Japan with Kids - Itinerary?

[chicago]

Has anyone traveled to Japan with their kids? Would you mind sharing your itinerary? We’ll have three weeks in country, but I’m finding it more overwhelming than other trips we’ve planned before! So many good options!

[bubbler]

We’re going this fall! I’ve been to Japan before, but this is the first with kids. We fly in and out of Narita and we’ll likely stay in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka and do day trips from there. I’m trying to limit the amount of airbnb hopping, but want to get out of the cities and do more off the beaten path experiences and seeking out fall leaves.

[mrsGreeko]

I had a 2 week itinerary all worked up for a trip in May/June 2020. Then I improved it for May/June 2021. And because I was so optimistic I improved it again for May/June 2022. And never got to use it and decided to go to Thailand instead where all restrictions have been dropped for a long time and the borders have been stably open. Kids would have been 8, 11, 13 for the 2020 trip. We were planning to stay at the military hotel in Tokyo which probably isn’t an option, but if it is, it’s such a good deal.

The plan was to fly into Tokyo and out of Hiroshima and work our way down staying in Tokyo, then Kyoto, then Hiroshima. I can’t comment on how well the itinerary worked, but here it is.

Japan!!
The JR Pass is valid on the Kodama, Hikari and Sakura types of Shinkansen, but is not valid on the Nozomi and Mizuho classes.
Friday 5/27 – fly from Denver to Tokyo 12:00pm → 2:40pm saturday
Saturday 5/28 - land in Narita airport at 2:40pm The New Sanno (check in after 3pm)
Sunday 5/29 - Tokyo The New Sanno
To the East this day
1) Tokyo Tower – one stop from hotel
2) Zojoji Temple? – free to see temple $10 to get into museum and mausoleum
3) Imperial palace
Furthermore, guided tours of the palace grounds are offered during the rest of the year, although no buildings are entered. The tours take about 75 minutes and are held in English and Japanese daily at 10:00 and 13:30 except on Sundays and Mondays. Advance reservations can be made through the Imperial Household Agency (see links below), but same-day registrations before the start of the tours are also possible at the Kikyomon Gate.
4) Ueno zoo to see giant pandas (like $6 to get in, might be worth a short stop on the loop around the city). Lexi and Max free to get in, Lucy Y200, Adults Y600) probably not worth it to see the pandas
5) Robot Restaurant – probably not worth it
6) Ninja Restaurant in Akasuka can only get reservation at 5pm with kids. Maybe instead of ninja thing in Kyoto?

Monday 5/30 – Tokyo Tokyo (DisneySea) The New Sanno Open 9am to 10pm
Tuesday 5/31 – Tokyo The New Sanno Tokyo To the west this day probably?
1) Shibuya Crossing
2) Cat Street
3) Harajuku – go to Samsung Galaxy store, free, can collect points for a free donut at the end. Hedgehog Café, Kawaii Monster cafe
4) Takeshita-Dori
5) Meiji Shrine
6) Zaou Fishing restaurant?
7) Team Lab Borderless (more southish) – get an evening ticket for reduced price after 6pm! $86 with reduced price tickets and only open until 7pm. Might not be worth it.

Wednesday 6/1 - Tokyo
Thursday 6/2 – head to Hakone?
Friday 6/3 –Hakone
Saturday 6/4 – head to Kyoto
RESI STAY Gojozaka (Check in starts at 3pm)
Apartment is near kiyomizu-gojo station (9 minute walk)
Go to Fushimi Inari shrine this evening. Less busy in evening and doesn’t fit in other days well.
Sunday 6/5 – Kyoto Tea ceremony? Camellia tea ceremony flower teahouse near apartment $175 includes kimono rental. Kimono appointment is 1 hour before tea ceremony, tea ceremony is every hour from 10 until 5. Probably do the 10am one.
Then Kiyomizu-dera temple, it’s less than 20 minutes walk from apartment. Hours
6:00 to 18:00 (until 18:30 on weekends and holidays from mid April through July and everyday in August and September), Y400 to get in.

Walk through Sannen-Zaka/Ninen Zaka preserved neighborhoods on the way, Exit the temple via the main gate and then make your way downhill to Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka slopes. These scenic lanes are lined with restaurants, teahouses and souvenir stores, many of which will be of some interest to children, particularly older ones

Monday 6/6 – Kyoto Day trip to Nara RESI STAY Gojozaka

JR Nara Line Local for NARA departs track 9 at 7:32am arrives Nara at 8:39am.
JR NARA LINE LOCAL for NARA departs track 8 at 8:09am arrives Nara at 9:10am

JR Nara Line Local for KYOTO departs Nara at 5:08pm, arrives Kyoto at 6:18pm (track 8)
JR Nara Line Local for KYOTO departs Nara at 6:12pm, arrives Kyoto at 7:27pm (track 10)

JR Nara Line Y690:
If you hold a JR Rail Pass, then this is the option you want to take. The Miyakoji Kaisoku Express will get you from Kyoto to Nara in 45 minutes. These trains leave every 30 minutes from Kyoto Station and JR Nara Station and cost about 710 Yen. You can also take the local Futsu line. It will take you some 70 minutes from Kyoto station to Nara station.
Kintetsu Nara Line Y1110:
By far the fastest way to travel from Nara to Kyoto and back is the private Kintetsu line. It will only take you 35 minutes, but your JR Rail pass will not be valid. Be aware that these operate from a different (but equally central) train station. The limited express train leaves twice per hour and costs about 620 Yen (the green car will be a bit more expensive). There is also a regular express train that will take 45 minutes to reach Japan but is quite a bit cheaper.
The Kintetsu Nara station is actually quite a bit closer to Nara Park, so taking this train from Kyoto to Nara has a lot of advantages. There are very regular buses serving the central area of Nara, so the JR Nara line is still a good alternative.


Japan is a country for early risers, and I would suggest to grab a yummy bento box at the train station in Kyoto and leave as early as possible.
7:15 am: departure from Kyoto station to Nara by rail
8:03 am: arrival at Nara Kintetsu station
8:15 am: Explore Kofuku-ji temple
9:00 am: take your time around Nara Park and feed the deer
10:00 am: walk towards Todai-ji & then up the hill to Nigatsudo to enjoy a beautiful view
11:00 am: walk over to Kasuga-Taisha
12:00 am: Lunch break in the Higashimuki Shopping district (take the bus)
1:15 pm: grab a bus (#97) to the Hōryū-ji area
2:00 pm: explore Hōryū-ji & its beautiful museum
4:00 pm: take the bus to Yakushi-ji and explore this beautiful temple
5:00 pm: take the bus back to Nara Kintetsu station/train from Nishinokyo station
5:30 pm: take the Kintetsu Limited Express
6:05 pm: arrival at Kyoto station
If you want to get to the Hōryū-ji area, you got two options.
Getting to Hōryū-ji by bus
The bus will probably the easiest option to reach the ancient temple. Take Bus number 97 to Hōryūji-mae. Be aware that buses only leave like once an hour. Also, know that this bus will actually take about 50 minutes to reach Hōryū-ji as it will stop quite frequently (the area is quite pleasant, though). The bus departs from the JR station but goes around a loop through Nara Park.
Taking the train to Hōryū-ji
You can also opt to take the Yamatoji Line from JR Nara Station and leave at Hōryū-ji station. The train is considerably faster than the bus (12 minutes!) if you got a Rail pass it will be cheaper, but you will have to walk about 20 minutes to the actual temple. You can only take bus number 72 to the temple

Tuesday 6/7 – Explore Kyoto
Samurai and ninja museum (20 minute walk) about 10am? $171. Ninja outfits, nija throwing stars, ninja blow guns, dress up like samurai, watch samurai sword demo, museum? mai-ko.com/tour/ninja-experience-kyoto/ Kyoto samurai & ninja museum is an interactive experience way beyond a museum. It is more like a samurai village or samurai theme park with a free samurai history and zen lesson. By taking the tour and the experiences you will feel like a samurai for a day and travel back in time to the feudal Japan. You can visit there anytime between 10 am and 8 pm. Just look for the sign near the Nishiki Market. Don’t forget to ask the staff about the hidden samurai spots in Kyoto city. ($172 for museum tour, sword lesson, ninja skills, wearing armor, etc) SKIP if we do Ninja Restaurant in Tokyo…
Near Nishiki market so go there afterwards and also Shinkyogoku Shopping Arcade
Shinkyogoku Shopping Arcade
After lunch, get yourself to the Sanjo-Kawaramachi intersection and walk east through Sanjo Shopping Arcade for about a block and take a left into the covered Shinkyogoku Shopping Arcade (you’ll know it because it slopes slightly downhill from Sanjo). This is a tunnel of tat and tacky, punctuated by the odd Buddhist temple. Most adults will find the offerings puerile and forgettable, but kids will likely find the stuff interesting. Note that the next shopping arcade to the west (connected to Shinkyogoku by a dozen or so narrow alleys), Teramachi Shopping Arcade, has shops that are more likely to appeal to adults. Walk south on either arcade until you come to Nishiki Market, a covered food market that runs to the west of Teramachi and Shinkyogoku. It’s marked with a small sign above eye level on Teramachi, but the easiest way to find it is to look out for the Shinto shrine on your left shortly before Shijo-dori. Turn right when you have the shrine on your left.
Nishiki Market
Enter Nishiki Market from either Shinkyogoku or Teramachi shopping arcades. Nishiki is Kyoto’s best food market and it’s fun to check out all the mysterious items on offer. I particularly like the tsukemono (Japanese pickles), tea, and fish shops. During shopping hours, it can get quite crowded here – so be prepared to take your time and try to stick together.
Daimaru Food Floor
Walk to the west end of Nishiki and continue on in the same direction, crossing one street. After about 100 meters, you’ll see the imposing bulk of Daimaru Department Store on your left. Go down the steps to the basement food floor and spend some time checking out the incredible display of food on offer. This is the end of this itinerary. From Daimaru, it’s a very short walk to Shijo Station on the Karasuma Subway Line.
Head west to Arashiyama?
tenryu-ji temple, Bamboo forest and gardens, Okochi-Sanso Villa and monkey park

At the top of the hill in the Bamboo Grove, you will see a small hut and a road leading up the hill into the forest. This is the entrance to the superb Okochi-Sanso Villa, the former home of a wealthy Japanese actor. The garden here is sure to delight adults and children will enjoy exploring the many secret paths. Enter the villa and take your time exploring the garden. Be sure to hold onto the ticket they give you, because it will get you a nice cup of green tea and a sweet after the garden tour.
Lunch in Arashiyama
Leave Okochi-Sanso Villa and return to central Arashiyama. Eat a simple lunch of noodles or rice in one of the shokudo (noodle and rice restaurants) on the main strip. For some picks, see our Arashiyama District page. Another option, if all the restaurants are packed, is to buy some food at a convenience store on the main street and then walk to Kameyama-koen Park or the Hozu-gawa riverbank to eat outside.
Toei Uzumasa Eigamura in the afternoon maybe? Not sure it’s totally worth it. $21 to get in plus most other things require paying more. Movie set.


Wednesday 6/8 – Head to HiroshimaSHINKANSEN HIKARI 491 departs track 13 at 7:20am, arrives Hiroshima 9:05am (track 12)
SHINKANSEN HIKARI 493 departs track 13 at 8:00am, arrives Hiroshima 9:49am (track 12)
SHINKANSEN SAKURA 566 departs track 14 at 7:22pm, arrives SHIN-OSAKA
[ Arrival track No.20 / Departure track No.27 ] at 8:48pm, departs SHINKANSEN KODAMA 694 at 9:06pm , arrives Kyoto at 9:20pm

SHINKANSEN SAKURA 558 departs track 14 at 4:22pm, arrives SHIN-OSAKA
[ Arrival track No.20 / Departure track No.5 ] at 5:48pm, departs JR Special Rapid Service for NAGAHAMA at 6:05pm, arrives Kyoto at 6:29pm
If stopping in himeji
Hiroshima to himeji trains leave at 1, 2, 3 for 155 minute trip or 1:22 for 56 minute trip
Himeji to Kyoto at 7:05pm for 52 minute direct trip.
From 9:05am to 1:22pm
Peace park (1 hour)
Peace memorial museum (1-1.5 hours)
Atomic bomb dome (15 minutes)
Lunch, then train to Himeji? Or…
Walk 25 minutes to Hiroshima castle?
Hiroshima castle (45 minutes)

Himeji castle and gardens combined ticket - Y1050 for adults Y360 for kids
Open until 6pm

Go from Kyoto to Himejo first then onto Hiroshima



Thursday 6/9 – Hiroshima/Miyajima



Friday 6/10 – Fly home

[origami]

Love Japan! We used to live in Asia and went to Japan a few times. Our kids were on the younger side when we went but here's what we did. I saved the itineraries if you want more details.

ETA: we weren't changing time zones but it's brutal when coming from the US so you'd need time to adjust to that. I'm not sure how old your kids are but if they're little I highly recommend getting a backpack carrier (or stroller) b/c there's a shit ton of walking and standing around

Tokyo - 1 week
Day 1: Travel/Get to hotel
Day 2: Western Tokyo: Meiji Shrine, Harajuku/Takeshita Dori/Omotesando shopping, Shibuya (have a drink at the Starbucks that overlooks Shibuya Crossing), Shinjuku (Gyoen, observation tower of the tokyo metro govt office tower)
Day 3: Asakusa & Odaiba: Sensoji temple, Sumida river boat ride, Hama Rikyu (garden/tea house), Odaiba Island (malls there have a bunch of kid-friendly entertainment. there's a Legoland in a mall there, etc.)
Day 4: Disney Sea
Day 5: Disneyland (would probably skip if we were redoing this trip)
Day 6: Traveled back. In the morning we tried to see part of the Imperial gardens but they were closed

Tokyo long weekend
Day 1: Maricar around Tokyo. I think this is called Street Kart Tokyo now - after Nintendo sued them. Basically wearing costumes and driving go karts around tokyo. It was awesome but you have to have an international driving permit. (easy to get but you have to do it in the US). They had a bigger "kart" for the kids that a staff member drove. in the PM, DH did a manga lesson with a local artist b/c he's really into that. I found it on Viatour
Day 2: Watched sumo wrestling tourny 
Day 3: Hakone day trip.

At some point we walked around Akihabara for a kid-friendly anime cafe and DH got some art supplies. I got some Japanese kitchenware at nearby stores. Don’t remember what day that was.

 

Osaka/Kyoto - 1 week
(we went during cherry blossom season and prioritzed those sites. it was JAM packed. do not recommend.)
Day 1: Osaka sightseeing (castle, downtown shopping area)
Day 2: Kyoto: Kiyomizu-dera temple, Maruyama-kown park, briefly looked at Shoren-in and Chion-in temples, Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine. At night went to Gion Corner which I thought was a geisha show but was not good
Day 3: Arashiyama: Tenryu-ji temple, Bamboo forest, Monkey park/iwatayama, Kinkaku-ji temple (this is the golden pavillion)
Day 4: Nijo castle, Northern Higashiyama area with Nanzen-ji temple, walked the "path of philosophy," ginkaku-ji temple. (could have skipped this)
Day 5: Nara day trip
Day 6: Universal Studios Osaka
Day 7: Kyoto Imperial Palace (need advance tix for this), Nishiki market/shinyogoku arcades, boat ride on okazaki canal. in PM did a Samurai lesson which was very cute with the kids. they were SUPER into it.


Japan east coast/cruise
Day 1: Fukuoka (flew into here, went to a park that had bikes, mini golf etc) then traveled to Hiroshima
Day 2: Hiroshima and Miyajima 
Day 3: travel to Yokohama
Day 4: Kamakura day trip (kids were extremely meh at this)
Day 5: Cruise out of yokohama to Okinawa and other islands

[expatjen]

We did Japan in 2019. Our kids were 9 and 2. We traveled with my in laws, too, who are in their late 70s, but fit. Hope you have a fun trip!



DAY 1
Late evening Arrival and transfer from Narita to Hotel in Tokyo.


DAY 2
Morning free
Afternoon sightseeing -Odaiba Miraikan (science museum)-Tokyo station

DAY 3
Sightseeing Tokyo -Asakusa Temple, Sky tree photo from outside -Shinjuku- Harajuku-Shibuya scramble

DAY 4
Kidszania

DAY 5
Kawaguchi Ko - ninja village - ninja show - KABA bus -Mt Fuji view -

DAY 6
- Ueno zoo, Ginza -Tokyo tower- Zozoji - Imperial palace- photo or drive by
(Sumida gawa fireworks 7~ 8.30)

DAY 7
Mid-morning Bullet train -Depart for Kyoto -sightseeing -Gion -Higashiyama fushimi inari

DAY 8
Kyoto sightseeing - Arashiyama- Bamboo forest, Golden temple - (Kyoto train museum)

DAY 9
Nara Sightseeing Todaiji- Deer park- Osaka- dotonbori –shinsaibashi area


DAY 10
Bullet train to Hiroshima, peace memorial park - museum
Bullet Train to Osaka transfer to Fudoguchikan stay
Traditional Japanese Dinner at 7 pm

DAY 11
Breakfast
Travel day to Singapore