🇯🇵 Our Most Recent Adventure

Japan — Land of the Rising Sun

Tokyo · Hakone · Kyoto · Osaka · 14 Days of Family Magic

📅 Duration

14 days

📍 Cities

Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka

👨‍👩‍👧 Travelled as

Full family

⭐ Rating

10/10 — Would go back tomorrow

Why Japan?

Japan had been on our family bucket list for years. We’d seen the photos, watched the travel videos, and heard from friends who had visited — but nothing quite prepared us for the reality of actually being there. Japan exceeded every single expectation in the most spectacular way.

From the moment we landed at Narita Airport, we were struck by how efficient, clean, and welcoming everything was. The signage is in English throughout. People go out of their way to help. The transport system works like clockwork. And everywhere we turned, there was something extraordinary to see, taste, or experience.

🗺️ Our Full Itinerary

📍 Days 1–4: Tokyo

We arrived in Tokyo bleary-eyed after our long-haul flight, but the city immediately woke us up. Tokyo is enormous — the world’s most populous metropolitan area — and yet it somehow feels manageable and human. We grabbed Suica IC cards for the whole family at the airport and within an hour we were navigating the metro like seasoned locals.

🌟 Tokyo Highlights

TeamLab Borderless — A mind-blowing digital art museum that left the kids completely speechless. This is unmissable for families. Book tickets well in advance.
Shibuya Crossing — The world’s busiest pedestrian crossing. Watching it from the Starbucks above is a moment we’ll never forget.
Senso-ji Temple, Asakusa — Tokyo’s most famous temple, with a stunning approach down the Nakamise shopping street. Beautiful at sunrise before the crowds arrive.

Harajuku & Takeshita Street — The kids went absolutely wild here. Crepe shops, colourful fashion, and the most unique street style you’ll ever see.
Shinjuku at Night — The neon lights, the energy, the ramen shops — Shinjuku at night is one of the most electric places on earth.
Tokyo Disneyland — Yes, we did it! The Japanese version of Disney is immaculate, beautifully run, and the queues are surprisingly manageable outside peak season.

🍜 Best food moment in Tokyo: A tiny 8-seat ramen counter in Shinjuku that we stumbled upon following our noses. The richest, most complex tonkotsu broth any of us had ever tasted. No English menu — we pointed at pictures and got lucky.

📍 Days 5–6: Hakone

A short bullet train ride from Tokyo (the shinkansen — another highlight for the kids who were absolutely fixated on the speed) brought us to Hakone, a mountain resort town in the shadow of Mount Fuji. We had a clear-sky morning on Day 5, and seeing Fuji-san reflected in Lake Ashi was genuinely one of the most beautiful things any of us had ever seen.

We stayed in a traditional ryokan (Japanese inn) — sleeping on futon beds, wearing cotton yukata robes, and eating elaborate kaiseki dinners that were almost too beautiful to eat. The kids thought sleeping on the floor was the greatest adventure. The open-air onsen (hot spring bath) with Fuji views was something out of a dream.

📸 Photo moment: The whole family in yukata robes on the ryokan’s wooden balcony with Fuji in the background. One of our favourite family photos ever.

📍 Days 7–10: Kyoto

If Tokyo is Japan’s future, Kyoto is its soul. The ancient capital city is home to over 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines, and walking its streets feels like stepping back through centuries of history. The kids became completely absorbed in the stories of samurai, ninjas, and emperors.

🌟 Kyoto Highlights

Fushimi Inari Shrine — We arrived at 6am to beat the crowds and walked through thousands of vermilion torii gates in near-silence. Utterly magical. The higher you climb, the fewer people there are.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove — Walking through towering bamboo is an otherworldly experience. The sound of the wind through the stalks is unforgettable.
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) — It genuinely looks like it’s made of gold. The kids refused to believe it was real until they touched the fence around it.

Nishiki Market — Kyoto’s famous covered market, known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen.” We tried everything — pickled vegetables, grilled skewers, fresh tofu, matcha everything.
Tea Ceremony Experience — We booked a family tea ceremony class where a tea master taught us the centuries-old tradition of Japanese tea preparation. The kids loved the precision and the ceremony of it all.
Gion District at Dusk — Walking through Kyoto’s geisha district as the paper lanterns flickered on felt like stepping into another world entirely.

📍 Days 11–14: Osaka

Osaka is Japan’s food capital — louder, bolder, and more irreverent than Kyoto or Tokyo. The city’s unofficial motto is kuidaore, which translates roughly as “eat until you drop.” We took this as a personal challenge and rose to meet it admirably.

🌟 Osaka Highlights

Universal Studios Japan — The Nintendo World expansion had our kids absolutely losing their minds with excitement. Interactive experiences, Mario Kart ride, and Pokémon everywhere. An unmissable day for families.
Dotonbori — Osaka’s famous entertainment district, lined with illuminated signs, takoyaki stalls, and the iconic Glico Running Man sign. We walked it several times — it never gets old.
Takoyaki & Okonomiyaki — We watched masters make these Osaka street food classics and ate them straight off the griddle. The kids are now takoyaki fanatics.
Osaka Castle — A magnificent 16th-century castle surrounded by a beautiful park. We picnicked in the grounds and the kids explored every level of the castle museum.
Kuromon Ichiba Market — Osaka’s bustling covered market, bursting with fresh seafood, grilled meats, and local specialities. We ate our way through it every single morning.

💡 Our Japan Family Travel Tips

Before You Go

Buy a Japan Rail Pass before you leave home — it’s significantly cheaper and saves enormous time
Download Google Translate with Japanese offline — essential for menus and signs
Get a pocket WiFi or eSIM at the airport — you need constant navigation
Book TeamLab, Universal Studios, and popular restaurants months in advance
Carry cash — many places are still cash-only, especially smaller restaurants

With Kids Specifically

Japan is extraordinarily safe — kids can wander more freely than almost anywhere else
Konbini (convenience stores) are your best friend — incredible food, 24/7, everywhere
Most attractions have English information and audio guides
Build in a slow day every 3–4 days — Japan is incredibly stimulating and kids need recovery time
The Japanese people adore children — expect constant smiles, waves, and kindness wherever you go

💰 Japan on a Family Budget

Japan has a reputation for being expensive. The reality is more nuanced. The flights are the biggest cost. But once you’re there, Japan is surprisingly affordable — especially if you embrace the local food scene rather than chasing Western options.

💚 Very Affordable

Convenience store food (often better than restaurants!)
Ramen, soba, udon restaurants
Public transport with JR Pass
Most temples and shrines
Picnics in parks

💛 Moderate Cost

Ryokan stays (worth every yen)
Museum entry fees
Bullet train upgrades
Day trips from cities
Guided experiences

🔴 Splurge Items

Universal Studios Japan
TeamLab Borderless
Upscale kaiseki dining
Tokyo Disneyland
Luxury ryokans with private onsen

🏆 Our Japan Verdict

Japan is, without question, one of the greatest countries on earth for family travel. It is safe, beautiful, culturally rich, endlessly fascinating, and — crucially — it treats children with warmth and joy wherever you go.

Our kids came home changed. They talked about Japan for months. They started learning Japanese phrases. They asked when we could go back. That, more than any review score or highlight reel, is the measure of a truly great destination.

Would we go back? In a heartbeat. Japan has already earned a permanent place in our family’s travel heart — and we suspect it will earn a permanent place in yours too.

Have questions about our Japan trip? Drop them in the comments on our Japan Vlog Diary post or Contact us directly!