day JR pass for such a trip?

- This may sound like a weird/stupid question but I’ll ask anyway. I don’t speak Japanese and since I’ve heard that English isn’t understood by many locals outside of Tokyo, I’ve bought the Berlitz Japanese phrasebook. Has anyone used it? Let’s say I use it to ask a local a question. Even if he/she understands what I’m asking, how will I understand their response?

- Is it worth buying a DSLR camera in Shinjuku-Tokyo or are the prices not THAT cheap?

Finally, I've checked out a few Ryokan to try and book online but they don't seem to accept bookings for April at this time. I read that Japan starts the new year in April yet I was wondering when will it be possible to book for April in these places. Anyone ran into this problem?

Thanks for your help!