One day trip from Tokyo.
 

We have just had a day added to a quick visit to tokyo in January, I am looking for a suggestion for a 1 day itinerary out of town ! Thanks

What about Kamakura - easy travel by JR commuter line, town packed with temples and shrines (capital in 8-12th century) including the Great Buddha, chance to visit Enoshima island.
Nikko - a long day trip, but fabulous Toshogu shrine, Kegon waterfall and Chuzenji lake.

Another good choice would be Nikko.

I'm tempted to recommend Kamakura also as a first choice. Alternatively, you can do Hakone day-trip, especially if you like natural beauty (possible glimpse of Mt Fuji) and/or art (lovely open air museum). Though absolutely prefer Kamakura over Hakone and Nikko in case of rain.

Kamakura would also be my first choice for the reasons Alec lists. I think Kamakura gives you more of a feeling of Japan, and the temples and shrines are varied. My favorites are the bamboo shrine and the money washing shrine (temple?) - sorry forgot the names of them. Hakone has more nature and is where you should go if you really want to see Mt. Fuji, though it will be cold and (probably) gray in January.

I also recommend Kamakura. I've done Nikko as a day trip and I spent two nights in Kamakura. While I think Kamakura deserves more than just a day trip, I did prefer it to Nikko and highly recommend it for whatever time you can spend there. Both, however, are wonderful so you won't go wrong no matter which you choose.

Another vote for Kamakura !!!

We were just there 2 weeks ago & although we only had around 5 hours, it was great seeing the Great Buddha & the Hase Temple. The town is very quaint & very different from TOKYO. There is RT discounted fare JR offers called the Kamakura Enoshima Free Kippu costing Y1970 that includes the trip from Tokyo to Kamakura to the Hase Station where the Great Buddha is at.http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_004.html

There are many more temples & shrines to enjoy so start early, enjoy the stroll around town seeing very small mom & pop shops & the obligatory tourist souvenir stores, visit the temples, have a great meal at one of the small restaurants along the main road.

Here are some photos of our day:
http://bmttokyo46th.shutterfly.com?a=1

Have fun !!!

Thank you people !

We went to Kamakura for the day and loved it... very easy to get to and so much to see!