Ever been to Japan?

this web site is super useful for visiting japan. it focuses on a specific city, but you can re-use the information anywhere in Japan

http://www.japaninyourpalm.com

check Yahoo Answers - a lot of answers to your questions can be found there.

such as:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080415044637AA9uY4e&r=w#F5F_Wz....13DT2lCw

As for reasonable accomodations in Tokyo near Asakusa (a Tokyo hotspot) is the Juyoh hotel:

http://www.juyoh.co.jp

Hotspots in Tokyo besides Asakusa are Ueno Park, Shinjuku, Meiji Shrine, Harajuku in Sunday.

Kyoto and NAra are definately must-see spots as are Hiroshima and Miyajima Shrine, Kamakura and the outdoor Buddha, and Nikko with its ornate shrines.

For cheap food 99 Yen stores have cheap produce for $1. Kaiten sushi - conveyor belt - is cheap, filling, and good as our noodle shops where you buy a ticket from a machine. Yoshinoya is a cheap Japanese-style diner.

check my blog and youtube page for more Japanese related stuff:
http://samuraidave.wordpress.com/
http://www.youtube.com/RoninDave

I'm going there next week.
Preferably for the standard touristy stuff to do, Ikebukuro is packed crammed with stuff one, Namjatown, Sunshine City, the cluster of department stores at Ikebukuro station, Shibuya is essentially the Time Square of Tokyo... and Shinagawa is packed loads wtih with the really popular eateries and there's usually something grand happening at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel...
But honestly, the best hotspots you'd probably be able to catch outside of Tokyo... for the non boring touristy stuff, Sapporo is the most scenic of cities and a great place to go to as long as it's not winter.
The manju store outside the Yasukuni shrine sells the greatest of novelty manju cakes concerning Japanese politics.
Hyogo prefecture has Himeji castle, the city of Kobe where you don't get any of that imitation "Kobe beef" you get here and a higher quality of fish you can't get outside of Kansai.
Chiba has some quality places you can golf at as well as Kaihin Makuhari a decently popular spot to check out in Chiba.
Each region has it's own strentgths in cuisine...
Whale sashimi is a must have you won't get anywhere outside Japan...
As is Matsuzaka beef, Fukuoka mentaiko, and Hokkaido salmon roe

KFC is a special night out. Sushi is not cheaper. Please don't eat whale. Be sure to see some Kabuki Theater. Yaaoooooooooooo! Have a great time!

dont forget to buy some used panties at the vending machine.

Yay! I'm going to Japan in October. I'm going to check out the above suggestions, too.

One thing my friend told me is to hold off on the purchasing of fresh produce and go for noodles and fish instead. Produce is outrageously priced I hear!

Shinjuku was a perfect place to stay. It was surrounded by tons of stuff to do. And getting anywhere from there on the subways/rail is a snap. The only thing is that the trains/subways stop pretty early; I want to say around midnight or 12:30 so keep a keen eye on the time during the night. Taxis are outrageously expensive. This is also the reason that most music shows start and end fairly early.

In Shinjuku I stayed at the Prince Hotel. I remembered the price being reasonable, and the room was AMAZING. Amazing decor, bathroom, views, and most big hotels have these awesome malls underneath where you can shop and eat and shop again.

People may tell you to go to Roppongi, where a lot of expats frequent, and you may think that being from the U.S. you would find familiar, comfortable surroundings - it's a tourist trap.

Check out the museums. The science museum in Ueno is the best I have ever been to.

Akihabra. Go. YOU would love it.

Eat sushi. Drink lots of Japanese beer. I found that the food suggestions on LP were great, but almost every other food venue is awesome too - you really can't go wrong with Japanese food. Oh, have a Mossburger!

In terms of flights, I found Northwest to be the cheapest. Guess it's Delta now? http://current.com/items/88903127_delta_oks_deal_to_take_over_northwest

I would also buy a rail pass. You have to buy it here in America (you have to be a foreigner to get one) and it will save you a load of money.

Consider using Kyoto as a home base for like one or two weeks, and each day you can use your rail pass to visit nearby cities steeped in history like Nara, Kobe, and Himeji (the White castle in Himeji is a must see).