[Sangetsu]

The best way to get to and from the airport is the limousine bus. The ticket cou ter for the bus is just outside the customs door at the terminal, and the bus stop is just outside. The bus will take you to the larger hotels, and save you the trouble of navigating Tokyo train stations after a long flight.

The Shinagawa Prince hotel should still be under $100 per night, and as Shinagawa is located on the Yamanote loop, it is a good place to base your stay in the city. The Tokaido line also stops at Shinagawa, so you can access Yokohama and other places easily enough.

I don't really know of any genuine traditional villages in Japan, but you can find many old neighborhoods throughout the city. Out in the countryside in Chiba or Saitama you'll find more traditional homes and buildings, but you can find examples of these buildings in the heart of Tokyo in places like Kanda, Asakusa, or Tsukishima. I find the most interesting places if I just walk around with no destination in mind.

Getting around Tokyo is not hard, you can rent a bicycle at Oryx, or by a couple cheap bikes on Craigslist Tokyo, and just leave them at the station when you leave.

For skyscrapers, they are everywhere. I am sitting in Marunouchi as I write, and I am surrounded by skyscrapers. There are more in Shinagawa, Shinjuku, Akasaka, and Roppongi.