Would I go again?

Absolutely. It was great touring with someone who could speak and read the language, even as a beginner. Although there were a lot of signs in English, even in places were there weren't tourists, that didn't mean that people spoke much English, if at all. Would I go if I didn't have a interpreter at my side - probably not, but I think going with a tour group would be fun.

Alan and I traveled inexpensively, which can be done without sleeping in hostels and eating ramen noodles every night. There are things we probably should have done since we were there, that we didn't because of the cost. However, I think we got to see a lot in the limited time we had. And, we had fun! There were moments of tension - typically occurring when I was bone-tired and Alan would have a burst of energy, but we survived.

If you get a chance to go to Japan, take it!