I’ve been in Japan for almost a month now.

The trip to celebrate my 40th birthday has been full of win and awesome.

Blythes added to collection: Mango, Margaret Meets Ladybug and Cherry Berry.

I’ve bought more dolly things than I can possibly carry home, so Box One of Three has already been posted back. The other two I’ll post towards the end of the week.

I’ve been to Osaka, Nikko, Nara, Kyoto and a whole bunch of places filled with incredibly natural beauty, and artifacts and people.

Bringing my niece for her first trip away from her home was probably the best way to rediscover this amazing country through fresh eyes. You can see photos on my Flickr and at our dedicated trip site, okiba75.

On Saturday, it is my birthday (or, it r mah burfdai) and my plan is to sleep in, then be pampered. I have an appointment at Watanabe Salon – recommended by many as the best salon in all of Tokyo, to get my hair and make up done, before heading to the 52nd floor of the Tokyo Park Hyatt for dinner at the famous New York Grill.

Apparantly we should see the who’s who of Tokyo there, but we don’t know who they are, or what they look like as we are nobodies.

The excitement to reaching middle age far out weighs any trepidation about getting older. I don’t feel 40, but I do feel wiser, and more balanced.

I promise to do a massive photo gallery entry on this website when we are back in Melbourne in just over a week’s time.