Cyber-plan a trip to Japan

Considering a trip to Japan? These Web sites can help you plan your travels.

• Get acquainted with some Japan basics through Frommer's — www.frommers.com/destinations/japan/ — which has a little of everything, from a cultural primer to affordable Japanese-style places to stay. When you plan your travels outside Tokyo, look into Frommer's "Best Castles" for descriptions of some of Japan's grandest monuments. Then move on "Best Temples" and "Best Small Towns."

• After Frommer's, dig into the Japan National Tourist Organization — www.jnto.go.jp/ — for more detailed suggestions. "Guide to Japan" has essential basic information, "Getting Around" will get you to discount rail, bus and boat fares, and "Regional Travel Plans" suggests several itineraries.

• Want to look around before you go? A German photographer has put together Japannet — www.japannet.de/index.html — a gallery of scores of photographs, plus a fat collection of Web links.

• Most visitors start out in Tokyo, established in 1603 as the capital of the shoguns. Go to Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau site — www.tcvb.or.jp/ — for details on areas of Tokyo, museums, tips on shopping, a subway guide and a gallery of slick panoramic photos.

• Visit the Japan Sightseeing Guide — www.admillion.com/j-guide/ — and you'll be able to find information on local sights such as the Rengein Tanjyo-ji Okunoin Temple in Kumamoto Prefecture on the southern island of Kyushu, or the historic city of Imaichi in Tochigi Prefecture. This Web site has links to most of the nation's 47 prefectures, plus sections on "Traditional Culture" and festivals. Be patient; some of the links lead to Japanese-only pages.

• Get pointers on etiquette at Japan Guide — www.japan-guide.com/ — including table manners and greetings. Look for the "Photo Gallery" and sections such as "Arts & Crafts," which can acquaint you with Japanese architecture, gardens, martial arts and the tea ceremony.

• There are more links at Japan for Visitors — www.gojapan.about.com/ — including a photo gallery and regional travel information you can reach by clicking on a map. They also offer links to Japanese history and live Web cameras, and you can even read instructions on using a traditional Japanese bath.

• Tap into the Japan Information Network — jin.jcic.or.jp/ — for a quarterly magazine aimed at overseas readers; "Japan Atlas" with details on historic sites and regional information; a "Virtual Museum of Traditional Japanese Arts," a tour of links to regional information, and more.