my favorite destination, no contest. i'd go back a thousand times and never get bored. visited tokyo, kyoto, nara, and osaka in january. cool weather, fewer tourists, perfect for walking around. tokyo was something else: explored akihabara, shibuya, and shinjuku. the energy is unlike anything. the nightlife surprised me, the ramen was some of the best food i've ever had, and the sushi was on a completely different level from what i'd tried before. also got a taste of the otaku and anime culture, which was fun to see even as a casual fan. kyoto was the opposite. calm, traditional, full of temples and history. took the shinkansen between cities, which was an experience in itself. fast, clean, perfectly on time. day trip to nara to see the deer, totally worth it. osaka was the weakest stop. i wouldn't spend more than two days there, one of them just for universal studios. the people were friendly but a bit shy. not many speak english, but i never had trouble communicating. and the biggest surprise: it's much cheaper than people think.