Five things MUST do in Japan

Today while I was searching for info. on things we "must do" in Japan, I stumbled on this page. The info is as follows:

The Express On Sunday Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge ~ here are so many experiences to pack into a trip to Japan and so much unique culture to explore.With prices lower than you expect and a highly developed, first-world infrastructure to work with, doing so is easier than you think. DAVID ATKINSON (a British) looks at the essential Japanese experiences:

1. Ride the bullet train (Shinkansen)
Imagine yourself on a public transport system. A suited official wishes you a pleasant journey as he enters the carriage and bows respectfully after checking your tickets. A trolley service wheels mouth-watering boxed lunches, cold beers and hot coffee through the carriage as you power through the countryside and the ride is so smooth that, despite thundering along at recordbreaking speeds, you barely even feel the sway. Where could this be? Only on Japan's bullet train, the most efficient travel system in the world. Uniquely Japanese, it offers 174 high-speed connections per day from Tokyo to Kyoto. So, arm yourself with a JR Rail Pass - you must buy this before arriving in Japan - and enjoy the ride (www. japanrailpass. net). From 28,300 yen pp (GBP140) for a seven-day pass.

2. See the cherry blossoms
The peach and plum blossoms make a tentative appearance in early March but it's the flowering of cherry blossom or '"sakura" from early April that marks the official arrival of the Japanese spring. In doing so, it unleashes a tidal wave of sakura seekers, Japan's answer to New England's leaf twitchers. Parks across Japan - Tokyo's Yoyogi Park is a favourite (above) - come alive at this time of year packed with everyone from picnicking families to teenage rebels, breaking off from impromptu gigs to admire cascading blossoms on the wind.It's a zen thing, they say.

3. Visit an onsen resort
There are more than 2,000 onsen (hot springs) scattered across Japan, from the frozen north to the tropical south. These rural retreats, which evoke the traditions of feudal rural life, were once places to ease the aching muscles of rice farmers after the harvest. Today, many have become tourist attractions in their own right, the majority accessible via the bullet train network. The onsen experience requires three elements: a wooden bathhouse, the smell of sulphur coming off the water and a host of aged regulars lolling around in yukata (kimonostyle dressing gowns), the latter having already achieved the state of postsoaking nirvana known as "yude-dako" or the boiled octopus. From GBP25pp.

4. Stay at a ryokan
Ryokan are Japan's answer to the British B&B - but with a Japanese twist.These authentic, old-style guest houses are bastions of tradition and offer visitors a wonderful opportunity to sample traditional Japanese life. Typically, guests check in from mid afternoon for a piping hot bath in a communal washroom, followed by a slap-up dinner featuring fresh local produce. Guests bed down on futons on traditionally minimalist tatamimat floors with a flask of green tea to keep them company. Gentle slumbers guaranteed. From approx GBP40 per night.

5. Go kitsch
The Japanese are notoriously faddish and obsessed with kitsch. One word you will constantly encounter in Japan is "kawaii", meaning cute, and it's applied to everything from Hello Kitty to Winnie the Pooh. The kitsch doesn't come much finer, however, than the theme parks close to Tokyo, such as Tokyo Disneyland and Sanrio Puroland, dedicated to Hello Kitty and other cartoon characters.The latest kitsch fad is food theme parks. Two of the most popular are currently Ikebukuro Gyoza Stadium with various gyoza (dumpling) dishes by famous restaurants across Japan, and Ice Cream City, dedicated to 10 ice-cream stores.

Here, also I've with me another blogger who share his experience while he was in Japan. Check this out - http://quaisi.net/10-things-you-must-do-in-japan/