Japan with kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What places/things to do would you suggest in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto with a 4 and 8 year old (in April 2025, not golden week).

We will definitely visit DisneySea and Universal.

I'd go for non-American things.

Disney and Universal are delightful in Japan without obnoxious Americans. Having been to Disney several times while we were there I feel no need to take the kids in the US because I know it will be awful surrounded by my fellow Americans.

[Anonymous]

Do you have to go to Japan now? If not, consider waiting until your kids are older so that they actually remember going there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Have you been to Japan before? Are you aware of how long it takes to recover from the 12 hour shift? I absolutely would not to US amusement parks. Might as well not fly that far for that.

Disneysea is ranked the best Disney theme Park in the world and is about 50 bucks for admisson.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What places/things to do would you suggest in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto with a 4 and 8 year old (in April 2025, not golden week).

We will definitely visit DisneySea and Universal.

I'd go for non-American things.

Disney and Universal are delightful in Japan without obnoxious Americans. Having been to Disney several times while we were there I feel no need to take the kids in the US because I know it will be awful surrounded by my fellow Americans.

When did you visit Universal Japan? I admittedly skipped it myself during our trip last month (based on the reviews) so can’t speak first hand, but those I have spoken to and numerous online posts describe queues of 2-3 hours for a single ride and make it sound miserable.

[Anonymous]

My kids liked Harajuku and the hedgehog cafe in Tokyo and the bamboo and monkey forest in Kyoto. They also enjoyed onsen. My daughter liked dressing up in kimono in Kyoto. When we visited temples they liked collecting the stamps from each temple in their little books. All things Pokémon, Studio Ghibli, and Hello Kitty / Sanrio. We didn’t go to any theme parks and they didn’t know the difference — they loved Japan for the culture and food. Gyoza, ramen, karaage, yakitori, teppanyaki — all are very kid friendly.

[Anonymous]

I’m PP from above. We went to Kyoto in April and caught the cherry blossoms in peak bloom. Don’t miss Maruyama Park, both day and night (the trees lit up at night are beautiful). We also enjoyed the boat ride at Jikkokibune to see the cherry trees along the canal. It was crowded in Kyoto but worth it to be there during that time of year.

[Anonymous]

Hello Kitty Land!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have read that Kyoto is extremely crowded. Would you recommend skipping with young children (save for when they are older and might appreciate it more)?

Don’t skip Kyoto. It is a walkable and charming city. It was our favorite, among the four (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima)

[Anonymous]

Kyoto was my fav city not just in Japan but all over the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What places/things to do would you suggest in Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto with a 4 and 8 year old (in April 2025, not golden week).

We will definitely visit DisneySea and Universal.

I'd go for non-American things.

Tokyo Disney is non-American. That’s why it’s better.

[Anonymous]

Did you stay in one city and do day trips or did you travel around?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you have to go to Japan now? If not, consider waiting until your kids are older so that they actually remember going there.

Japan is a great country for kids!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you have to go to Japan now? If not, consider waiting until your kids are older so that they actually remember going there.

Japan is a great country for kids!

We went over spring break with my five year old. He loved it. Best trip ever (okay so he's only five, but it had an impact). He's now exclaiming that Japanese food is his favorite. He wants to talk about the trip all the time. He's talks about how he wants to go back some day with his own children. It's rather adorable. And the rest of us got to go to Japan!

Why wait years more to start taking these kinds of trips? And while we'd love to go on more adventurous trips, the safety and good health care make Japan an easy pick for a spot to go to with young kids.