In March and April of 2010 I am visiting Japan again. It’s perfect timing, as not only will it be peak sakura season, it will also be my 40th birthday.

So far we have spent Winter and a very hot Autumn in various parts of Japan, including Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Niigata, Nagano and more.

It’s been a dream of mine to spend this birthday in Japan for a very long time, and thanks to some careful planning, lots of saving and the wonderful Husband I’ve been blessed with, it’s a dream that is about to come true.

To make the trip extra special, I decided to ask my niece if she would like to come with us. A lives in Perth, and we live in Melbourne, so it has taken a bit of logistical planning.

A has been into anime since before she could talk, and has become a talented artist in her own right. Her interest in all things Japanese is reflected in her personal style and I was delighted at her excitement at being able to travel to Japan with us.

Because this trip isn’t our first, but is for A, we’ve been coming up with places we should go and sights to see that will be within A‘s budget, but still create amazing memories.

So far, we will be going to I-Doll Nagoya 2010, the Ghibli Museum and Nara. I was thinking of trying to book a tour of the Imperial Palace grounds as well.

We’ll have a seven day JR Rail Pass that will start on the day we travel to Nagoya, but want to keep the trips mainly day-trips due to accommodation costs. We’ve already booked our apartment for the 4.5 weeks.

Can you suggest other fantastic places to take a wide-eyed (almost an adult) teenage girl? Keeping in mind costs need to be kept to a minimum, as A is paying her own way through multiple part-time jobs.