Ok, call me compulsive, but I'm looking at spring break next April already. We're thinking of doing Tokyo and Kyoto. Fly direct out of Chicago noon on Sat and Fly back the next Sunday. is it reasonable to do those 2 cities. We prefer to be independent, but read no Japanese. What is your advice? Teachers, so on a budget, but not super cheap/. Should we look into a tour or would we be able to do on our own.

You certainly can visit Tokyo and Kyoto independently.

You will have only 6 full days on the ground in Japan (arriving Sunday late afternoon and leaving the next Sunday).

I went to Japan for the first time this year and did it independently (with a lot of help from this board) with no problems. Since you have a year though, maybe you could learn some Japanese in preparation?

Yes, you could easily visit the 2 cities in one trip.

I agree on independent also.
You have so much time to prepare. Find a couple of good guide books and figure out what you want to see.
Then I recommend coming back here to ask specific questions. Everyone here was so helpful, and the level of knowledge is incredible.

You have to consider what your priority is for this trip. You have one week which is not a lot of time to see Japan. If your focus is on dining, meeting people, seeing the culture and taking in a few sites then you might want to consider an independent trip. You have a year to do the research, which is more than enough time. You'll need to do a lot of research though. I say this because in the Tokyo area alone there is so much to do that you could spend years trying to do it all and never scratch the surface. There is an endless selection of restraunts, museums, shrines,etc. You're also thinking of doing Kyoto which is the same except with even more shrines, temples, palaces, etc. For this reason a tour isn't a bad option either. Typically a Japanese tour involves herding your group around like cattle and often you don't get to see things for very long, but you do get to see the high points. This may not sound so appealing but keep in mind that especially in a place like Kyoto, there are is a dazzling selection of places that are all historically and culturally significant. They are also somewhat spread out. If you want to conserve your precious time but still be able to see the Golden Pavillion, the palace, the Geisha district, and all the tori gates, think about a tour. You'll get all the photos you need but you'll sacrifice fun. I would suggest that you look into a mix. Maybe go independent in Tokyo but take a 2 or 3 day tour to Kyoto. Kyoto has so many famous locations to see that a tour might be your best option to easily and efficiently see them all. Generally on Japanese tours your evenings are free (although you're worn out) so you'll be able to have a little one on one time with Kyoto. For Tokyo, I recommend you get a good travel book. Read up on all the stations on the Yamonote line. The Yamanote line is a circle line in Tokyo that hits all the famous districts (Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ueno, Akiahabra). You spend 2 days doing the Yamanote circuit and you'll see a lot of Tokyo and have a great time. I would also suggest an excursion from Tokyo to Kamakura. It's a day trip and an easy one at that. Kamakura is also filled with shrines and is the home to the Daibutsu or giant Buddha. It's one of those quintessential Japanese landmarks. Of course after Kyoto, you might be "shrined out". It is easy to reach a point in traveling Japan where you are just tired of seeing shrines no matter how old or beautiful they are. But Kamakura is very beautiful and worth the trip. It has a great beach too, but it'll be too cold in April to really enjoy that. I suggest you brush up on Japanese. English is spoken by many, but if you know just a little Japanese, it'll go a long way. As far as reading it goes, don't worry. With 2 alphabets plus thousands of Kanji characters, most foreigners do not read Japanese. That means a lot of English signs. If you encounter a situation where you can't find an English sign (sometimes at trains stations this happens), just ask someone or stand around and look confused until someone offers to help you (it works). Also, you might find the prospective cost of the ticket significantly cheaper if you can avoid those weekend flights.