What're the best places to see between Tokyo and Osaka?

Kyoto, as others have said, and also Hakone, a wonderfully eerie volcanic park/resort area. You ride switchback trains halfway up the mountains, switch to a train that goes straight up the side of the mountain, then to an overhead tram (like a ski lift) that takes you up and over into the crater, which is full of steaming sulphur vents, large ravens, and warm water. It's like landing in hell, without the agony <grin>.

Don't miss Kyoto, as others say. no doubt.


Check Kansai area in the "Interactive Map of Japan"
http://www.japanwelcomesyou.com/cssweb/

http://www.visitjapan.jp/link/index_eng.html

I recommend Kyoto too. You can find many historical places there. Foods are very traditional. You can't spend enough time there cos there are so much things to see!

If you go there, you should visit Kiyomizu Temple, Sanjusanjo Temple(where you can see thousands of wooden dolls which I thought awesome) and more and more!

Have a safe trip!

Kyoto
Nara
Mt. Fuji and the surrounding area
Nagoya (although I personally think the city is only so so)
Yokohama
There are quite a few nice beaches and onsens on the Shizuoka coast.

KYOTO!!!
Oh, and Nara too ^_^

Hmm, I don't think there's much to see in Osaka. (Osaka, Osaka... isn't that the place of Tsutenkaku where people greet each other with "moukarimasu ka"... "bochi bochi desu naaaa"... "are you profittin' there?"... "well, it's coming along, y'know" heheh, and then they say "akan", which is like "darn", every minute or so.)

Skip Osaka and head directly to Kyoto and Nara... they're all within one hour of each other, I think ^^