Travel to Japan with your children. Many people get nervous and break out in cold sweats when they hear that words. And it is that when we consider travelling with children or as a family, we always have numerous reservations. And even more if the vacation is to a faraway country like Japan.
Will you be able to survive so many hours on the plane without going insane for Japan family tours? How will we survive in terms of food? Will we have any trouble getting about the country? Will the hotels provide us with amenities? And, in particular, can we travel to Japan with our children? What can we do with them to keep them entertained and us entertained?
We’ve always been on the move. We’ve been parents and travellers since Eric was born, having travelled vast distances with him since he was a few months old. So, with this blog, we simply want to encourage anyone who is thinking of taking a family trip to Japan. And reassure you, assist you, and provide you with numerous ideas to make your trip to Japan even more enjoyable.
What to do in Japan if you’re travelling with kids?
The first thing we have to emphasise is that travelling with children does not entail planning an agenda nearly entirely for them. For us, taking our children to Japan as a family means, on the one hand, educating them to travel, to learn about another culture, and to broaden their horizons. On the other side, enjoy the journey with them.
What exactly does this mean? Well, we normally plan our itinerary and activities with you in mind, but not exclusively. As a result, we prioritise trips and activities that may be of particular interest to him. And we combine them with more traditional or elderly-oriented activities.
In Japan, there are several activities and ideas for the entire family
In Japan, as it is everywhere, it is not required to take children to a specific location or do a specific activity, because anything can be an adventure if we arrange it properly, explain it well, and make up a tale. This is especially true in this country, which is visually unique and where everything surprises you from the start. From eating an obento on a shinkansen or bullet train to riding a jinbei or yukata through the streets of a Japanese town or rushing around a castle hunting for ninjas, there’s something for everyone. Everything has the potential to be an adventure.
Castles in Japan
The kids enjoy visiting Japanese castles, not so much for the museums or explanations that can be found within, but because they often go barefoot, run around, and climb very steep steps… it’s quite an adventure! Obviously, the more authentic the castle’s inside is, the more people like it.
Then, of course, there are the castle pets to consider (and many other places, actually). The yuru-kyara are one of the Japanese oddities that we have discussed in Japonismo. These critters can be found in cities, public buildings, and even the police! Of course, there are some castles.
In the instance of Hikone Castle, its pet Hikonyan was one of the first, sparking Japanese interest in these types of pets. The rest, as they say, is history, because pets soon spread over the country.
