Combine with internet research for comprehensive trip planning
Customer Rating: 
I'm not normally a fan of Eyewitness travel guides. Yes, it's nice to have pictures, but they come at the expense of information and the heavy paper required to show them off to full advantage makes these books too heavy to take on vacation (in my opinion). I've also seen pictures that looked oh-so-compelling in an Eyewitness Guide, but they turned out to be of the one attractive thing in an otherwise drab, dirty city. Yet there are things to like about these guides and this one is no exception.
Unlike other guides you can get an idea of what places and attractions look like, which is especially helpful in a country like Japan, which has about a bajillion Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Reading about them alone probably wouldn't help you pick amongst them so here the pictures really help. The sections on cultural differences and practical tips for travelers are especially useful in this book.
The main weakness of this book is that it is heavily focused on Tokyo and Kyoto, and smaller places get short shrift. A number of reviewers have noted that maps and helpful phrases are not very complete, but I don't think you rely on a travel guide for those. A smaller phrase book that you can carry around and show to Japanese people would be more helpful, and I always buy a map of any place I am visiting for more than one or two sights or at least get the free ones the hotel inevitably gives you. Detailed maps would make this book unwieldy and even heavier than it is.
People have also noted that there are very few hotel and restaurant recommendations. This is always true of Eyewitness guides, but with the internet so easily accessible these days, this is less of a problem than it used to be. TripAdvisor.com, Expedia.com, Japan-guide.com and other travel sites have comprehensive and up-to-date hotel and restaurant info and traveler reviews and are far more useful than a book that has to go to print months in advance of being available. They are also indispensable for things like finding lodging at a Buddhist temple in Koyasan -- this guide mentions that you can do it, but doesn't tell you how. The internet is far more useful for things like that.
Finally, Eyewitness Guides don't have recommended itineraries geared to specific interests or time tables like some other guidebooks, and it is a definite weakness of the series. [...]
This book isn't perfect, but it's a useful tool in helping one plan and appreciate a trip to Japan, especially for those desiring a somewhat "touristy" experience.
Great Book To Have
Customer Rating: This is wonderful book full of great pictures, fun facts and interesting snippits. It is very entertaining and remains interesting thru out. It is well written with the American Traveler in mind.
Major attractions of each city/region are covered. It covers a lot of area and provides a great overview without getting to deep into any one place. It gives pricing information and as such is well done. Interesting historical and modern facts are given about locations adding to the fun.
I used it on a 2006 trip to Japan and found it very useful. It was especially helpful in the preliminary planning stages of our journey.
For a more encompassing travel guide, I recommend "Gateway to Japan" and "Exploring Japan". These three along with a common phrases book or electronic translator should be about all someone would need to have an enjoyable trip!
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