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Most of the laws are common sense laws you are so used back at home, so I wouldnt worry too much about law breaking, just be courteous, and remember you represent your own country. : )
Traveling tips eh… Well a round-trip ticket from the US to Japan usually ranges from $1,500 to $2,000. And after that, when you get to customs at Narita airport, assuming your going there, you have to have your return ticket, or proof that you have a plane back to the US, and will not stay there illegally. From there, it kinda gets hectic, if its your first time to Japan, your more than likely going to be like wtf, where do I go?!! But I recommend this nice train called the skyliner which takes you basically directly to Tokyo, well after a stop and transfer to another train at Ueno or Nippori station. Etc. Etc. And also I recommend you exchange your money at the airport, its not that hard, just grab one of those slips of paper, and write how much you want to exchange, and while in Japan, if you want some cash, but can’t find a bank that will work for ya, the post office always has a atm machine, and those usually worked for me. For a week budget I would take $3,000-$5,000 depending on how much of a spender you are. For food, if you want to eat cheap, then avoid eating foreign food, and eat at local restaurants. For a decent size hotel I would expect to pay $250-$350 a night. If you want to save money you could go to a youth hostel, and pay $30 a night, but dont expect alot of privacy. And here is my trick for train tickets. You can purchase a suica card, which i dont recommend since you will be staying shortly, but with that card you can upload money and just scan at gates. Or a pass, which I also dont recommend since your stay will be short. If your going to stay around Tokyo area, I recommend just buying tickets from the machines, here is the trick. When you buy a ticket always buy the cheapest one, once u do that, go through the gate, once you go from station to another, you exit out the gate, if your ticket was goes through gate your exiting, your good to go, but if it spits it back out, you need to do fare exchange, that basically means your paying the difference of what you already paid and the amount needed to cover the fare. Kinda hard to explain. I used to live in Tokyo, and boy it took me a while to get used to it.
Akihabara, if ya want some nice fancy electronics give this district a visit, here you will find many electronic stores, as well as arcades.
Shibuya, really nice shopping areas, also if your in that region visit Hachiko, or the dog statue in front of the train station.
Shinjuku, I lived in this district, so I know it fairly well, here you will find many guitar stores, and even the Gibson store. Shinjuku also has the worlds largest train station, which is home to tons of stores, and I would also consider this area the focal point of Tokyo, since you can catch most trains at this station to anywhere you want to go. I recommend you take the yamanote line, since it will practically take you to most districts.
Harajuku, or the fashion district, here you will find the big label clothing stores, along with a small alleyway which isnt hard to find that has the latest in teen fashion, I also recommend the crepes they have there, very delicious. Oh and dont forget to visit Yoyogi kouen, Yoyogi park, which is two blocks from the main train station. A great place to relax when you get tired of the city. Its really big, and always has a little entertainment, well on the weekends.
Ginza, known for its high priced merchandise, you can find the latest in luxury goods here, Sony store is located here.
Yokohama, I didnt visit this area, but I heard it is basically a China Town in Tokyo, and should be close to the rainbow bridge.
Roppongi, only been here once, once you get off the train, the smell of liquor hits you right in the face. Consider this place, the red district of Tokyo. Plenty of clubs, booze, etc.
And for a trip outside Tokyo, I would highly recommend a trip to Kamakura to vist the famous Buddha statue. I would like to include more detail regarding that, but I went with a group, so I couldnt help with directions.
If you have any specific questions, feel free to pm mate.
Have fun!
