Hi, I've been to japan a bunch of times (my wife is from there). A good day trip might be to Omiya. It's generally the first train stop west of Tokyo. Mabye 30 min on the train. It's famous for Bonsai. I'm a bonsai fanatic and went there last year. It's a very easy day trip. Omiya is nothing special - a big city connected to Tokyo. However the bonsai village is pretty, with about a dozen bonsai growers / nurseries within walking distance of each other. If you go, I'd suggest taking a cab from the station to the bonsai village. Once in the village, there are street maps pointing out where the various bonsai places are. Enjoy the trip! Here's a 15 second video clip I made of a nursery in Omiya: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySHgBbR8lQY P.S. Japan is very safe, even for women. Much safer than North America. Here is a link that might be useful: Omiya Bonsai Village

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

Thanks for all of the prayers and kind words for my granddaughter. I talk to my DD daily, and Zoë is making progress. She actually took a few steps yesterday. They are hoping before long that she will be able to get around without too much pain. I'll be going back to Baltimore in February to help my DD after my DSIL flies back to Hawaii. Hopefully he will be able to get the transfer!

Lars, yes, lots of people but even then it is surprisingly quiet compared to the U.S. I didn't really notice it until we got off the plane in LA. Americans are so noisy! Even in Tokyo, walking the streets it wasn't noisy. Even their horns are quiet. One of our taxi drivers got irritated by people in his way so he honked at them, really funny the tiny noise his car horn made.