I can't tell anything about Japan, but there is a lot to keep you enternained in Spain and Portugal.  Great architecture, good museums. What are your interests?

Regards,
Adelaide

Don't leave all your post editing till you return home.A laptop with some adobe software will allow you to view/delete/edit your photos while you travel.
If you have not subscribed to CS3/4 or Lightroom just try the 30 free day trial.

qwerty, I dont know what part of Spain you will be visiting but if you're in the area, Costa del Sol is like the French Riviera, some very nice beaches and coastal towns, Madrid, Paseo park, the Escorial is a must, the architecture and statues are incredible, for city shots La Gran Via specially at night...I could go on forever in every city... like Barcelona, Sevilla, Andaluzia...you'll be taking a very nice trip enjoy!

bank robbers ? I imagine that trying to get a model release might be hard. It would go something like this.

Do you think that Yuri Arcurs breaks into real business meetings?
Stage it! Fully model released: The Mugging.



As to cities and landscapes, yes they sell on condition you shoot recognizable stereotype landmarks.

Hint : if you pass by my beloved Andalusia, certainly include Granada where you can make great overview and detail shots of the moro (Muslim) Alhambra. Those would be very salable (¹). If you go soon, there will still be snow on the Sierra Nevada (nomen est omen) in the background. There is also the palace of Charles V (Generalife), our Flemish emperor Charles I, great architecture with Arabic-style gardens. Islam-related shots are very en vogue now on stock. Avoid the European Easter school break periods since those landmarks can be very crowded then.

While you're in the area, visit the unique Arab-Spanish old city of Ronda, its magnificent (barely known) canyon/cleft plus bridge, and the oldest vintage bullring of Spain. Close by in the mountains is the vintage Spanish-Arabic mountain village Mijas with restored houses, that you can see on all postcards. And finally, pass by classy coastal Marbella with its yachts and inevitable Moro (Arab) quarters and strongholds. A bit lower is Gibraltar, always good for stock with its English-Spanish architecture mix and breath-taking views along the rock. The apes on the rock are very domesticated and they love to pose.

I got it all on film... as till 1995, I spent all my summers there. Stay in a cheap coastal pension or B&B around Malaga. All these spots are a daytrip away by (rental) car.

Caveat. The area is one of the two major routes of illegal immigration in Europe, especially from nearby (over the Strait) Morocco. Many illegals hang around in the area and will target your camera gear. I lost my analog Nikon and all my lenses there in front of our apartment in 1995 to a Moroccan mugger. Always be at your guard, especially along the coast.

Por favor 
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(¹) Arab architecture is very secluded for the (hot) sun in summer, so take a tripod. But hide it going in, since the guards like to sell their slides. Of course take a wide-angle lens.

I agree with Flemish about Andalucia, it's very beautiful and it has great places to photograph.  I only knew Sevilla, Granada and Cordoba though, but I read very good comments about Ronda.  Madrid and Barcelona are great for both day and night shots.  Although I liked Toledo, I prefer Segovia. 

In Portugal, I only know Lisbon and some places nearby.  The Aquarium is a very nice place to visit and it is located in a recent urbanized area full of restaurants that make a pleasant end of the day.  The old parts of Lisbon are very charming, don't miss Saint Jorge fortress, a fado show in Alfama (try to get some recommendation from locals, avoiding the most turistic places - it will be a rewarding experience, as fado singers are very passionate about it), a stroll in Chiado.  A must-see is also the Tower of Belem, the Monument to the Discoveries and the Hieronymites Monastery.  Don't miss the famous "pastel de Belem", a sweet that is found anywhere in Portugal, but in Belem (which is a suburb of Lisbon) you will find them in a cafe over 100 years old, close to the monastery.  Also not to miss is Sintra, with the exquisite Pena Palace, and the city itself is very pituresque. 

The tourism office of Lisbon produces a small brochure with all the cultural events in the city, a lot of them are free in open spaces.  When I was there last time there was a fado concert up the Saint Jorge Fortress.  Religious festivals can also be a very interesting thing to attend and photograph, and they are big events even in large cities like Lisbon and Porto.  If you haven to visit Porto region, there are great opportunities to photograph vineyards up the Douro River.

Regards,
Adelaide

Thanks everybody for your comments, exactly the type of responses that I was after.

Though I'm still at a loss why I'd travel half way around the world to set up a bank robber shoot ?

Looks like starting in Barcelona in early April.

As for spain just get a nice pair of cassternets resting on a table with a glass of wine and the sun setting in the background.....

There are no marine sunsets in Spain, since the entire coast is oriented East to South-East. 

Book some model shoots!  Find people on modelmayhem.com and make some connections - I'm sure there are a ton of english speaking models in tokyo.  Then, just shoot on location.