I have enjoyed reading other people’s trip summaries so thought I would share ours as we just got back to Australia after 11 days in Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka/Hiroshima. I’ll cover what we did well as well as any regrets. Thanks to all those who answered my previous posts and helped with planning.
I have seen a lot of recommendations for holiday itineraries for kids & teens who were into anime & characters but I had one more into shopping and one who was interested in just the vibe of being somewhere different. Child #2 is also neurodivergent and a fussy eater & overwhelmed in crowds, both of which guided our decisions somewhat.
For the sake of everyone’s sanity, we also chose not to have the teenagers share a room at all during the trip.
**Before going**
* Bought Yen on a day with a good exchange rate (took around $1400 AUD)
* Pre-booked Tokyo-Kyoto Shinkansen
* Pre-booked Team Labs
* Pre-booked USJ and express pass
Unless I mention otherwise, you can assume that breakfast was from convenience stores, we are not big breakfast eaters and found a pastry or onigiri would tide us over.
**Day 1 – Arrive Tokyo for 3 nights**
* Arrive Haneda airport late in the evening due to flight delays. Picked up physical Welcome Suica cards & charged them up. 1 of us has Samsung phone hence physical cards. Regret not activating our [e-sims](https://simcorner.com/collections/japan-sim-card/products/japan-esim-6gb-15-days) before leaving the airport as we were relying on patchy roaming coverage from husband’s phone and working out the subway details was a bit sketchy.
* Stayed at an APA hotel in Akhihabara – the ekigashi. Had 3 x standard double rooms. Kids enjoyed them. I found the room tiny to share with 2 adults. Was clean & well-located though and had a universal power point.
* We chose Akhihabara due to reasonable prices & husband’s interest in vintage electronics & music equipment. It’s a fun & vibrant area.
**Day 2**
* Visited **Team Labs Planets** in morning (pre-booked a month in advance). All enjoyed a lot
* Bus to Ginza. Tried to find ramen for lunch, lots of places had long lines but this one – [Mugi to Olive](https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZaWPdSZeZAhxyBZi6) \- had a shortlsh wait, lovely staff. An unusual clear broth ramen with clams or chicken & olive oil. Everyone enjoyed it.
* Headed to the Sanrio NISHIGINZA store for shopping. I liked the ‘3 coins’ store in the same building, like LOFT but cheaper (everything less than 1500Y).
* Rested at the hotel for a little while then went exploring Akhihabara. Had dinner at [Sushiro](https://www.akindo-sushiro.co.jp/en/shop/detail.php?id=2143),
a popular conveyor belt sushi place where you can sit in booths rather than on stools. Order from iPad. Everyone very happy with this choice. It is a confusing place with no staff out the front though. What you need to do is arrive, get a ticket from the ticket machine, wait until your number is called and then scan the ticket you got into another machine that will give you a new piece of paper with your table number.
**Day 3**
* Visit to Shinjuku gardens which still had some Sakura in bloom. Lovely place to wander around for a few hours.
* Lunch at [Gyoza no Fukuhu](https://maps.app.goo.gl/3cyxUX6HAAkFXoz98) \- LOVED this place. Very friendly staff and delicious & cheap lunch sets. The gyoza set with chicken & egg rice was particularly yummy.
* Caught bus to Takeshita st **Harajuku**. Child 2 found the crowds a little overwhelming. Looked at Meiji Torii gate then child #2 and husband headed back to hotel while Child #1 and I did some shopping in Shinjuju & Shibuya, looking for vintage clothes and Sonny Dolls. Checked out Shibuya Scramble.
* Kids had McDonalds for dinner, husband and I found an ikazaya near Akhihabara station for a grown-up meal. It was fine. It featured little private rooms for every group.
**Day 4 – Arrive Kyoto**
* Caught mid-morning Shinkansen to Kyoto. Booked all Shinksansen super express / Nozomi tickets in advance on the Smart ex site. Booked oversized luggage area where possible. Have no record of lunch.
* Checked into excellent apartment hotel in Kyoto, [Four Sisters Residence](https://www.foursisters-kyoto.com/en/). Very spacious and clean. Not in the centre of town but close to many bus routes and a station. Nice quiet area with some grocery stores & restaurants nearby.
* Went to **Kodaji temple** (very pretty) and explored the Higashiyama District, which I enjoyed from an architectural perspective. **Gion** was horribly crowded. Fresca grocery store dinner (pre-prepared meals) as all the restaurants near Gion were crowded and expensive.
**Day 5**
* Husband and I caught bus to **Kinkakuji (Golden temple)**. Absolutely stunning and probably our favourite temple visit in Kyoto. There were crowds but they well spaced and you could still get nice photos and not feel pushed around.
* Met kids for lunch at this affordable gyoza spot with booths near hotel – Gyoza no Ohsho
* Relaxed and did laundry, then went to Fushimi Inari at late afternoon/sunset. Absolutely packed but got better further up and got to some nice views over Kyoto
* Intended to go to a pizza place for dinner but it was closed, so ended up at a nearby ‘fusion’ pizza restaurant which not very good nor did we feel very welcome.
**Day 6 (Saturday)**
* Caught bus to **Arashiyama**. Hired e-bikes next to the station. Didn’t realise we couldn’t take them into the bamboo forest, so explored it on foot but were unimpressed. Very crowded.
* Took our bikes over Togetsukyo Bridge and initially turned LEFT following the riverside parks and cycling paths. Got out of the tourist areas and pass some local family picnics, bbqs and baseball games. Lots of fun!
* Had a great tempura & soba lunch at [Houzan](https://maps.app.goo.gl/YRv8vo66Zrb8nwMc8). Kids found it so-so but ate it anyway.
* We then went to the monkey park (long HOT hike, need some fitness), got ice-creams near the bridge and rode down the river to near the entrance to the Daihukaku temple. Stunning views here and not many other tourists.
* Returned e-bikes and used the foot spa included with the ticket
* This night, husband and kids got karaage chicken for dinner near hotel and I went out on my own in Kyoto near Pontocho alley. GREAT vibe, lots of people out and about. Ate a nice counter meal at this friendly izakaya – [Kazuya](https://maps.app.goo.gl/c3bZL3Nk47GxfBQ56). Long lines at a lot of the bars that are popular with tourists. I had a complex and yummy cocktail at Bar Pillars. It is tiny but very atmospheric.
* Kyoto regret – not going to Kiyomizu-dera
**Day 7 – Train to Osaka via Nara**
* Checked out & sent 3 out of 4 of our suitcases to Kyoto using Yamoto luggage forwarding
* Did some shopping near Kyoto train station
* Bought ticket for Limited express train to Nara – note that the next time was sold out so we had to book the one after. These trains are really nice. McDonalds for lunch (easy).
* It was pouring raining in Nara and not a great day for sightseeing. The coin lockers at the station were all full. We sought refuge at the visitor’s centre which has free activities like origami, free wifi and will also store your luggage for you for free for the day.
* Had a walk around the park to see the deer
* Caught the regular train to Osaka, it was packed because it was a Sunday.
* Checked into a quirky 3-level airbnb in Osaka
* Dinner from a hole-in-the-wall yakitori & karaage chicken place near airbnb
**Day 8 – Universal Studios Japan**
* Caught train to USJ
* I had pre-booked tickets at least a month before. Missed out on the best express pass options so BOOK THESE ASAP if you plan to go.
* USJ was OK. We found the single rider option best where possible to get on more rides not included with our express pass, like Jaws and Minions. I was pretty annoyed that Hollywood Dream and the Jurassic Park ride were both out of action. It felt like we didn’t get that many rides in. Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey was AMAZING, that was all of our favourites.
* Did not win the in-park lottery to access Nintendo World.
* Dinner at Shake Shack just outside Universal. Recommend flavoured popcorn from Popcorn Papa as well.
* Regret not staying an extra night in Osaka
**Day 9 – Hiroshima**
* Checked out of Osaka accommodation, Shinkansen to Hiroshima
* Caught the electric tram from Hiroshiman station (great way to travel) and Checked into ANA Crown Plaza Hiroshima – loved this place. Had 2 regular tooms and a Club room which gave access to afternoon tea, free cocatails & finger food + free breakfast. They let us check in at 1pm too when we were prepared to just drop off our bags. Great views from Club Lounge and rooftop bar.
* Great lunch at a mazeman noodle place – [Okkundou](https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ft1BLzLghQf3x6Cy9). Tasty food and friendly staff.
* Visited the A-bomb memorial museum, Peace Park, atomic dome and other monuments
* Ate at hotel due to torrential rain and tired kids. Would have gone to the multi-level okonomiyaki place but not this trip. Wish we’d stayed 2 nights as I also wanted to see Miyajima island.
**Day 10 – Head back to Tokyo**
* Got up early, had breakfast at hotel and walked to **Carp Castle** on my own, went via a cute shopping street with vintage clothing but nothing was open until 10am 🙁
The castle was rebuilt after the bomb but has a museum inside and is still worth a look
* Had morning tea (nice cakes) at the hotel then caught taxi to hotel because we were running late for the shinkansen
* Bought special train meal sets to eat on train as its a 4 hour trip.
* Wished I had booked this trip further in advance as we no oversized luggage areas were available. There was space there so we put our suitcases there only to be told off by the guards. Had to move very heavy suitcases to above our heads.
* Back to Tokyo and checked into the Hotel Grand Arc Hanzomon near the Imperial Palace. Great views from all rooms and the Standard room was big enough for 2 adults. Nice peaceful area on a direct line to Shibuya
* Husband and son went to a Giants baseball game at Tokyo Dome. They said it was great fun. They sell hotdogs and beer there as well.
* Daughter and went to the Mega Don Quijote in Shibuya and had dinner at a cool okonomiyaki & yakisoba restaurant called [Kawanaka](https://maps.app.goo.gl/PWBKGYcvyCMGtQA76) tucked away on the 4th floor of a nondescript building. Best service we have had in Japan! They gave us free cream-filled strawberries and candy after our meal.
**Day 11 – Shopping and fly out**
* Had hotel breakfast, checked out and had hotel store our luggage
* Went back to Shibuya for shopping at Donki (again), ABC Mart for shoes, LOFT for souvenirs plus some guitar shops. Snacked on ‘coin cheese’ pastry things made fresh at MEGA Donki.
* Lunch at [Ueobi](https://maps.app.goo.gl/8QRHjFWiuNbxdU9T9) sushi conveyor belt. Enjoyable.
* Back to hotel to get luggage. We bought a guitar so had too much for the train. Large taxis aren’t popular in Japan so husband caught the subway to Haneda with one medium-sized suitcase and the rest of us caught a taxi with the rest
* Used the rest of our change and Suica card balance on vending machines at the airport. Also bought reasonably priced cosmetics & alcohol.
* regret not spending an extra night in Tokyo at the end of the trip for more shopping and wished I’d gone up the Tokyo Metropolitan building.
**REFLECTIONS AND FINAL ADVICE**
* It was a busy itinerary and more rest days might have been nice. That said, we saw a lot and I didn’t force everyone to do every activity. Japan is safe enough that teens can hang in their room on their own or wander down to a 7-11. Ideally an extra 3 nights would have made for less rushing, but we still had a brilliant time.
* Most of the power points at our accommodation had 2 pins and we didn’t have the right converters. Borrowed a couple from hotels, found it hard to get a convertor plug to take 3-prong devices like laptop chargers and hair tool chargers. Better to buy in Australia first
* Might sound obvious but look at hotels near the attractions you want to see plus any major transfers you have to do (to avoid 3 x train lines to get to your destination, for example). The last two hotels I booked I actually changed a few nights before hand. Was happy with my final choices.
* Google maps is ESSENTIAL for getting around on PT. Also look out for accessible exits, as many have lots of stairs. Most stations seem to have at least 1 accessible exit though
* Save places you are keen to visit in Google Maps before you leave
* Always get meals with rice, will fill kids up if they don’t like the main dish. Most restaurant staff do not speak English well and won’t be able to adjust your meals
* If all else fails, type what you want to say into Google translate and hold it up for the Japanese local to read
* Kyoto buses are boarded from the rear and you pay a flat rate when you get off.
by Greenwedges
