RonDawg wrote:You also mentioned spending your first night in Tokyo at "full tilt." Assuming you're not jetlagged, I would not wander too far from your hotel, as there's plenty to see around Shinjuku. If you've never been there, Japan is quite a culture shock and even little things like figuring out how to buy a transport card take a bit of time, much less navigating your way around such a densely packed environment. It really brings you out of your comfort zone to be thrust into an environment where you can't read most of the signage, but you'll be glad you experienced it.
We had to "crash" the second full day we were there (in Tokyo Disney). Luckily our hotel was literally connected to the park. We started out the second day OK (this is after 2 nights worth of sleep) and after lunch we just couldn't stay awake anymore; we slept, went back into the park for the rest of the night...and slept again. We were pretty much OK the rest of the trip (cruise), although I took naps occasionally (it was vacation after all).
Also, we paid for a cab on one of the legs (I think it was back to the terminal) just to avoid getting lost with luggage in tow. And take some cash with you to get started (like $50 worth); you can always hit an ATM in country when you need more. Having said that, we used very little cash (almost all CC transactions). Oh, and don't forget to notify the CC companies (and bank) what countries you'll be in before you actually get there.