Top Tips for Travelling as a Family in Japan
Accommodation
At first, finding accommodation for a family of 5 was the hardest part of travelling to Japan. Most hotel rooms are small and only take 2 or perhaps 4 people. Some of the top hotels and the hotels near Disneyland will accommodate larger family groups. We have on occasion, found a ‘weekly mansion’ (in Japan mansion means apartment block) or apartment to stay in.
More recently we have found it convenient to book through booking.com or Airbnb. These sites are English run, it is easy to understand where the place is, facilities available and to read reviews from other families. Most of the places on these sites are owned by foreigners, however there are still some traditional and unique places to stay. As of June 2018, Airbnb only hosts places that meet the Japanese government’s requirements for short term accommodation. Booking.com offers different styles of accommodation from hotels, ryokan and individual houses.
Our family prefers houses or apartments as we enjoy having our own kitchen and washer/dryer. It’s also important as a family with teenage boys to have two bathrooms and separate spaces for everyone rather than being stuck in one hotel room together! Be aware when looking at photos of places, if it looks small, it probably is, Japanese people are used to small places! Read the reviews of a place you are looking at. It gives great insight into what to expect. Check out the comments about transport and the closest train station, then check that train line and how convenient it is for where you want to go.
For a unique Japanese experience stay in a ryokan and have a Kaiseki meal. It can be more expensive, but an amazing experience so try and include this for at least one night during your stay.
Whatever you choose, book accommodation early, particularly if you are travelling in cherry blossom season or travelling to the snow in winter. You may need to book 10 to 12 months in advance to book larger rooms or apartments in popular ski areas.
Money
You’ll need lots of cash! Japan although technologically advanced works mostly in cash. At some restaurants and hotels you will be able to use cards but most places take cash only. Be aware that many ATM’s won’t accept foreign cards for cash withdrawals. Consider a transaction free international card such as a Citibank debit card or load cash onto your Qantas card, these will work at 7/11 stores, bank ATM’s and post office ATM’s.
Last trip we used Citibank debit cards. This card gives the rate of the day with no fees and can be used at 7/11 stores which are everywhere in Japan (even the most remote places have them!). I found I could withdraw $1000AUD equivalent per day depending on the days exchange rate. If the rate of the morning was 87, then I could withdraw ¥87000, if it was 89, I could withdraw ¥89000.
Convenience stores
Convenience stores are everywhere in Japan. 7 /11, Lawson, and FamilyMart can be found in every city corner and in every town. Supermarkets on the other hand can be much harder to find so for most of your food supplies, the local convenience store is your best option, they have most things you’ll need from forgotten toothbrushes to tissues, fresh fruit, Pocky, sliced bread (the slices are huge), sushi, 2 minute noodles, katsu sandwiches, more Pocky or a bottle of local wine!
When looking at accommodation options, check the map to see if there is a convenience store near by. It’s great for supplies and snacks, a quick lunch or an easy and inexpensive dinner after a long day.
Wifi
As a foreigner you can’t get a local phone number (although there are now some places you can pre order a SIM and number while in Aust). Download WhatsApp or Line before you get to Japan – you can’t set it up while you are in Japan as it recognises you are not in Australia – I’ve tried. Purchase a data sim for the time you are in Japan – these can be purchased at the airport or at electronic stores. You can then use your previously set up WhatsApp/Line account to message and call each other or family and friends in Australia (as long as they have WhatsApp/Line). Many accommodation places also offer free portable Wifi which we gave to the kids so their phone would work if they were separated from us.
Public transport
Public transport in Japan is more efficient than anything you will find in Australia. Japan has the population to support an extensive and regular service. We have done some driving in more remote areas but in the city areas, there is no parking, so public transport is the way to go. If you are planning on a few Shinkansen trips you should consider whether a Japan rail pass will work for you. Hyperdia online calculator can help you decide if the JR pass will be cost effective. This needs to be pre-ordered and collected in Australia before you go, there are lots of online places to order your pass, although I’ve found the guys at JTB travel really useful for different tickets.
There are a number of train apps you can download but we mostly used Google maps, it gave directions to walk, trains to catch, times of trains, lines they were on and in Tokyo, exits to take from the stations (which was super helpful). It was not fail proof though and sometimes did not recognise when we were underground. So we did have a few times when we ended up walking in circles – all part of the adventure!
Shoes and socks!
This might seem a simple thing but there are lots of times you will need to take off your shoes and just wear socks so perhaps socks without holes might be good, but more importantly, if you have a couple of little ones, taking shoes on and off can be hard work and may result in a tantrum or two! So shoes that are easy to take off and put on can be a great help. Go for zips, velcro or no tie shoelaces like Hickies if you can!
Food glorious food!
The food in Japan is always extremely fresh and absolutely Oishii (delicious). Get the kids to try some thing new. Be adventurous too. There are lots of foods the kids will enjoy. We have a whole category dedicated to Japanese foods, however, you might find the Top 10 convenience store survival foods helpful!
Etiquette
Don’t walk around eating. Walking and having coffee is more acceptable for tourists but Japanese people won’t walk and eat or drink. Even when having ice creams it is expected that you sit outside the shop and eat them. Stop and eat, don’t walk around – possibly a lesson for all of us there. You will also notice there are no bins on the street, take rubbish with you.
Keep to the right or left of the escalator. Watch others and copy. Make it a game for the kids. Some cities stand on the left, others on the right. This is especially important when you have kids with you or luggage. Try and avoid peak times on the trains if you have luggage.
Keep quiet on trains and no talking on phones on the trains. This can be hard for little ones, so take quiet games they can play for longer trips or play counting games, quietly! We found that people would often watch the kids on the trains and older people would talk to them and say to us “Kawaii” (cute). Be careful not to point and stare. Warn the kids that although most Japanese don’t feel comfortable speaking to you in English, they can often understand what you say, as they are taught English in school. So watch what you say and always be polite. Give Japanese people a great impression of Aussies.
It’s ok to take photos of your food, in fact, sometimes it’s rude not to!
It’s ok to slurp your noodles – kids love this – it’s a sign that you enjoy them! But don’t stick your chopsticks upright into your bowl as this is a symbol often done at funerals. Don’t pass food from chopstick to chopstick for the same reason.
Learn a few basic words. Japanese love when the kids say “Arigatoo Gozaimasu” (Thank you) or “Konnichiwa” (Hello)!
