[Sangetsu]

Tokyo is easy enough to see on your own. Getting there is easy enough, you can take either the train or a bus from Narita aiport to various parts in the city. From long experience, I prefer the bus, the bus ticket counter is right in front of you after you exit customs and immigration, bus tickets cost less than train tickets, and you don't have to cart your luggage all the way to the train platform (and through Tokyo Station further down the line).

You need to decide first where in Tokyo you will stay. Hotels run from $50 a night to $5000 a night. Business type hotels are cheapest, but you'll find Hilton, Hyatt, and other hotel chains here. Shop around before you book, you'd be surprised the deals which many agents can get. Once you know which hotel you will be staying at, you can decide which bus will get you closest to if (if not drop you off in front of it).

Tokyo is not at all xenophobic, it is an international city with people of all nationalities represented. You'll find all important signs to be in Japanese and English, and people are helpful if you have questions or need help.

Many people might recommend seeing different parts of Japan during your stay, but honestly, it's probably better to pick one spot and stay there. I've been in Tokyo for almost 2 years and haven't seen half of it yet. If you do the country-wide tour, you'll spend more time on trains and buses than you will enjoying the scenery first-hand.

Foreigners will generally not have any problems visiting an onsen (hot spring resort), provided you don't have any tattoos. The most convenient hot springs to Tokyo are in Yugawara (outside Hakone), which is about an hour from Tokyo station on the Tokaido line. The coastline is dramatic in Yugawara, and there is at least one onsen park where you can enjoy the water for 300 yen. Be sure to wear the slippers the attendant provides, the stone walkways are often hotter than the water itself (which is very hot). Hakone is also easy to get to, just take the Tokaido line train to Odawara station, and take the Hakone train or (better yet) one of the many buses which run from Odawara station and the resorts in Hakone. BTW, Odawara Castle is located next to Odawara station, and is one of the few intact castles still remaining in Japan.

In Tokyo you can visit the usual places, Ueno, Akihabara, Ginza, the Imperial Palace, Shinjuku and Kabukicho, Shibuya, and Harajuku. While at Shibuya, you can walk to the Meiji Jingu shrine, or to Aoyama cemetery (worth seeing). From Aoyama it's actually a short walk to Roppongi, with all it's shops, restaurants, and clubs.

Other places worth seeing are the Tokyo Disney parks, the Odaiba area (including the Big Site convention center and proposed 2016 Olympic venue).

Get yourself a good guidebook, particularly one which has good information about the train and subway system. Tokyo is a big place, but it is surprisingly easy to get around.