Finally got around sharing our wonderful experience in *Kansai* (*1 Apr 2024 – 10 Apr 2024*). We are a family of 4 from *Perth, Australia* (1 x Toddler turning 4 end of this month and 1 x Infant about 18 months old) joined by my MIL from *Malaysia*. It was our first time trip to Japan but the second time flying 6 hours long with 2 kids. We chose to travel during this period as it was during Easter holidays and also the most favourable weather for our kids. As we have 4 separate accommodations booked over 9 days, we try to travel as light as possible: 2 x large suitcase, 1 x medium suitcase, 2 x medium bags, 1 x bag pack, 1 x dedicated bag for infant carrier and kids’ jumpers + 1 stroller. Our kids still take nap(s) during the day and our plan was having the toddler sleep on the stroller and the infant in the carrier or the stroller if toddler is not using.
After extensive research (mostly from this sub) we still found the first few days to be quite hectic and wish we know some of the things beforehand (listed below the itinerary). I hope this post can help young families who are considering travelling to Japan with kids or those who have travelled to Japan before kids came to the picture to do it again with confidence.
# 9 Day Itinerary (1 Apr 2024 – 10 Apr 2024)
**Day 1 Osaka: Namba (Monday)**
Our flight from KUL arrived KIX around 10am and boarded the Nankai Rapid (bought 1 month prior online) to Shin-Imamiya station after getting our luggage. We originally planned to take a taxi from there but failed to find any taxi for 20 mins so we end up walking to our accommodation as the kids were tired of waiting. After offloading our luggage we manage to hail a taxi and head to *Namba Parks* to rest and unwind. Had a refreshing lunch at *Yasaiya Mei* (mains + all you can eat side dishes including veg tempura) and went to explore the rooftop parks garden before putting the kids to nap. After the kids woke up we took a taxi back to check in officially. Everyone was quite tired thus we opted to stay in and get dinner from *Life supermarket* nearby. This was probably the most enjoyable part of the day for the kids wandering around a foreign supermarket as we bought dinner and some light snacks. After putting the kids to bed, we did some laundry and packed our 1st luggage to send away.
**Day 2 Osaka: Tennoji (Tuesday)**
While everyone was getting ready, I went to the nearby *7-Eleven* to forward our 1st luggage to the 4th accommodation via *Yamato transport*. The shop attendant was helpful and guided me through the process as we communicated via deepL. We walked to the *Lawson’s* at *JR Imamiya* to get brekkky before taking the *Osaka loop Line* to *JR tennoji*. We took quite a while to navigate towards *Tennoji Zoo* from *JR Tennoji* but eventually got there after a 15 min detour. It was quite crowded for a Tuesday morning but the kids get to roam around the *Tenshiba* garden while I queue up for tickets (500 yen per adult). One of the kids fell asleep in the zoo so we decided to just grab food to go at the supermarket outside the zoo for lunch. We then head towards *Abeno Q’s* mall to shop and put the other kid to sleep. There was quite a lot of hot food along the way and we manage to grab some for the kids to snack on after their nap (butaman from *Horai 555*, mochi donut from *Mister Donut*, taiyaki etc). There’s a fantastic area for kids to play (*kid, play, study*) at the ground floor with different sensory setup and soft blocks for stacking/ balancing. I spent close to 2 hours there with 2 kids while my wife and MIL went shopping. After that we had dinner at *Grand Capital Toyoutei* at the Kintetsu mall dining floor before heading to our final activity of the day: *Abeno Harukas 300*. Tickets were a bit steep (2000 yen per adult) but we end up staying there for quite a bit and the experience was pretty unique even though we missed the sunset timing. The elevator ride to the top though short left quite an impression. The kids enjoyed running around at the sky garden 2 floors below as we rest and enjoy the night view of the city from about 300m above ground. The journey back to our accommodation was pretty straightforward and the kids got knocked out when we got home. All in all *Tennoji* was a pleasantly great experience and we have a better understanding about JR station layout and navigating underground.
**Day 3 Osaka – Kyoto (Wednesday)**
This was a rather hectic day as it rained quite a bit and we struggled to get a taxi after checking out, getting turned down by several taxis with “空车”. We eventually found one to bring us to *JR Osaka* station. Navigating at the station wasn’t too difficult after yesterday but there were long queues when we arrived at 10am and I made the fatal mistake of leaving my physical credit card back in Perth and spent 45mins trying to redeem limited express tickets I reserved online. The JR staff were friendly and tried their best to help but they can only recommend me cancelling my initial reservation and buying new tickets (cancellation fee was about 2300 yen for 3 adults). As soon as we got our tickets we sprinted to the underground gate about 15 mins walk away. I even carried the stroller and kids through an escalator as we didn’t want to waste time finding a lift and risk missing the train. We managed to board the limited express train on time and arrived at *JR Kyoto* which was even more crowded and larger than most international airports. The kids were quite cranky by now as it has been all rush and long waits since they woke up. I split up with my family with 2 luggage that we initially planned to forward to our *Arashiyama* accommodation via *Sagawa*. However I was told same day delivery service is only applicable to limited hotels so I stored the luggage at 2 coin lockers and then head to the *Kintetsu* line ticket counter to redeem the *Kyoto-Nara* and *Nara-Osaka* limited express tickets which fortunately doesn’t require my credit card details (just reservation number). By the time I reunite with my family it was still raining and both kids fell asleep so we ditched the plan for *Kyoto railway museum* and instead went browsing for lunch at *Porta and Isetan dining floor*. We eventually queued to eat at *Ejuan* for about 25 minutes while one of the kid was still asleep. The wait was worthwhile as the grilled miso black cod was exceptional as was the kids’ grilled chicken. Next we went to the skywalk at level 9 briefly before my family went to the toy section at *Isetan* while I retrieve our luggage from the coin lockers. We board the *Saga* line bound for *Saga-Arashiyama* and rested awhile at the accommodation before heading out for dinner after the rain stopped. We walked to *Kijurou* and fortunately they have space for us provided we order a main meal per adult. The yakiniku and Wagyu rib loin bowls were pretty good but we find the Hitsumabushi set a bit gimmicky. After dinner we stopped by *Kimono Forest* on our way back and this was probably the highlight of the kids day.
**Day 4 Kyoto: Arashiyama (Thursday)**
Had Lawson’s for brekky before heading out to *Kimono Rental Amuya* to hired kimonos for my wife and toddler including hairstyling. The shop was actually a house with the living area turned into a studio and only the owner working by herself so we waited for about half an hour before walking towards the *Bamboo Forest* and *Tenryu-ji* gardens (500 yen entry from the north gate but well worth it for the blooming sakura and picturesque lake). It was crowded as expected and everyone was moving slowly so it took us about an hour to complete the loop back to the main tourist strip. We then had Udon for lunch at *Ozuru*, the chewy noodles were complemented by the broth which was a lot more flavourful than the kitsune Udon we are accustomed to back in *Perth*. After lunch we head home to put the kids to nap before venturing out in the evening towards *Togetsukyo Bridge* overlooking the pristine *Katsura* river flowing gracefully from *Mt Arashi* in the backdrop. The view was breathtaking and we crossed over to *Arashiyama park* where the kids had a great time running around free range. As the sun was setting, we head back to the town centre, took a novelty Randen ride and grab some food (*Naruse’s Unagi*, *Upit’s Burger*) en route to our accommodation to eat in before calling it a day.
**Day 5 Kyoto (Friday)**
After checking out we took the *Saga* line to *JR Kyoto* station and forwarded the medium sized luggage to the 4th accommodation in *Osaka* using *Crosta*. We then did some light shopping at *Yodabashi Camera Kyoto* as my MIL shoes had kick the bucket and we needed a replacement. Manage to sneak in the only ramen meal of the trip at *Ramen Chabuton* located upstairs. It was a fairly small shop but we were lucky to get a table just before the Friday lunch rush hour and our ramen cravings were thoroughly satiated. We put the kids down for a quick nap as we make our way back to *JR Kyoto* to take the *Saga* line towards *Kyoto railway museum*. This is an underrated attraction with so much to do and we could have spent the whole day here if I knew they had coin lockers. There were many interactive and educational displays relating to train components in addition to multiple play areas upstairs as well as an outdoor playground! There’s also a mockup ticket gate for kids to learn how to purchase a ticket and pass through the gate. Our kids loved the ball pit, toy train area and large train simulator. We couldn’t squeeze enough time to explore the 3rd floor or watch the diorama presentation or board the Steam Locomotive as it was getting late. We took a taxi to check-in at *Kamoya Ryokan* before taking the bus to *Nishiki Market* for dinner. It’s about 6pm and most of the shops were shutting and the remaining ones that are open had queues building up quickly. We ended up waiting 30 mins to eat sushi at *Sushi Say*. There’s a limited range of cooked food including skewers which we got for our kids while we share a nigiri platter and sashimi. After dinner we went to the basement of *Daimaru Kyoto* across the road to get some baked goods for brekky before taking the taxi home to crash.
**Day 6 Kyoto (Saturday)**
My MIL wanted to take it easy and explore the area at her own pace so we had a more spontaneous day. After brekky, we took the bus to *Yasaka Shrine* and started our trek towards *Heian Jingu*, stopping along the way to enjoy the blossoming park and munching on food from street vendors. We paid to enter the shrine garden (600 yen per adult) which was very worth it for a 30 minute stroll and escape from the bustling crowd outside. We grab some food to eat from the street vendors as one of the kid slept and then head to the playground across the road (*Wagener Square*) and spent a good 30 minutes there even though it was a bit basic (*Perth* is blessed with many great playgrounds). Once both kids are feeling refreshed we felt adventurous and took the bus to attempt the hike up *Kiyomizu-dera*. Since its a Saturday, the *Sannenzaka* path was packed with phenomenal crowds with the occasional car coming through and splitting the crowd apart. I carried the infant to sleep while my wife push our toddler on the stroller as we slowly make our way up, stopping by for a nice matcha latte and softserve at *Here cafe* to recharge. We eventually reached the base of the temple after 30 minutes and decided against entering due to the massive crowds (& stairs!). On the way down we reached the fork that branches into *Ninenzaka* and thought we try giving it a go. There were a lot more stairs over this side and we had to carry the stroller through the steps while waiting for the crowd to advance before us. As physically draining as it was, we felt a sense of achievement as we manage to snap a photo with the iconic *Hokanji* temple. We took the bus home after that and had an enjoyable dinner at *Okonomiyaki Yoshino* next door before an early night to recover.
**Day 7 Kyoto – Nara – Osaka (Sunday)**
We had some leftover food for brekky before checking out and heading to *JR Kyoto* via taxi. We head to the *Kintetsu* line and boarded the *Vistacar* limited express train to *Nara*. I’ve booked for the private room down stairs which was pretty spacious for the 5 of us and our luggage. After arriving at *Kintetsu-Nara* station, we took the 100 yen tourist bus to the famous *Nara Deer Park* and started exploring the area. There were plenty of deer roaming throughout/ resting on the ground and several vendors at the entrance selling deer crackers. After the kids were done feeding 2 sets of crackers, we head to *Mizuya Chaya* for lunch. There were limited seating so we sat by the side and ate with the bowl in our hands while feeding the kids. Probably the best Udon we had in our lives (level above *Ozuru* in *Arashiyama* and *Hifumiya* in *Perth*). Time for a nap so we put the kids down while making our way to have a closer look at *Todaiji* temple as there were too many stairs to *Kasuga-taisha* and we have yet to recover. We had our first *Cremia* here and it was amazing. After the kids woke up we took the bus back to *Kintetsu-Nara* station and explored the nearby street while waiting for our train. We then boarded the *HINOTORI* limited express bound for *Osaka*. While walking towards the hotel to check in, we were passing by *Dotombori* and opted to have a quick dinner and call it a day rather than coming out again after checking in and offloading our luggage. We ended up having curry at *Hariju Dotombori Curry* shop which taste d like a homely nourishing meal. After dinner we took the taxi to the hotel and fortunately our 2 other luggage that we forwarded days before are waiting for us to collect. Did some repacking and also laundry at a nearby laundromat before sleep.
**Day 8 Osaka: Osaka Bay Area (Monday)**
Started the day with brekky at *MOS Burger* just outside our hotel before taking the metro train to *Osaka Bay Area*. There were plenty to see as we approach the *Kaiyukan*, large LEGO animal displays, the large ferris wheel and *Disney* characters. The ticketing and entry time is staggered which is a good idea to control the amount of crowds going in and out. I started queueing at 1035am and got entry for 11am which was fair (opted not to book timeslot online as it can be unpredictable with kids and public transit) but we didn’t felt like its a long wait as the kids were running around and enjoying the ocean view. The entry also have a photographer stationed to take a family polaroid with a whale shark replica for FREE. We were impressed with the aquarium’s efficient layout where some prominent displays (Whale Shark, Seals etc) span across multiple floors so you can still enjoy them later on if you missed it earlier due to the crowds. Apart from sea creatures there are also Arctic mammals and birds (Puffins) from all over the world. The kids were over stimulated by lunch time so we head to the food court at *Tempozan Market Place* to refuel. After lunch we took the kids for a ferris wheel ride before putting both to sleep while we make our way to *Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Street* via metro line. As the kids were still asleep, I rested at *Daimaru* with my MIL while my wife went shopping. This turn out to be a fantastic place with a floor dedicated for kids (*Pokemon centre, Pokemon cafe, BorneLund* mini play area with many display toys available for sampling). The kids spent the rest of the day here after they woke up and we had dinner at the dining floor. There were queues everywhere and we chose to wait at *Aozora Blue* as they offer udon made with a higher wheat ratio here. Regrettably the kids didn’t enjoy as much and prefer regular ones that we are used to. After dinner we took away cheescake from *Rikuro* for dessert back at our hotel. I made sure to online check in our flights before I go to bed.
**Day 9 Osaka: Dotombori (Tuesday)**
Our final day in *Japan* and we chose to do some shopping and take it easy. Tried *Doutor Coffee* for brekky (took a while to find as it was underground) before walking to *Don Quijote* at *Dotombori*. There’s 6 floors crammed with various items: snacks, electronics, clothing, non prescription medication, toys, collectibles as well as a functional ferris wheel (operates after 2pm). That being said the kids got bored after awhile and didn’t really enjoy much as there wasn’t much space to move around. I brought them out to stroll around the *Ebisu-bashi Bridge* while my wife and MIL continue their haul. It was certainly a sight to behold: countless amount of large LCD screens with surround sound on full blast from every high rise building, street buskers vying for attention from crowds that were constantly on the move, tourists taking selfies in front of the iconic *Glicoman*. Sadly it started to drizzle so I quickly entered the *Shinsaibashisuji Shopping Street* undercover area and look for a place to have lunch. I stumbled across a *Yoshinoya & Hanamaru* joint food hall which was bustling with both locals and foreigners. You have to order and get your food from the counter before you can occupy a table so I waited for my wife and MIL to arrive before we start queueing up. We had the gyudon and beef Udon with onsen egg along with chicken karaage and tempura. There’s also a condiment station with toppings to complement your udon as well as free tea and water. Everything was very affordable and best of all we didn’t had to wait long. After lunch my wife continuing shopping while we head to *Daimaru* for the kids to have a nap and play afterwards. I noticed there’s a bridge that connects each floor to the Parco next door and discovered a unique floor full of pop culture themed stores including a studio *Ghibli* store featuring *Totoro* and *No-Face* displays, a 2 ft tall *Godzilla*, *Ultraman*, *Capcom* superstore, *Sanrio (Hello Kitty), Snoopy, Rilakkuma* and also a *LEGO* store. The kids had a great time browsing and also playing with LEGO before my wife reunites with us. As it’s nearing dinner time, I thought we try our luck getting a table at *Ganko* *Dotombori* and make our way towards *Ebisu-bashi Bridge*. The view here is even more spectacular at night with the contrasting lights as well as numerous LCD displays illuminating the area. Unfortunately there’s a lengthy wait at *Ganko* and our party voted for street food instead which turn out surprising well. Kids devoured a dozen gyozas while we had takoyaki, kobe beef nigiri, yakitori and yakiniku skewers as we strolled along the street. It was still early so we made a detour towards Hozenji before walking back the hotel. Then we stumbled upon an arcade (*Amuse Factory AXE)* which naturally drawn the kids in, we got popcorn from a vending machine there and it was enough to keep the kids happy on our trek back. Before taking our last sleep in Japan, we organized our luggage and get them ready for check out the next day.
**Day 10 Osaka: Sayonara (Wednesday)**
Checked out of the hotel and took a private airport taxi to *KIX*. Had brekky at *McD* and *Lawsons* and surprised to find that the food here costs the same as outside (e.g. *McD/ Hungry Jacks* at *Malaysian*/ *Australian* airports cost more than the metro/ suburban outlets). Boarded the flight and bid *Japan* farewell for now while soaking in the surreal time we had.
**List of accommodations for 3 adults and 1 child + 1 infant/ toddler**
**1. Orange House 701 (22,500 yen for 2 nights) 10/10**
Location is not bad in a quiet area South of the bustling Dotombori area with Konbinis and JR Imamiya within walking distance. Washing machine, shower and stove took some time to figure out and my kid accidentally turned on the stove but luckily there’s a safety button. Overall a brilliant accommodation at an affordable price and will consider returning if we come back to Osaka with kids.
**2. Arashiyama bamboo guest house (55,650 yen for 2 nights + 1200 yen tax) 8/10**
Prime location 1 min away from JR station, Lawson and walking distances to the local tourist strip, Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji and Togetsukyo Bridge. However the room is located on the 3rd floor with no lift so it can be a challenge for kids and older folk. The owner was kind enough to carry our 2 X 20kg luggage up and speaks a little English. The stay was rather comfortable even with futons to sleep on while my MIL slept on one of the single beds. We are unlikely returning to Arashiyama but would recommend this place if it suits your budget.
**3. Kamoya Ryokan (35,400 yen for 2 nights + 2000 yen tax) 7.5/10**
Not as central as the other accommodations but still within 10 mins walking distance to JR and bus lines. This is a shared accommodation so fridge, microwave and hot/ cold water is in the common area but we have a private bathroom to use. There are no beds so we all slept side by side on futons in the same room. For some reason kids are also taxed to stay a night here (200 yen) but the host was super friendly, spoke a bit of basic English and helped us with ordering a taxi when we checked out. For the price this is not a bad place for short term stay if cosleeping on futons together as a family is acceptable. Bonus: the okonomiyaki place next door is quite good albeit requiring a bit more effort to communicate but is worth it as plenty of locals seem to frequent there and our kids love the yakisoba.
**4. Best Western Hotel Fino Osaka Shinsaibashi (40,450 yen for 3 nights) 8/10**
Functional hotel relatively close to Shinsaibashi shopping street and Dotombori. 1 min walk away from Osaka metro station and 7 Eleven. There’s also a 24 hour laundromat 5 mins walk away. Facilities are bare minimal but gets the job done as we only needed the place to crash and freshen up since there’s a lot of shopping and remaining sightseeing to be done. All reception staff spoke English well and check in/ out was rather smooth. I would consider staying again if the rooms were larger but can’t complain at this price point and location.
**List of eateries we consider returning**
* Yasaiya Mei
* Ejuan
* Kijurou
* Ozuru
* Upit’s Burger
* Ramen Chabuton
* Okonomiyaki Yoshino
* Mizuya Chaya
* Yoshinoya & Hanamaru
**Highlight of each day for the kids**
1. Wandering around Life supermarket and exploring a new accommodation
2. Running around 300m above ground at the Abeno Harukas sky garden while having fruits/ snacks in between
3. Visiting Kimono Forest after dinner, watching the randen pass by at the crossing
4. Running around at Arashiyama park and watching the majestic Katsura river flowing rapidly
5. The outdoor playground at Kyoto railway museum among many other fun things there
6. The playground at Wagener Square across Heian Jingu
7. Interacting with deer and eating udon outdoors
8. Seeing different sea animals up close and ferris wheel ride after
9. Making friends at BorneLund and having imaginary play together despite the language barrier
# Lessons learned (not in chronological order)
**General tips**
* We prepared about 160,000 yen cash before arriving at Japan but also have money via 1 x transfer wise debit card (digital), 1 x Westpac credit card (digital), 1 x ING debit card (physical). We ended up withdrawing a further 200,000 yen worth of cash. We opted not to bring any AUD as the rate is quite poor in Japan since most would prefer foreign exchangers would prefer USD.
* We didn’t get to use our digital cards as most places in Kansai (Kanto might be different) that offer card payments still requires a physical card to read the chip.
* Please remember to bring the physical card of the credit card used for any online booking to avoid the stress I endured on day 3.
* We booked all the transit tickets online about a month prior and find it worthwhile rather than spending 15 – 30 mins in queue at the ticket counters. The limited express tickets go crazy fast and I recommend booking them the hour they become available (1 month prior your transit date and as soon as it is open in Japan time).
* We booked all 4 accommodations via [booking.com](http://booking.com/) and find the messenger via the app very handy in liaising with the owner/ receptionist on whether we can offload our luggage earlier or forward our luggage a few days in advance. One of them even told me that I can check in few hours earlier as the room was ready. Regardless of what platform you use, try to communicate with the accommodation prior your arrival if you are considering forwarding luggage or dropping them off before your official check in time.
* Booking multiple accommodations over a short span of time is very tiring as we are needing to worry about getting our luggage from A to B every second day but only able to check in the next place 5 – 6 hours after checking out the previous place (Most checkin starts from 3pm and checkout from 10am). Our transition days are always stressful as we don’t get to do much due to the timing while handling multiple baggage so the kids are crankier.
* Rubbish/ garbage cans are mainly found on major train stations or shopping malls as well as konbinis. Most vending machines only have a recycle bin but we have plenty of disposable nappy bags which we use as rubbish bags if needed.
* We had 3 data Sims about 5GB each which was sufficient for the 9 days (navigation, Google translate, WhatsApp voice call). Free wifi is available at most places which we use whenever we need to photo dump on WhatsApp group chats or play YouTube for the kids.
* My eSim stopped working when we arrived at Kyoto from Osaka but luckily I tried rebooting my phone and it connected to the local network after. Another down side of data only Sim is there is no Japanese mobile number which can be handy (make reservations at restaurants or signing up for taxi apps to get taxi).
* We use Google Maps and Japan Travel by NAVITIME App to plan our overall route each day, public transit details is quite clear via Google Maps with several options for different JR/ metro/ bus lines. While Japan Travel App is able to approximate cost of taxi which was useful for comparison.
* For translation, we used DeepL app when we wanted to converse with someone in Japanese and Google Translate for written Japanese translation via the camera.
* In Osaka, getting around via JR and Metro is optimal in terms of time and cost; In Kyoto, buses are more readily available but be prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder as the buses are not big and averages around 30 – 50 people. We recommend a taxi if travelling a short distance (<10 minutes) for a family that can fit into a single car.
* You can forward luggage at your hotel or local 7 eleven via Yamato transport within Osaka.
* The Jikan refreshing legs patch worked well for me but my wife got woken up few times as her feet felt cold due to the cooling effect. We got some heat patches the next day and it worked better for her.
* A few Japanese phrases go along way and perhaps it’s why we mostly get friendly responses (arigato gozaimas, ohaiyo, konnichiwa, kore onegaishimas, doitashi mashite, hitotsu onegaishimas, daijorbudes, kodomo).
* The basement level of most department stores/ shopping malls sells a variety of package deserts and often a bakery opened till 8pm where we sometimes go to after dinner to get brekky for the next morning.
* Some malls have an express lift (stops only at 1F and 10F) and it may be quicker to use those in combination with escalators to get to the level you like quickly.
* Coin lockers are found is almost every major attraction and JR station but finding a large one that is available can be challenging so allow extra time. Most coin lockers only take 100 yen coins with the exception of newer ones which also takes IC cards as payment.
* Some food courts have drinkable water for you to refill your bottles but otherwise vending machines and konbinis will quench your hydration needs (the peach drink is pretty addictive).
* Other than [Booking.com](http://booking.com/), Google maps, Google Translate, DeepL and Japan Travel by NAVITIME, we didn’t really used the other apps we downloaded before hand but you might find a use for them: Mamamap, NERV, Ecbo cloak, Klook.
**Child related tips**
* Younger kids take awhile to acclimatize to a foreign environment and our kids were more lethargic than they normally are during the day, sometimes needing 2 naps instead of 1 so be prepared to adjust your plans and skip over some places that were catered specifically for them if needed.
* Google maps only tells you the distance to get you from Point A to Point B horizontally. Unfortunately it doesn’t consider the routes involving travelling multiple floors to avoid heavy traffic even with wheelchair access enabled. For instance you can go across Tenshiba Garden from JR Tennoji via the overhead bridge (not ideal as the route is longer with a stroller) or underground (best with a stroller but unfortunately Google Maps doesn’t show this route and we stumble across it by chance).
* Google maps navigation over multiple floors is also not very accurate but the local directory maps are very informative so take extra time to study it and find the nearest access (parents room, lift or exit to above ground/ underground).
* The lift (singular as most train station platforms only share one lift unless it’s a major one like Osaka/ Kyoto etc), are often located at one end of the platform so allow additional 15 – 20 minutes when travelling with strollers or luggage.
* Most department stores/ shopping malls (Daimaru etc) have a floor suitable for kids with toy samples for playing and sometimes even a free play area (Bornelund).
* Our kids love the Butaman from Horai and we probably purchased from 5 different stores throughout the trip (they are located at almost every major station and department store). Find something that works for your kids that can be found readily (7-11, family mart, Lawson’s, daily Yamazaki etc) as back up when they didn’t want to eat where you were dining at or if they fell asleep and skipped a meal.
* 100 yen stores (Daiso, 3 coins, Seria, Can\*Do, Watts) have plenty of cheap kid activities (e.g. sticker books, puzzles, bubble wand etc) that can entertain them throughout the day/ in restaurants/ in the shower/ in the accommodation before bed etc.
* Paid Attractions in Kansai that are worthwhile if your kids are under 5 (6 and above may be charged separately): Tennoji Zoo, Abeno Harukas 300, Kyoto Railway Museum, Osaka Kaiyukan, Tempozan Ferris Wheel.
* Other brekky alternatives that we liked apart from konbinis/ bakeries were MOS burgers and Doutor coffee. Gyudons (sukiya, matsuya, yoshinoya) morning menu was a bit too heavy for our kids and other options we would have tried were too far from where we stayed (Tully’s, McDonalds, KoHiKan).
* Some places require you order a main meal per adult but we are small eaters so we make sure what we ordered was something our kids might eat (not spicy etc).
* Tabelog is useful to tell you the size of the restaurant and we avoided anywhere that seats less than 20 people to save time.
* We tried to eat at a restaurant for lunch and dinner the first few days but actually realize the kids enjoy munching on small eats from konbinis/ street vendors more than a casual sit down meal so we were a bit more spontaneous the second half of the trip.
* Watch out for deer poo at Nara especially when pushing your stroller! Most of the deer are quite friendly and let you pet them but don’t touch their tail area as they can get defensive. If your kids are feeding away the crackers too quickly, break them in half so you have more ‘ammunition’.
* Metro and JR Trains (including limited express ones) stop for less than 10 seconds. Please remember to unlock your stroller when you are approaching your next stop and prepare to jump out.
by justAnotherCK