Links and Info all over Japan:

http://maujudi.com/component/option.com_frontpage/Itemid.1/ - general website with accommodation, restaurants, transport and maps.

Outdoor Japan - all about travel in and around Japan. Invaluable for hikers. http://www.outdoorjapan.com/

Yokoso! Japan - lots of info and accommodation all over Japan. http://www.japanwelcomesyou.com/cssweb/index.cfm

Japan National Tourist Organisation - loads of info, plus accommodation links. http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/index.html

Northern Tohoku Winter Events Page http://www.northern-tohoku.gr.jp/english/

Japan Guide - lots of info and deals for all over Japan. http://www.japan-guide.com/

Japan Atlanta Association - general info and links - http://japanatlanta.org/

Jetset Japan - supposedly cheap flights for your guests coming to Japan, though some have found it not the cheapest. Has links and info as well. http://friendsandfamily.jetsetjapan.com/

Discover Japan - similar to this site with info added by JETs for JETs. Mainly on what to see and do only. http://discoverjapan.ajet.net/wiki/index.php?title=Discover_Japan

Creativeman - lists all the main music concerts in Japan. Has English pages. http://www.creativeman.co.jp/index.html

alt travel tips - http://www.alt-travel-tips.com/ - alts discuss top travel tips

Kyushu Connection - http://www.kyushuconnection.com - details of all over Kyushu

Japan 101 - http://www.japan-101.com/ - general information - ideal for visitors

Good Will Guide from the Japan National Tourist Organization - free guides in many of Japan's popular tourist cities. "It was definitely a good experience." Guides are really well informed, speak great English, and best of all, really

enthusiastic. It's also nice to let someone else lead you around for a while. (There are several different groups that offer the guide services in each city.) http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/arrange/essential/list_volunteerGuides_a-n.html

Travelling during New Year? - check this website for what's going to be open http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2276.html

Sumo:

You can usually get tickets at the box office on the day, but sometimes the cheapest ones are sold out. They sell about 400 tickets on the day at some venues and begin selling at around 8.30am. You can reserve tickets by credit card online.

English website: http://www.sumo.or.jp/eng/

Temporary Mobile Phones:

You can buy a "disposable" keitai from docomo or vodafone in 7-11 (and probably other conbinis as well). Buy a prepaid card for ï¿¥3000 or ï¿¥5000 or so and the rates are not too much more than regular phones. They need to be "registered" at the vodafone shop within a certain time limit to someone with an alien card. If you get one for a visiting friend you will need to register it in your name.

They work well, though people have sometimes had trouble with receiving mail. They tend to have no camera or fancy features. They come with English instructions and when you activate the prepaid cards that's in English too.

http://www.jcrcorp.com/ - mobile phone hire