A pleb heading to Japan this year has questions.

Hello, I hope you are all well!

I'll be travelling to tokyo(10 days), and kyoto & osaka (4 days) in the near future from the UK.

I would like some purchasing advice (And suggestions of where I should focus, I suspect my GF won't let me drag her around every knife shop/area in japan) I remember reading there's a specific street in tokyo that's worth visiting, but also something special near Osaka?

My budget is $500-$600 for myself(for two or three knives preferably), & $200 to buy a single santoku I'd like to give a friend as a housewarming present (I know nothing, but i checked in advance and that's her favourite type of knife to use)

I'm an extremely mediocre home cook with very little knowledge, but I do a lot of crafty/maker hobbies so I understand the feel of working with good tools is hard to beat (and I care for my tools).

I currently use a couple of very basic (But kept nice and sharp) knives, a traditional western 200mm chef's knife, small santoku, and a paring knife.

I was considering getting a Bunka & Nakiri, and a Gyuto if I had enough left over (As I am quite happy with western chef knives shape, so replacing that is less a priority).

If anyone could give me advice on what to look out for in a knife(materials for example), suggestions of types/sizes i should aim for instead, or specific places to visit, that would be great.

Thank you in advance!