Top things to do in Japan with the fam according to the parents!

The kids have had their turn to say what they enjoyed in Japan, now it’s our turn! Some of the activities we have chosen in our list are because we enjoyed them, some because the kids enjoyed them and some were great family experiences. Family travel has definitely brought us all closer together. Shared experiences and adventures or misadventures as a family are priceless.

Eat!

I have to admit that Japanese food is one of my favourite things about Japan. It is perfectly presented, fresh and Oishii (delicious). Just writing about it makes me want to go back!

There are so many amazing foods to savour from simple and tasty street food to immaculate and formal kaiseki meals, from themed cafe’s to Japanese versions of western foods. In fact we have a whole category dedicated to Japanese food on our blog!

Visit a castle or two or three…

Osaka Castle, Himeji Castle, Kumamoto Castle (set to reopen 2019 after the earthquakes of 2016), Matsumoto Castle, Nagoya Castle just to name a few. No matter which castle you visit, they are amazing structures and give a great insight into the history and the culture of Japan.

The kids (and the big one) enjoyed learning about the castles, in particular the defence systems, secret hiding rooms, trap doors, massive walls and huge moats. Each of the castles are set in the middle of the ancient towns and are positioned watching over the city, they have amazing views of the city from the top.

Stay in a Ryokan, have a traditional Japanese meal and visit an Onsen

We all agree that this is a top experience. Every family should try to put this on their list. A ryokan is a traditional Japanese Inn, however staying in a ryokan is more than just accommodation, it’s a traditional experience. Some ryokan are old wooden buildings, while others are more modern, however, the experience is similar and the rooms are tatami mat rooms. On arrival you will asked to book in your dinner time (be aware of this, it does limit what you can do that evening).

While in the ryokan you dress in your yukata, socks and slippers and wear this to dinner. Dinner is a traditional multi course Kaiseki meal, with dish after dish of beautifully presented food, which goes very well with a bottle of Sake! When you arrive back to your room, the beds will have been set up on the floor for you. They are actually quite cosy and its lots of fun. If your ryokan has an Onsen (hot spring bath) then you can go down for a hot soak after dinner or first thing in the morning. Breakfast may be another kaiseki meal or a buffet depending on the individual ryokan.

This type of accommodation, truly is a complete Japanese experience! For all our hints and tips on making the most of this experience check out this blog!

Studio Ghibli Museum

This museum is absolutely amazing, it’s quirky and made for kids to explore with winding staircases and secret hiding places! Studio Ghibli is the home of classic animation such as Howl’s Moving Castle, Kiki’s delivery service, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and the iconic My Neighbor Totoro.

The museum has interactive displays to enable kids and adults to explore how traditional anime is made, from conceptual sketches, animation frames and colouring through to final film making. As a graphic designer, Aaron found it very inspiring.

Studio Ghibli would appeal anyone who enjoys Japanese anime, however, you will appreciate it more if you have seen the movies (our kids loved this ‘homework’). Tickets are very hard to get, see my post for more on the studio and how to purchase tickets.

Ninja Samurai Experience

This is just as fun as it looks! It’s a great family experience, dressing up and learning moves with a sword. The kids were much faster learners than we were but it was lots of fun.

We then took turns to act out a choreographed fight, complete with sound effects while the staff videoed it. Our experience was in Osaka, however, you can find them throughout Japan.

Pokémon Centres

We have visited a number of Pokémon centres over the years and they are great fun and an awesome place for souvenirs!

However, for the ultimate Pokémon experience, book a meal at the Pokémon café (you’ll need Google translate for this page). It was loads of fun and one of the most well presented meals and an amazing experience. Pikachu himself makes an appearance and visits all the tables for a photo opportunity, it was hard not to get caught up in all the excitement! An absolute must for any Pokémon fan. Check out more about our Pokémon adventures here.

Edo Wonderland

Edo wonderland is a day trip north of Tokyo. It was a little harder to get to but well worth it. It is a village set up in the Edo period. Think Old Sydney town or Sovereign Hill but Japanese. Staff are all dressed in theme. You can battle a samurai, visit a ninja trick house, see a ninja show, throw a shuriken, try a bow and arrow and get lost in a trick maze. Most staff speak Japanese and very little English but we could understand enough and we’d love to go again.

Walk on a Volcano (Mount Aso)

Mount Aso is located in the Kumamoto area. It is an area of dramatic countryside and woods, where you can just imagine Kumamon the black bear is hiding. The scenery and the volcanic land formations in this area makes for a beautiful drive. If you are keen to do some driving, we’d recommend this area (we drove from Nagasaki to Kumamoto). We couldn’t walk around the volcano on the day we went as it was too active but we enjoyed walking around the area, there are lots of walks and you could easily spend the day here. It was a great place for the kids to have a run around.

Explore Gardens and Parklands

There are so many beautiful gardens in Japan. If you travel in spring, then wandering through parklands adorned with sakura (cherry blossom) and picnicking, Hanami, under their branches is a must. In autumn, the autumn colours are just as beautiful. There are a number of large parklands in central Tokyo, Ueno park has lots for the kids to do, Shinjuku gyoen has a number of lakes and tea houses, you can bike ride in Yoyogi Park and Nara is famous for its deer park. However, no matter where you stay, there are likely to be parks nearby and its a great way for the kids to run off some steam and meet the locals.

Temples and Temple Gardens

There are many beautiful temples and shrines throughout Japan. These pictures are from Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion) and Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto. The temple gardens are manicured with precision and the sand gardens are a tranquil place to visit. Well it was until the kids turned up!

Visit and Theme Park – Disneyland, DisneySea, Universal Studios

Just like the kids, all of these theme parks were a favourite with us adults. There is something for all ages and the child at heart! Even if you have been to Disneyland or Universal Studios before, you will want to check out how Japan does theme parks.

Disneyland and DisneySea are both in Tokyo bay, they are separate parks, right next to each other. You will need to set aside at least a day for each park.

Universal Studios is located in Osaka. It is smaller than the Disney parks but just as popular, mostly because of Harry Potter World.

All of these parks are great fun for families of all ages, now you just have to decide which park to go to first!

Snow – Winter Wonderland

If you are travelling to Japan in the Aussie Christmas holidays, then a visit to the snow is a must. Even if you have no interest in skiing or snowboarding, there are a number of beautiful towns to visit that are just magical in the snow.

Snow activities include;

• Visit an Onsen (hot spring) town. There is nothing more relaxing than a hot onsen at the end of a cold day. If you are game try an outdoor Onsen!
• Snow monkeys can be seen hanging out in their own onsen just outside of Nagano.
• Skiing and snowboarding
• It goes without saying that if there is snow then there are snowmen to make and snowball fights to be had!
• Meet the snow monsters at Zao Onsen
• Visit an ice or snow festival (note these are usually in Feb when school term has started)

Forging a Japanese Sword

This was a great family experience that we did outside of Kyoto. I enjoyed learning what to look for on a sword, how to tell the era it was from and what makes a good sword. The sword making process was also fascinating. We took turns as we made our swords, drawing the heat into the fire and hammering the swords into shape. The swords we made were the size of a table knife, however our blacksmith made it clear that even though they were small, the process used was the sword making process so they were swords, not knifes. It was actually really hard work, however, the satisfaction of creating something with your own hands was worth it! Want more? Full blog here.

And I could go on…

As I write this post, it is becoming harder to finish as there is just so much more to mention! Other things to do that we enjoyed included; Battleship Island, Okinawa Castle ruins, glass blowing, snorkeling in Okinawa, Peace parks, Dotonbori, tea ceremony, Mount Takao, Hakone, Tokyo Government towers, Tokyo Skytree, Odaiba, TeamLab, Takeshita street, Shibuya crossing, Hachiko, Nara deer park, bamboo forests… posts coming soon about all of these places!