Japan Family Holidays
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Toddlers feeding deer, kids cheering on sumo wrestlers and teens mastering Tokyo’s arcades – Japan is the ultimate family holiday destination.
No one handles culture shock better than kids, so look past the “foreignness” of Japan to discover why a family holiday to Japan is a great idea. Here are our top tips for travelling with kids in Japan and just a few of our recommendations for what to see and do with youngsters:
Travelling Japan with Babies and Toddlers
Japan is well-equipped for childcare, with most major airports featuring children’s play areas (often baby-friendly too), hotels handling babysitting services, and public transport offering discounted tickets for youngsters.
Toddlers will enjoy feeding tame deer out of their hands in Nara, playing in the city parks and watching swirling colours bodies of koi carp in Japan’s many landscape gardens. Japanese restaurants often cater to children, with dishes arranged into cute designs and cartoon characters!
Travelling Japan with Young Children
Tokyo Disneyland is a sure winner, though you may wish to introduce some Japanese films and cartoons to your kids before their Japan holiday, to familiarise them with some of the fun local attractions centred around these characters:
Anpanman (Red Bean Paste Bun Man), Doraemon (a blue cat-robot) and Hello Kitty (needs no introduction) are some of the most popular.
The Hello Kitty theme park can be found in western Tokyo, and her merchandise is all over Harajuku.
Older children may enjoy a ride on a bullet train, watching a sumo match or game at a local baseball stadium, as well as the whimsical magic of Studio Ghibli Films.
The Ghibli Museum near Tokyo is a fantastic place to visit for both kids and adults.
Travelling Japan with Teenagers
Tweens and teens will love an afternoon at a neon-bright game centre, such as those found in Tokyo’s Akihabara. Watch Japanese businessmen master complicated arcade games, from dance to piano playing to shooting games, before having a go yourself.
Pause at a Purikura (a Japanese-style photo booth) where you can digitally alter and decorate your pictures with accessories, messages and weird-and-wonderful distortions.
And finally – the Mecca of all tween and teenage holiday destinations – is a trip to Japan’s Universal Studios theme park, which is home to its own Harry Potter World.
Family Holidays to Japan
Wayfairer creates tailor-made family holiday itineraries, which are catered to your family’s interests and requirements.
Explore our Japan Itineraries
Explore Wayfairer's favourite Japan itineraries. The Food & Art: Cultural Tour of Japan is packed full of educational and enlightening experiences. These stimulate the senses and offer a glimpse into another world, including visits to the renowned digital art installation, teamLab Borderless, and Osaka, where you’ll try octopus dumplings and other local delicacies. The Rural Japan Explorer itinerary is curated specifically for those explorers seeking an authentic Japanese adventure and the flip side of futuristic, modern Japan. Expect to visit Shikoku Island, home to Matsuyama, the oldest hot spring onsen site in Japan, and experience a spiritual stay with monks on the plateau of Mount Koya.
Food & Art: A Two-Week Cultural Japan Itinerary
Tailor Made From £8705 per person
Tokyo, Matsumoto, Takayama, Kyoto, Naoshima, Osaka.
15 days
Tokyo, Matsumoto, Takayama, Kyoto, Naoshima, Osaka
Two-Week Rural Japan Explorer
Tailor Made From £8705 per person
Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Shikoku, Naoshima, Himeji.
15 days
Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Shikoku, Naoshima, Himeji
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Kat Macleod - Luxury Travel Specialist +44 117 313 3300 Enquire OnlineMore family-friendly travel inspiration from Wayfairer customers and travel specialists
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