Thanks for your great trip report! I'm less than 3 months from our Japanese adventure (from Scotland) and hungry for trip reports on here, particularly from people who have done longer trips and explored around Japan. Your photos are amazing, particularly Kyoto. I'm so so pleased to learn about takkyubin too, we will definitely do this!
I hope you still check this thread and might be able to answer a few questions for me: Did you book takkyubin when you were actually at the sheraton? (we're also staying there). Did you have to book the Sheraton through its own website to benefit from the starwood perks? I booked through Booking.com, and have just joined the Starwood programme. Finally, did you book your seats on all those trains from home or did you do it all as you went along in Japan?
Thanks! Lisa