Family Holiday Japan Tips

Family Holiday Japan Tips

When you think of a family vacation, you might first think of Spain, Italy, or Bali, the beaten path. After all, you want everything to be easy to arrange and, of course, there is enough to do for the children. Many people have associations with Japan such as “difficult with the language”, “a looooot of temples”, and “very different from what we are used to”. We want to show you that Japan is very versatile, and an ideal destination for a vacation with youngsters with these family holiday Japan tips!

Our experience with family vacations to Japan

We had the opportunity to meet a lot of families as clients on our day tours between 2013 and 2019. The age of the children was usually between 12 and 25, but sometimes there were younger children as well. Without exception, teens and young 20-somethings absolutely loved the trip. They were immensely interested in why things are done a certain way in Japan such as how the train crew performs the protocols and why everyone is so quiet on the subway.

Also, many young people today are interested in East Asian culture because of the influence of Korean K-pop and Japanese anime (cartoons) and games in particular. This youth culture is abundant in Tokyo, and our guides always enjoy taking youngsters to these places. Japanese food is also becoming more familiar in the rest of the world, and besides sushi, many people now also know ramen noodles and onigiri.

Contrary to what you might think, it is quite easy to travel around Japan. Nowadays, most train stations are bilingual, and the staff is used to helping foreign tourists. If you really want to taste the local life, then a local private guide is recommended because of the language barrier and finding the nicer places. But traveling between different destinations is not difficult anymore. To have everything seamlessly arranged with things like hotels, tickets, and baggage forwarding, the assistance of an experienced travel agent is always helpful.

While Japan has always been known as an expensive country, the lack of inflation means that today that is not nearly as bad as it used to be. Japan may not be as cheap as Thailand, but the price level is comparable to Europe and the US in many ways. Japan is also very safe, you can walk the streets alone without fear and problems like muggings or harassment of women on the streets are thankfully almost non-existent here.

All Templed Out: Temple fatigue in children (and adults)

But what is there to do besides seeing temples and shrines? Fortunately, there is more than enough to do in addition to the many sanctuaries that Japan boasts. What we have often seen is that young people like to visit a few impressive temples, but at some point, they have seen enough. So it is important to add some variety to the travel program.

In Tokyo in particular it is very easy to find other activities, but also outside of the capital, there is plenty of variety in what there is to do in Japan. Here’s a list of fun things to see and do for young people and adults who are a little temple-weary.

Fun things to do in Tokyo

*Akihabara: this is one of Tokyo’s neighborhoods that is known for its plethora of subcultures. Here, you can enjoy the services of a “maid”, check out and buy a multitude of electronics, dive into a paradise of anime and manga, and attend concerts of the very special pop group AKB48.

*Shin Okubo: if the kids are into K-pop, Shin Okubo should definitely feature on the itinerary. In this neighborhood, it’s easy to imagine yourself in Korea for a moment with the local K-pop stars who often stroll here, the delectable authentic Korean food, and the stores with allegedly superior Korean makeup products.

*Shimo Kitazawa: This neighborhood is fun for all ages. A bit similar to Amsterdam’s Jordaan and New York’s Brooklyn, this is Tokyo’s hipster neighborhood. There are one-of-a-kind items to find in second-hand stores, lots of nostalgic music stores and bars, and good coffee and organic food.

*Bicycle tour in Tokyo or Kamakura: if you don’t feel like walking for a day, it’s great to go out on an electric bike. We offer fun bicycle tours that are always very popular with parents and children alike. We have a popular bicycle tour in Kamakura and a brand new bicycle tour in Tokyo.

*teamLab exhibition: teamLab Planets is already slowly spreading to other countries, but before then it’s worth visiting this immersive digital exhibition in Tokyo. This is probably the only museum where children also get excited, it’s that easy to find this modern art very beautiful.

*Skytree: from the highest tower in the world you have a great view over the city. In the Skytree itself, there are a lot of cool stores and pop-up events for young people. A new observation point can be found on top of the highest building of Shibuya, it is called Shibuya Sky and it offers amazing views, a light show at night, and a fun elevator ride up. There are also other vantage points of Tokyo if you want to pay a little less for admission, like the Tokyo Tower and the (free) observation deck on top of the Metropolitan Government Building.

*Tsukiji outer market: The tuna auction is no longer here, but there is still a great food market where you can have breakfast or lunch. Especially those who love seafood will enjoy themselves here, but there are also non-seafood dishes to enjoy. Our bike tour in Tokyo also includes a food stop in Tsukiji.

*Mitsukoshi basement: if you still haven’t had enough of delicious local food, then you should definitely go to the basement of the Mitsukoshi department store. This is where locals go who want to pamper themselves a little, and there are lots of rare delicacies for sale.

*Ghost tour: don’t you love to be spooked by a good ghost story? Then our Ghost Tour in Tokyo is definitely fun to do. A word of caution though, the stories at the spots are true stories and sometimes quite gruesome, so you have to be able to handle this…

*Joypolis Odaiba: This one is mostly for the teenagers, but I’ll be honest, as an adult I still find it a fun place to go myself. It is an indoor amusement park with cool Japanese-style attractions and as an added bonus it is bilingual (Japanese and English). You can buy your tickets here

*Daiba 1 chome Shotengai: Also in Odaiba is the Daiba 1 chome shotengai, a replica of a 1960s shopping street and unexpectedly fun to visit. There are several activities you can do such as retro games and a shooting gallery, and you can buy snacks from the past.

*VR Ninja Dojo: if you want to delve a bit more into the history of ninjas you can go to a museum (also fun), but you can also really get into the skin of a Ninja in an augmented reality activity at the VR Ninja Dojo. By the way, we also highly recommend the Ninja Restaurant in Akasaka, which is not just a gimmick but really has a beautiful setting and delicious food.

*Shopping in Shibuya, Harajuku, and Ginza: Tokyo is a great place to shop, and people of all ages will find something to their liking. For the youth, Shibuya and Harajuku are especially fun (Parco and Laforet) and the adults will probably like to look around in the chic Ginza and Omotesando (Mitsukoshi and expensive brand stores).

*Kabuki theater: you can buy a single-act ticket to the thoroughly Japanese Kabuki theater in Ginza. This is really an experience, just seeing the theater from the inside is impressive. The spectators seated downstairs are often also very nicely dressed in traditional kimono. The best part is that you can borrow a translation tablet, and with about 45 minutes it is a perfect time to experience this.

*Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa: this aquarium is one of the newest and largest ones in Tokyo and besides all kinds of smaller and (much) larger fish and other sea creatures it also features beautiful digital art, light shows, and a rousing dolphin show. Try the tasty and colorful original drinks as well in their funky bar room, and take a ride in the rocking ship at the entrace.

*Amusement Parks: while this is not specifically Japanese, it can be really nice for the kids to be able to look forward to a day at Disney (or another theme park) at the end of the stay. This also makes visiting cultural activities easier for the more skeptical youth. We really love FujiQ in Kawaguchiko, they have some of the fastest and steepest rollercoasters in the world. Looking for something slightly offbeat and typically Japanese? Sanrio Puroland might turn out to be a hit with your kids (and yourself)!

Fun things to do outside of Tokyo

*Riverboarding and rafting: the Tama River between Tokyo and Kawasaki has fast-flowing water and is great for activities like rafting and riverboarding. A fun break from the peaceful temples and gardens.

*Snorkeling: do you live for water sports? Then there are many places in Japan where you can enjoy snorkeling! The best place close to Tokyo is Shirahama on the Izu Peninsula, but if you really want to enjoy the ocean you should add a few days to your trip to Okinawa.

*Winter sports: when we think of winter sports Europeans will probably think of Germany, Austria, and France. But did you know that Japan also has some very nice winter sports resorts? For a day of skiing or snowboarding from Tokyo, you can go to Gala Yuzawa, and if you really want to go for it you can go to Hakuba in Nagano or Niseko in Hokkaido.

*Hiking: do you love nature? In Japan, there is plenty of hiking to be done in beautiful natural areas. There are too many to mention, but if you want to stay close to Tokyo then Mt Takao is a good place. Near Kyoto, you can hike in Kibune, and if you go to Matsumoto or Nagano you might want to make a combination with the rugged Kamikochi.

*Animal islands/places: this one is for animal lovers! There are several places in Japan that are inhabited by a particular animal. There is a rabbit island near Hiroshima, a fox forest in Miyagi, and a cat island, also in Miyagi. Super cute, and fun for photos too!

*Urban exploring in Hashima island: for this particular island you have to veer from the route most tourists take. But should you find yourself near Nagasaki, Hashima island (or ‘Battleship island’) is really worth a visit. This island used to be home to workers who were interned, and it has been abandoned for decades now. The island resembles a warship and has a somewhat haunting atmosphere.

*Pottery in Karatsu: if your family has creative tendencies you will probably enjoy our Karatsu tour. This village has been known for its artisans for many centuries, and as an option, you can also make something beautiful yourself. Anyway, there are many hands-on workshops to do in Japan such as glass blowing and even sword making.

Come to Japan!

As you can see, there are more than enough reasons to come to Japan, also with kids! The list above is by far not everything, that is how diverse Japan is as a destination. If you don’t know where to start, feel free to send us an email at [email protected] and we’ll be happy to give you some tips. Also, check out our list of tours, we offer several tours that are great for families.

Written by: Stefanie Akkerman

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