Greetings, I have 4 days on my own in Tokyo before joining a garden tour group. One day is planned for the National Museum and Ueno Park, and another just for shopping and cultural experience of the city. One day I plan to go to Kamakura to see some temples and hike the trail that connects them. Can anyone recommend the must see locations and why you think so? There are so many options, it is difficult to choose. Also, is the hiking trail safe for a middle-aged woman to walk alone? I would also appreciate suggestions for gardens or other sites in Tokyo. I'm not into any city excitement or nightlife scenes. Thanks, Juliana

Sashimi/sushi is usually both artfully presented and very delicious but not exotic compared to many things that are commonly eaten in Japan. I was an adventurous eater during my first trip there. Two things I remember eating in particular were grasshoppers and tadpoles. Both tasted fine if you didn't think about what you were eating nor look too closely at what you were putting into your mouth. There were some other things I questioned myself about and decided to just eat them and not ask what they were. I like octopus and it's a common seafood in the big European Mediterranean seafood eating areas like in Iberia, Italy and Greece. Whether eaten cooked or raw (sashimi) Japanese style, the flavor isn't that different from squid (calamari).

There are several Flight Museums in Los Angeles. I'm not sure what you can buy there, however, but I would imagine that they have gift shops. Here are some more aviation museums in California. Here is a list for North America, but California has by far the most, followed by Texas.

Breakfast at our hotel in Mito. 2 days I picked the Japanese breakfast and then I decided on the Western one for the last day. This is the Japanese one, of course, the best breakfast I recall having in Japan, except for the natto (fermented soybeans-gag). cousin Isamu who wouldn't let us pay for anything and went to so much trouble for us, me, and my uncle who looks so much like my mom. His younger brother looks like his twin too. lunch: miso ramen at a Ramen restaurant in Mito. Little town on the coast. The whale is a town mascot. Every city has one apparently.