Saitama

Saitama is a large city directly north of Tokyo, capital of the prefecture that shares its name, deep in the capital's commuter belt. It reads as an extension of Tokyo until you find its twin specialties, railways and bonsai, each with a devoted following of its own.

In the Omiya district, the Railway Museum lines up retired shinkansen for climbing aboard, and the Bonsai Art Museum sits at the heart of a century-old growers' village where nurseries still open their gardens. Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine anchors the area at the end of one of Japan's longest shrine approaches.

Concerts and sports fill Saitama Super Arena, and the old merchant streets of nearby Kawagoe, nicknamed Little Edo, make the classic add-on. Trains from Tokyo arrive constantly, so half a day covers the Omiya pair. Rail fans should simply budget longer; the museum swallows hours.