give me your first time japan travel tips for an upcoming trip with my wife and 2 year old

@farcaster dev / dad / books, cooks, ski, code ~ there are many things of which a wise man might wish to be ignorant

No specific advice for kids, never had the pleasure :-( 

1. Basically can't go wrong on food. Everything is delicious. But maybe stay away from some of the cheaper looking chain restaurant
2. The countryside is infinitely better than the cities. Go to some smaller places rather than larger cities
3. You'll find the famous tourist spots to be impossibly crowded (i.e. kyoto's most popular temples and Nara). While they might still be worth going to, Japan is truly beautiful all around. Every time I get out of the city I'm surprised to find loads of beautiful spots with close to no tourists at all

I'd definitely suggest staying in a ryokan. Very self-contained experience where they'd usually also serve food. Be careful however because the food is usually a set menu with little room for variation (might be a problem with a kids, depending on the kid!)