Here’s How to Navigate Japan With Kids

After 15 years away, we returned to Japan–this time with a child in tow.

Blazing neon signs, Pokemon centers, and seemingly endless arcades and capsule toy machine stores. Japan is no doubt an incredibly exciting place to visit at any age–especially for kids. But while the lively, futuristic, manga comic vibe of decidedly overwhelming Tokyo certainly has its draw, it’s far from the only place in Japan that’s worth exploring.

Despite its reputation for being an expensive destination, Japan has become way more affordable in recent years. This has, of course, attracted many more tourists than the country has ever experienced, and the result is tangible. Even ancient traditions like tea ceremonies and sacred temple pilgrimages seemed to have mutated into something akin to a Japanese theme park. Everywhere is crowded.

But, as our month-long family trip unfolded, we found out we could still introduce our son to “real” Japan. The one that glows like nowhere else in the world with thousands of years of magic, mindfulness, and ceremony. The one we and so many others have fallen in love with (our seven-year-old now included!). Just as we hoped, Japan is still an awesome and exceptionally family-friendly destination that’s perfect for all ages, as long as you know where to go, where to stay, and where to look–including getting out of the cities.

The most popular route from Tokyo to Kyoto remains a great choice for those new to Japan, as there are so many bucket list spots worth visiting in these areas. But some of our best days happened when we left these hotspots. Keep them as a base, but don’t stop there!

Tokyo With Kids

Tokyo sings, literally. Everywhere you go, you’ll hear tinkling melodies telling you which station you’re at on the metro, when your coffee is ready, and what the time is while you’re wandering the streets, taking in the looming skyscrapers standing next to ancient temples. Every child is going to be awe-struck by this place, and despite the chaos, you shouldn’t really visit Japan without seeing it. Here’s how to do it right:

Visit Yanaka

While the mayhem of Akihabara and Harajuku can be fun, it’s well worth making excursions to some quieter areas. Yanaka is one of the few places around the city (just under an hour from the center of Tokyo by train) that survived the bombings of WWII. As a result, it still retains that old Japan charm. Little market streets where you can find cheap used kimono, ceramics and food, traditional wooden houses, tranquil ancient cemeteries, over 60 temples and shrines, and…cats (loads and loads of cats) make this a perfect Tokyo day trip.

Every Day’s a School Day

One good thing about the boom in tourism is that many cultural crafts and practices have become more accessible for us all to try. Many of the experiences available are on the synthetic side, devoid of all that’s really behind it, however, some options available are quite special.

In Asakusa (which in recent years has become extremely busy and feels more like a tourist trap than anything else), we were surprised and delighted to find a gem hiding inside the Ninja Samurai museum–an opportunity to train with a martial arts sensei of genuine samurai lineage. Anyone can book a lesson. We also discovered that expert-led experience provider Wabunka excelled in offerings for families, with classes in Kabuki calligraphy, tea ceremony, knife making, and washi painting available among many other unusual choices.

Where to Stay in Tokyo With Kids

For those with a big budget who love luxury, make The Peninsula your home from home. Unlike most high-end hotels, this one pays homage throughout to Japanese heritage, and it’s really geared towards families too, with huge family-sized beds, in-room goodie bags, kid’s menus, and a pool (complete with armbands and floats). If you want your excursions and Japanese craft classes taken care of for you, they’ll do this too, with activities like adventurous food tours and box garden making available. For something fun and funky for older kids, try The Lively in Ajabuzuban–this zone is known for being Tokyo’s most family-friendly district, complete with playgrounds, pet shops, and Montessori schools to visit. For a full apartment setup (this one even comes with a washer and dryer to get your laundry done), Mimaru in Asakusa puts you right in the middle of it all, making it a great jumping-off point.

Osaka With Kids

This popular stopping place between Tokyo and Kyoto offers so much more than its world-famous ‘Doton Bori’–a crowded shopping district with a Blade Runner-esque billboard backdrop set on a river. In fact, I’d vote for giving Doton Bori a miss altogether!

Instead, hop on a tram to Sakai for an inner-city Ryokan experience, and settle yourself into the new Osaka Four Seasons hotel, which has built-in a whole Ryokan floor to offer guests an authentic Japanese experience. Or, for something really fun, book into the Risonare, which comes complete with a whole floor dedicated to children’s learning through nature and play, fun, educational sessions where parents can drop the kids off for a while, and climbing nets and drawing walls in the bedrooms!

Kyoto With Kids

You’ll instantly feel more relaxed in Kyoto. It’s a lot busier than it used to be, but renting our own little apartment in a small neighborhood through the Japan Experience (a living arrangement that comes with a helpful “house angel” who can assist you with all the local insider knowledge you need) helped us to feel right at home. It’s cheaper than a hotel, too, and perfect if you’re traveling as a family, as you can all stick together.

Hike up Mount Kurama

About a 40-minute train ride out of Kyoto, you’ll find a treasure trove of ancient tradition, folklore, and ceremony. Mount Kurama is famed for being both the birthplace of samurai and the birthplace of reiki, lined with 1,000-year-old cypress trees, shrines, temples, and “power spots” where you can charge up your energy! What jet-lagged parent doesn’t need that?! You can visit alone or enhance your experience as we did by opting for a Nara Spirit tour with a knowledgeable (and English-speaking) guide, Akiko, who took us to all the secret spots. These included a raked garden depicting the spaceship of the Venusian God that legend says landed on the mountain millions of years ago and an underground, hidden altar I don’t think my son will ever forget.

Don’t be put off by the idea of a “hike”–it’s fairly easygoing for all ages, even if it is all uphill, and it’s worth the effort. If you have little ones who really can’t manage, there’s a cable car that will zip you up to the top.

Try an Onsen

Bathing in a therapeutic hot spring is something so quintessentially Japanese, however, it’s worth noting that most Onsen do require you to go fully nude (even the kids) and the baths are separated by sex for all ages. If you and your children are happy to fully immerse yourselves in this culture, you can bathe in a hot spring at the top of Mount Kurama (kids are welcome). If you’d like to try the benefits of Onsen as a family and would rather wear bathing suits, book in to stay at Hotel The Mitsui, located opposite Nijo Castle. This hotel is fully dedicated to traditional Japanese décor and experience, including offering a welcome tea ceremony and the opportunity to wear kimono, however, they ask all guests to wear bathing suits in their private natural onsen.

Countryside Excursions With Kids

A lot of the unique charm of traditional Japan has drifted out of the main cities, but it remains as awe-inspiring as ever, in the small villages and prefectures in regions lesser discovered by tourists. Although Nara is wonderful, the deer park is now very crowded, so you may want to head to Asuka instead–a village that has been left completely untouched since the ’50s, home to the first Buddhist temple and the earliest foundations in Japan, ancient mysterious megaliths and the best strawberry cream cake you’ll ever taste (grab one from the farm shop in the Asuka village car park–it’s like eating a delicious cloud).

After that, stop by the local soy sauce brewery and try your hand at making a bottle for yourself, guided by a 4th generation soy sauce artisan; stay in nearby Ryokan “Branchera” for an incredibly authentic family-friendly Japanese home experience, and treat yourself to a Michelin starred meal at Da Terra–probably the only Michelin restaurant in the world in someone’s house, where you can hear kids playing through the walls and the ingredient’s come from the self-taught chef’s back garden.

If you’re prepared to go further afield, The Kii Peninsula is a must for any adventurous family. Here, you can visit the legendary Ama pearl divers for lunch of freshly caught sea snails, barracuda, and squid, and hear tales from the 70-year-old female divers of their lives swimming for pearls and fish in the ocean, as has been the way for 5,000 years. And don’t miss Ise Jingu, “the soul of Japan,” a huge and extremely beautiful Shinto shrine built for the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu–we were amazed to find very few tourists here, and there are loads for kids to see and do directly outside the shrine too on the neighboring shopping street.

Despite the reality of over-tourism in Japan, it remains my family’s favorite country in the world. When you visit with yours, be sure to dig a little deeper to get the most out of your stay.