Japan

I'd plan of spending most of your Kyoto/Osaka days in Kyoto. In fact I'd recommending basing yourself in Kyoto and doing Osaka as a day trip (or two), really. There isn't that much there - it's mainly just a big, grey, uninspiring city.

Nara is worth a day trip (can do this easily from Kyoto too) and Himeji possibly if you dig castles (the one there is original and really very impressive - again, can be done in a day from Kyoto, especially with the railcard).

I found Osaka to be so boring. Nara is lovely. Is Himeji castle still being renovated?