At the end of the week, I'll be heading back to Japan - not that I live there, of course, but I love the place so much that to me it feels as if I'm returning, rather than 'going there'. Have been fortunate enough to go there twice - both times before I went with Japan Journeys on their Manga Tour in 2008 and 2009. I highly recommend it if you're on a budget - you only get 5 full days out there for the price but a lot is squeezed in and you'll certainly get your money's worth out of it.

Having built up the confidence navigating Tokyo, this time we're 'going it alone' - we've booked all our own flights, hotel and travel rather than pay for an organised tour. By doing that we've brought the cost down to about what the Manga Tour costs but will be in Japan for over two weeks and visiting both Tokyo and Kyoto. Of course, we won't have a guide but that will make this trip even more of an adventure and hopefully get me using some more of my very weak Japanese ^^;

Whilst I'm out there, I'll be giving daily Twitter updates - including what I've been up to and bits of advice I come across. If you're interested in going to Japan in the future or just curious then you can follow me on Twitter and stay tuned to the updates. Also when I get back, I'll be updating my blog with plenty of articles of my travels. Can't wait to get out there and then share my experiences when I get back.

If this inspires you to go to Japan and you have any questions, feel free to send me a tweet or contact me via my Facebook - happy to help out where I can!