I am not suggesting that you throw away your guidebook – use it as a resource, along with others, to create yourself a personal “cut & paste” guidebook that is relevant to your interests and the goals that you have for your trip.  Start by going through your guidebook and highlighting or flagging items of interest – must see sights, restaurants, museums and potential accommodations.  That’s a great start but you aren’t finished yet – now it’s time to set aside your traditional guidebook and look to some other resources for information.

One often overlooked way to prepare for a trip to Japan, or anywhere else for that matter, is to read about it in advance of your trip.  But do yourself a favor and don’t limit yourself to travel articles and reviews – read about some of the events in Japan’s long history, read local newspapers and magazines, and even pick up a novel written by a Japanese author.  By reading about Japan you will gain a better understanding of this country and it’s people and your trip will be enhanced immeasurably.  You will notice and understand many little things that you might have otherwise overlooked and these little things will make for great travel memories.

Browse through the new, but constantly expanding Japan Reading Room or look through the Japan related books featured at The Nihon Sun to find some great Japan reading material and print, cut, paste, rip and tear out pages from some of the following resources (and your traditional guidebook) to create a highly personal and relevant “cut & paste” guidebook for YOUR trip to Japan.

The Nihon Sun Japan: A Closer Look series:

• Japan: A Closer Look at Hokkaido
• Japan: A Closer Look at Tohoku – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look at Chubu – Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Kanagawa
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Tokyo Practicalities
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kanto – Tokyo – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look At Tokyo:Lesser Known Facts And Figures
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kansai – Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3
• Japan: A Closer Look at Chugoku – Part 1 & Part 2
• Japan: A Closer Look at Shikoku
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kyushu – Part 1
• Japan: A Closer Look at Kyushu – Part 2

Japan Tourism Websites

• Read Traveling to Japan? Look Beyond The Usual to find links to tourism websites from the different regions of Japan.
• Yokoso Japan! is Japan’s official tourism website.  Get travel planning tips and information about sightseeing destinations and the history and culture of Japan.

Japan in Traditional Media

• New York Times Travel Section – Japan
• The Japan Times Travel Section
• The Japan Times Festival Listings

Regional Magazines in Japan

• Metropolis – travel articles and event listings for visitors and residents.
• WEB att.JAPAN – a magazine for visitors and residents of Japan.
• Kateigaho International Edition (KIE) – Japanese Art & Culture Magazine and the first item featured in The Nihon Sun Reading Room.

Associations

• Traditional Crafts of Japan by area.
• Friends of the Earth Japan – monthly hikes in the Tokyo area and other events around Japan
• Japan Museum Information – A searchable data base of museums in various areas in Japan.

Work in Japan

• WWOOF Japan – work exchange program in Japan. (Tip from Honor at Tokyotopia, an ever growing repository for all things Tokyo related)
• JET Program – Teach English in Japan

Blogs and Other Online Resources

• UNESCO World Heritage destinations in Japan
• Big In Japan by Gadling
• National Geographic – Intelligent Travel Blog offers sustainable travel tips for Japan and other destinations and recently followed the Jenss family as they traveled across Japan on a worldwide trip.
• Budget Travel Destination Asia – scroll down the page to find articles about Japan.
• Bento.com – restaurant guide for major cities in Japan.
• Ping Mag Make -  Coverage of traditional artists and craftspeople working in Japan today.
• JapanSoc – A Social Networking Site covering Japan with links to news articles and many great blogs about Japan.

You probably will invest a fair amount of money to get yourself to Japan and it only makes sense to take some time and use a variety of resources to plan your perfect trip. Subscribe to The Nihon Sun and some of the resources above to create that one of a kind, personal, “cut & paste” guidebook to Japan – the investment in time will ensure a great return on the money you spent to get here.

Can you suggest other Japan Trip planning resources?  Leave them in the comments and together we will create a comprehensive guide so everyone can make the most of their trip.

Image Credit: Personal Collection