planning on a trip to japan.

Depends on where in Japan you plan on going. Japan Guide is a great resource for places to go and visit (http://www.japan-guide.com/). I used that site a lot when I visited Japan back in 2010.

Kyoto is always a good place for cultural education. Nothing beats Hokkaido in spring on my book.

A couple of friends and I are planning on making a cultural escapade in a few years' time. ^^; But it's going to take a great deal of saving. Tickets are expensive as heck. I'm just going to lurk here to pick up suggestions for the itineraries, too. Haha.

Go to a bathhouse in Japan and try it. :D It's a huge culture thing there and it truly purify the body, soul, and the mind. (=^w^=)

But if you're going to go to an onsen (bath house), may aswell do it with style. There's a special onsen place that has both public and private onsens, but the idea of it is so unique. They're not typical as in the traditional soak in water, but they have where you can soak in red wine, ramen broth, green tea, brazillian coffee. Each has their own health benefits for the body, and seem really awesome to try in my opinion. They even have each one decked out to represent the type of onsen.