In Case of Japan

In the case you find yourself imminently visiting Japan and have asked Josh or Harmoney for reccs –here's my off the dome list:

Luggage forward service!!
Avoid large luggage on major subways. 20 bucks a bag to ship luggage to the next city, usually next day. It's crazy not doing this when you could travel with just you and your fashion sense.

Get Suica card on your Apple Wallet
Tap for transit (all trains, subways, buses of kyoto, osaka, and tokyo), and sometimes tap vending machines, claw gamble machines, pay at restaurants if you want even.

Side notes:

Visitor transit passes are nice but the Tokyo line is actually multiple companies and you'll find it works about half the time.
Get the Shinkaisen from Kyoto to Tokyo: all limited express trains need two tickets, one for fare one for seat reservation (and optional tickets for luggage storage).
- Also grab a fancy bento box of food for the ride at the train platform (past the gates)
That said, save your feet -- We found that taxi's are surprisingly quick trips compared to some subway trips (off rush hour).

Go for craft

Tokyo has a lot of overly serious pour over cafes and Japan is recently crazy about craft beer.
Shop menswear (and accidentally get on TV doing it)
There's a dangerous amount of thrifting.
Go see some art
Not craft: but uniqlo is manufactured different there. Get some socks.
After you've maxed out your suitcase: Ginza Karen is a funny enterprising place for Chinese made 70 dollar luggage open until 3 am...

Keep it easy

Walk and graze: Coffee, egg sandos, curry buns, famichicki, onigiri, coffee...
Constantly ask AI for hyper specific tips.
It seemed many workers are from Vietnam or the Philippines. Sometimes it's better if both parties stop attempting bad Japanese and agree it's easier to speak in English.
Once you've seen one shrine you've seen them all. Same with markets.

Booking Tips

Most places high end to bib gourmand+ are super booked by now but some only open ressos per month and you might get lucky.
Last minute bookings are easier at slightly lower tier: like 80 dollar omakase.
It's very rare to walk into a booked restaurant and expect bar seats unless they explicitly say they keep them available -- also theres no culture for waiting for a seat unless its a ticket based ramen-type place.
Restaurants with morning sign ups weren't that bad for us actually.
Many izakayas don't like foreigners and will say "Full with their arms in an x" -- you might have to go to the touristy yakitori alley.

Places we liked

Osaka (night time place): Find a high end kobe beef spot (they're close by so it's better/cheaper than tokyo), cocktail bars in high rises.
It'd be crazy not to book a private onsen via the romance train.
Kyoto (mornings place): Philosophers path in the morning, The best stuff is off the main streets, first ramen we had.
Tokyo (everything place): full of small museums, shopping : Harijuko > shinjuku > shibuya, fusion foods were more interesting than classics, ginza for better cocktail bars
Highly recommend coco curry if you find yourself without dinner reservations.

✌️