My mother, sister and I are going to Japan this Summer, from the middle of August to the beginning of September (I know! Blistering HOT!). We're planning to get a JR pass for the first 2 weeks and want to use it as much as possible. Our primary stay will be at Gifu, although we have friends in Ikebukuro that we can stay at also. We've vacationed to Japan a couple times, but we always have trouble planning what to do. I'd like to go to as many concerts as I can, but most of the groups I like aren't touring at the time
Any suggestions?
Are there any events going on at the time that we can go to? Like an omatsuri? an Expo? Concerts? Shows?
And one more: what kind of gifts should I get for friends/family in Japan?