This site provides info on Yuzawa town - the setting for 'Snow Country', a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Yasunori Kawabata. Yuzawa is a perfect place to escape the bustle of Tokyo - only 77 minutes by bullet train.

The website is dedicated to winter sports, and with an online English language booking system makes it easy to book train tickets and accommodation - something that can otherwise be very difficult if you do not know Japanese.

www.welovesnow.com

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A 200,000 square metre plot of unspoilt nature, right in the heart of Tokyo's urban sprawl. This reserve, set aside for mostly academic purposes, teems with birds, frogs, insects and the occasional snake, and offers the kind of sanctuary that many never find in the city.

Entry is 200 yen, and tranquility is conserved by only allowing a strictly limited number of visitors inside at any one time.

East of JR Meguro station, next to the Teien Art Museum.

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Ueno park is a haven of serenity in this bustling city. This beautiful park contains all you need for a lovely day out. Within the park are several art galleries and museums, a zoo, antiques market, an opportunity to go boating or to simply sit and marvel at the temples. In the spring season the cherry blossom really does take your breath away!

Metro Ueno

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Snow Japan is an awesome website that makes leaving Tokyo for a day or more to go out and enjoy skiing and snowboarding easy for everyone. The site itself has as much info as you could want about resorts and things, but it's the popular forums and growing community - and the things that people submit to the site (reviews of resorts, photos, online diaries) - that really make it extra special. A fantastic resource for anyone living in Tokyo (or anywhere else for that matter!).

www.snowjapan.com

The Forums have their own URL:

www.snowjapanforums.com

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Less than an hour outside Tokyo, the Mount is popular with weekend hikers, so go during the week to escape the crowds. Visit Yakuoin temple near the summit or simply wander through the densely wooded foothills. The peak, 600 metres above sea level, offers views of Tokyo, Yokohama and, of course, Mt Fuji.

Take the Keio Line from Shinjuku Station; www.japan-guide.com/e/e3029.html/

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Leave the hectic streets behind and lose yourself in the paths of Aoyama Cemetary. The spiritual atmosphere contrasts with the space-age skyline in the distance. Usually you'll only encounter the local cats, but in spring time jolly drunken parties descend on the cemetery to picnic and take pictures of the cherry blossom (sakura). You can walk back to Omotesando past the gem-like Prada building.

Nogizaka on the Chiyoda line, and walk over the bridge.

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A park in the centre of Tokyo, the former site of Edo Castle and next to the Imperial Palace. It includes a wonderful Japanese garden, is rarely crowded (almost deserted when I went on a glorious Saturday afternoon), and, best of all, admission is free. Note that it is closed on Mondays and national holidays.

1-1 Chiyoda, Chiyoda-ku Metro: Otemachi, Takebashi, or Nijubashi-mae. Within walking distance of JR Tokyo Station.

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Built exclusively for the Imperial family almost 100 years ago, has been a favourite retreat for Tokyoites since the end of the second world war. It closes a little early, at 4 pm, but is a world away from the concrete jungle that encloses it. Admission is 200 yen for adults.

Take the metro to Shinjuku Gyoen-mae station; www.shinjukugyoen.go.jp/

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