Next time I visit Japan I plan to stop in Kyoto for a couple of days at least. Kyoto was formerly the imperial capital of Japan for more than one thousand years, before Tokyo. Over the centuries, Kyoto has been destroyed by many wars and fires, but due to its historic value, the city was dropped from the list of target cities for the atomic bomb and spared from air raids during World War II. Countless temples, shrines and other historically priceless structures survive in the city today. This is one of the main reasons I want to visit this area.
I was really disappointed that we missed the autumn season in Tokyo. Japan looks amazing in the colour season as they call it. There are many colour spots to visit. So I would definitely aim to go at this time of the year. As one of the main sumo tournaments is in September, around the colour festival, I feel it is a must see.
Lastly, Tokyo cannot be fully explored in just a single week, I believe that minimum 2-3 weeks would be just enough to get a real understanding of Japanese life.
bethanyadams34 