Help with making a trip

[kidrock12xp]

Greetings, I don't post here too much but I do check the main page now and then to glance at stuff. Anyway I am wanting to make a trip to Japan in the next year or two and was basically wanting some pointers if any of you guys and gals have any. I would really like to stay about 2 weeks in Japan as I don't feel much under that is enough time or worth it for the other expenses that are going into the trip itself. Does anybody know of any particularly good travel agents/tourist groups to use? I have never used any before and don't know anything at all to tell which is good or bad. I would like to go with a small group of strangers from other cities as opposed to just going by myself. I checked a few sites but I always got the impression that the small group tours were like taking a bunch of friends and family as opposed to going with people you never met before. I just felt that going with strangers it would make the experience more exciting and cool to meet new people, but then again they could be mean and rude at the same time and make things really bad so idk. Sorry to be wishy washy I am just trying to let everything out that is in my head so people can hopefully give me the best advice. I probably wouldn't want to spend much over 3k if I can help it. I'm not sure how expensive it is but I also wouldn't mind going to a Japanese wrestling show like AJPW or BJW just to experience that. Aside from that I would just like to do and experience things that I can't do anywhere else if anybody would have any ideas for me and what not.

Thanks again to everybody who actually read all this and taking the time to reply and help me out, I really appreciate it a lot.

[Kuang_Grade]

I haven't taken any group tours of Japan (I prefer traveling solo), but in my own travel research, here's what I've noticed....It is generally 20-40% more expensive than what you can probably work for yourself and the hotels you stay at are generally not the nicest or in the best locations (Yeah, the Prince hotel in Shinagawa is so close to everything!). Also they probably work the best if you have someone else with you or you'll end up either sharing a room with a stranger or paying a hellish large single supplement. Now on the plus side, most of your work is done for you (buses meet you, tickets are purchased for you),you won't have to do things like face the maelstrom of humanity that is Shinjuku JR station at rush hour after the longest plane ride in your life while you have two heavy bags in your hands, and you'll at least have some people to talk to. On the negative side, you don't have alot of control over your day, you'll probably be forced to see things/go to places you have no interest in and you'll be unlikely to leave a bubble of your own culture since you are traveling with similar folks. Personally, I enjoy the challenge of trying to figure out stuff on my own and having the independence to do whatever I want whenever I want (it is a vacation after all)...sure, it doesn't work out the way I expect at times (such as finding out that the train you are on is a express train that blows through the station you wanted to get off on...but that's a part of the travel experience). If I had been in a group on my first trip to Japan, I doubt I would have had some Yakuza dude with bad teeth and in flip flops pull me aside to tell me in English that he 'had chinese girls who spoke good english' or stumbled across Akira Hareruya in action in Kabukicho and then try to figure out what the hell was going on (he was a indebted former boxer who would let people try to beat him up for money...he would try to avoid getting hit but would never try to hit you). It is unlikely you will have many 'blade runner' moments with a tour group, but that said, that doesn't mean you would necessarily have a bad time with a tour group...it just depends on what's important to you and what you want to do.

Also you can opt to make your own travel arrangements and then join up with tour groups for day trips here in japan
http://www.jtbgmt.com/sunrisetour/ex/

here's a list from Japan-Guide.com of some tour operators to give you a sense of what's out there and what the various options are...
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2275.html

[kidrock12xp]

Thanks Kuang_Grade, very good points made. I'm not entirely set on going as a group was just something I was considering because I wouldn't know where I am going or anything like that. I do however not like the cultural bubble you spoke of with being in a group, that doesn't appeal much to me. I'll look into the links you gave me. Thanks again .