A long-time reader is heading to Japan to visit her son for a week. She’s looking for suggestions on must-sees and any other advice. Here are the particulars:

He is at school in Hikone, on Lake Biwa. In the Shiga prefecture, I think. We’ve been told to head to Nagasaki for the weekend, since there are Catholics there. As of now, the itinerary is pretty open — a trip to Tokyo is in the works.