For my first ever night in Japan I stayed in a ryokan in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. (A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn). If you're coming to Tokyo, I'd recommend you give it a try, even if only for a night... anyway, this one is called Kimi Ryokan and the beauty of it is its accessibility. Apart from being in central Tokyo, its staff speak good English, so the ?WTF? factor you get in Japan in trying to communicate is simply not present.

So my first recommendation for the all-new Japan forum is ditch the posh hotel for a night or two and try the fairly authentic Kimi

Oh, try a capsule hotel too for one night... but that's another thread

Any other ryokan recommendations?