How to go about booking a holiday to Japan?

Well, first you need to make a plan or research first on what are the things you can do on that country. After that, if things are okay then you should start booking your flight and on any hotel but make first a budget plan for that.

I suggest going during off seasons and going about multiple Japanese travel agencies (if you don't mind the high chance of broken English when they communicate with you). For example, avoid Christmas/New Years times and July-August because New Years is a big holiday in Japan and Summertime (is not only bloody hot but) is "Obon festival" time. Of course, this is if you can wait until maybe another time to experience these, if you want to stick to as low of a budget as possible. I would also try multiple (I'd say Japanese) travel agencies. Not only check the prices online, but also call the actual agencies and talk to a representative. The websites tend to be a LOT more expensive. Example, this summer I'm going to go see my mother & her side of the family in the Osaka area for a few weeks, and most websites gave me anywhere from $1800 to even $3000 for a economy class flight from Los Angeles or San Francisco to either Osaka Kansai or Osaka Itami. But I called around, and I managed to get a ticket for $1360. Also, look around for special deals such as the "Yokoso Japan!" program that the Japanese government is putting on to bring in tourists, and any deals travel agencies might have. Since I was little, I've gone to Japan either every year, or every other year. With the exception of the last two times, I've been on Japan Airlines. Sure, it's a little pricier, but they have phenomenal service and a lot better food than a lot of other planes I've been on. (Then again, it's still airplane food. So don't have your hopes up.) The last few times, I've been on EVA. It's a Chinese company so I feel weird hearing Chinese on the PA. But I honestly can't complain about what they have to offer their customers for the price, either. -- When it comes to Tokyo, there's a bunch of little districts within the city. Depending on how long you're going to stay there, there should be plenty to do. There's Akihabara (full of maid cafes and electronic stores), Roppongi (Kind of like the Beverly Hills of Tokyo), Harajuku/Shinjuku (Fashion!), and there's plenty of interesting museums like the NHK Museum (NHK is if not the main, one of the largest Japanese TV broadcasting stations), and (I'm not sure where, but) the Ghibli Museum (If you're familiar with Hayao Miyazaki & Studio Ghibli's works... like Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Ponyo, and their new film, "The Borrowers") If you run out of things to do, there's Yokohama not too far away, and of course there's the internet to look up other places. As for lodging, there's always Hostels if you're on a tight budget. They're a lot cheaper (about ¥3000-3500 for a lot of places, about $30USD) and you'll get to meet other people who's at the hostel, too. Sure, you might have to stick to a few rules like do one chore they might ask you to do, or be part of a group activity, but it's a different experience! If you want to save Hostels for another time, though, I'd say ask your travel agency for any hookups and deals in wherever you want to stay. I'm sure they'll find something. If not, there's (again) always the internet. Lastly, it might be fun to have a friend who understands the language, with you. Sure, you might be able to get around the city via subway/train because a lot of signs are in English, but if you need to say, hitch a taxi or read a menu, you can't guarantee the person to understand you. And you wouldn't want to be stuck in the middle of a scam or anything, yeah? ONE MORE THING. I suggest you carry an across-the-shoulder bag because bag-snatching is very common over there. And keep your Passport and IDs on you at ALL TIMES. And try not to have strangers take pictures for you, if you're going to have a digital camera on you. If anything, try having a street vendor or a shop owner- someone who you know belongs to a certain company, etc. and won't be going anywhere, because I'm sure you're going to want to come back with every picture you took. I hope this wasn't too much information... but I hope it helps you out! Have a fun trip!