Here they are — my go-to secrets for creating a “no boring parts”, low stress on the parents, once in a lifetime trip to Japan as a family.
–Start by dreaming up the kind of Japan trip that you are hoping to create. To me , the perfect Japan with kids itinerary is a mix of new and old and city and countryside. If travelling November -February your chances of seeing Mt Fuji are higher so you may want to visit or , even better , book accommodation in that area. Will you be doing a few days in the middle of the “action” in the big cities and then have a more traditional Japanese experience in a ryokan for a few nights? Or maybe a former tea house ?
This article contains some affiliate links. This means that I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase using my link – at no additional charge to you.
-Next, it’s time to lean in to the interests of your family members.
Are your children obsessed with Pokemon? Do you need to leave time for Harry Potter related activities in Tokyo and Osaka ? Perhaps one of you is going to want to lean into traditional crafts such as Kintsugi or a family cooking class ? Or perhaps you’re all massive foodies and want to make sure you don’t miss amazing tempura, an omakase experience, teppanyaki, street and market food. Write that all down.
-Next . Start planning the basics with your calendar and make a list of the dates you can travel. Do an internet search for “when is Golden Week in ( insert the year you will travel)?” and try to avoid that time of year. I also recommend avoiding July and August when travelling with children as it is almost unbearably hot and humid in Japan , even for those who are used to climates with extreme heat as Japan, unlike Hawaii or Bali, is not a poolside vacation. Here is my full article on when is best to travel to Japan with children.
Don’t have time to read all of this information- listen to my guest appearances on recent podcasts here!
– Write down the number of days you have & start the plan
Here are my smaller bite sized itineraries where I even include where to eat, which parks to stop for a play, where to go when kids need to let off some steam etc.). But see below for some more general examples by number of days etc.
Best to start with the number of days you have and which airport you will fly in and out of. Remember that, with kids, it’s more fun for everyone if you move around no sooner than 3 days at a time. Kids like to set up a mini-home when they travel, adjust to that local supermarket and playground – and, as for parents, every time you pack up and move its all those logistics for you (something might get lost, you need to pack the whole suitcase again etc. it’s your time away too – don’t make it more stressful than it needs to be!)
Remember that Osaka and Kyoto (and Nara!) are all really close together. Choose one of these places to stay and day trip to the others.
Here are my recommended places for families to stay in Kyoto.
Here are my recommended places for families to stay in Osaka.
See here if you have a family of 5 or more people.
–Map out your itinerary (making sure it includes old, new, city and countryside)
Some of my recommended routes for Japan with kids are:
“First timers who want to cover the basics + a bit more magic” sample itinerary
Tokyo 4 nights
Kyoto 5-6 nights (with day trips to Osaka, Kobe and Nara, Arashiyama -Arashiyama is still Kyoto but worth thinking of as a day trip)
Hiroshima for 2 nights and preferably one night in a ryokan on Miyajima Island in a ryokan
Tokyo Disney area 3 nights in order to visit each of the Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea parks
*I like doing the disney parks at the end of the trip as it means that the kids have a treat at the end, works great for a bit of healthy bribery along the way, kids can buy toys and popcorn buckets and you don’t have to lug them around the whole trip. Disney also makes everyone nice and sleepy for the plane ride home.
“We want to do more than just Kyoto, Osaka and Kyoto” sample itinerary
Tokyo 3 nights
Takayama 4 nights (with a day trip to Shirakawago)*Takayama is what everyone thinks Kyoto will be
Kanazawa 2-3
Kyoto 4-5 nights (with day trips to Osaka, Kobe and Nara, Arashiyama –Arashiyama is still Kyoto but worth thinking of as a day trip)
Hiroshima 2-3 nights (with a full day on Miyajima Island in the middle and even a day trip to Kurashiki?)
“We have limited time but want to see as much as we can” sample itinerary
Tokyo 3 nights (Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Team Lab Planets, Kidzania – incorporating amazing meal experiences, playground and green time as I mention in my area guides )
Hakone 2 nights in a ryokan (incorporating the open air museum and a boat trip on Lake Ashi and up the ropeway to take in Mt Fuji – as I explain here)
Kyoto or Osaka for 4 nights (daytripping to the other and to Nara)
–Before you start booking ANY accommodation…
Does anyone in your family have any allergies or special dietary requirements (including gluten free needs)?
If so, read this.
If not? Skip to the next point.
–Before booking any airbnb in Japanese major cities – please read this (it’s VERY different in Japan to other places and, in the cities, you could be limiting your options and ease by doing so. I explain in detail here.)
-So you have an itinerary and you know what your family needs. Time to book accommodation!
Here are my recommended spots for families in Tokyo based on ages, budget and interests.
Here is my full recommended in Tokyo list – in case you wanted to go through them all.
Use the search function here for my hotel recommendations by cities too.
–Time to book in the activities and sightseeing!
Here is my full list of “what to book and by when”. Feel free to use it as a “yes” “yes” “not for us” style checklist to make sure you’re not missing out on anything of interest.
–Time to think about what to pack and what needs a bit of forethought.
Here is my what to pack month by month for Japan list – and here is my kids specific list (some things you might have thought of.)
I recommend looking at this as soon as you have booked your tickets as some items like certain medications will need prior approval if you plan to bring them with you.
-Time to ease your mind about things that might be concerning you.
Read here if you’re worried about the following things:
-I‘m worried because my child is a picky eater
–I’m worried because we are vegetarians or vegan
–I’m worried because my child is really noisy
–I’m worried I won’t know the dining manners
–I’m worried I won’t be able to prep my kids about train etiquette
-I‘m worried we won’t use the correct type of suitcase
–I’m worried that we will bring the wrong type of stroller
Time to plan your days ! This is the really fun part. Search the area you will visit on my site here and you can see all of our favourite shopping spots, sightseeing hacks, unique experiences and the restaurants we love and frequent at any point in time! Plan it out in detail or plan the “musts” and use my site while on the spot to look for somewhere to eat or shop when you have a moment of “what to do next?”
This article contains some affiliate links. This means that I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase using my link – at no additional charge to you.
