Hello, everyone! Next March, I’m hoping to take my family on a vacation to Japan. I’m going with my wife and our four daughters (the oldest will be a senior in high school and the youngest will be in second grade). This will be our first international trip as a whole family together — also maybe the last, since it took us many years to save up for this one and since a few of the girls will be graduating and starting college over the next four years. We have our flights booked (with insurance/cancellations) and our hotels booked (double rooms for each night, free cancellations). We would greatly appreciate your advice, guidance, recommendations, and any other input on our planned itinerary.
TOKYO (staying in Sotetsu Fresa Inn Ginza)
March 4: Arrive in Tokyo from El Paso, TX
March 5: See the Imperial Palace, eat at Tokyo Ramen Street, and wander around Akihabara
March 6: Wander around Yanaka Ginzo, the Asakusa District, and check out Senso-Ji
March 7: Tama Zoological Park
March 8: Ghibli Museum and wander about Inokashira Park, Shibuya Crossing and Shopping District
March 9: Samurai Museum, walk around the Nakameguro area and eat some Kaiten Sushi
KYOTO (staying in Mercure Kyoto Station)
March 10: Spend the afternoon in Fujiyoshida to see Chureito Pagoda and the flowers at Yamanakako and then head to the hotel in Kyoto in the evening
March 11: Kyoto International Manga Museum, Ippodo Tea, and check out the Nishiki Market
March 12: Check out the Arashiyama monkey park, bamboo forest, and hot springs
March 13: Wander the Kyoto Botanical Garden and see Kinkaku-Ji
March 14: Wander around Sanneizaka, see Higashiyama Jisho-ji, and eat around Pontocho Alley
OSAKA (staying in Namba Oriental Hotel)
March 15 (my birthday): See the Ohatsu Tenjin Shrine and Osaka Castle, wander around Shinsaibashi-Suji and Dotonbori
March 16: Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
March 17: Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum, catch a part of the Sumo Spring Grand Tournament
HIROSHIMA (staying in the Knot Hiroshima)
March 18: See Hiroshima Castle and look at the ocean
March 19: Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Atomic Bomb Dome, Shukkei-en, and Okonomimura for dinner
March 20: Mount Gokurakuji
March 21: Take the train back to Tokyo and the plane back to El Paso
I’d love to hear what you all think. Too many temples? Should we go to Disneyland? Is it going to be hard to travel between the cities? Is Fujiyoshida too out of the way? Are some of these ideas actually lame? Am I missing anything cool? Etc.
Thank you very much for your help!
9 comments
Looks pretty nice. The only thing I’m thinking is you’ll be leaving just as cherry blossom season picks up. I know it’s hard to get everyone’s schedule aligned but I’d start the trip closer to your bday if possible so you can see the cherry blossoms.
Tokyo part, seems ok. Samurai Museum in Shinjuku closed and it is unknown it it will reopen in the futur when foreign tourism is back.
If anything, I would pair Ghibli Museum with Shinjuku as they are linked by a train line. And I would do Shibuya and Nakameguro on the same day as they are closer to each other.
I would add Shibuya Sky while in Shibuya.
I would suggest to do Fujiyoshida/Kawaguchiko as a daytrip from Tokyo and not a stop between Tokyo and Kyoto. While it is geographically between the two cities, it is not when you consider transportation. From Kawaguchiko, going to Kyoto you will either have to either backtrack toward Tokyo to take the shinkansen at Shin-Yokohama station or take a bus to reach Mishima station.
Kyoto, manga museum I’ve heard that a big thing is their manga collection… in Japanese. It might be nice if there is an exhibition about a manga or artist that you like, otherwise, maybe don’t have too much expectation.
Instead of Hiroshima castle and Shukkei-en, I would stop by Himeji on the way and check that castle (that is an original castle) and Koko-en garden.
Instead of Mount Gokurakuji, I would really go to Miyajima.
Considering it take about 4h30 to move from Hiroshima to Tokyo, I would avoid doing it on the day you fly out of Tokyo. I would consider doing Miyajima the 19, peace museum morning of 20 and go back to Tokyo in the afternoon.
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I personally really like temple and shrines but for some people, after 2-3, it’s getting all the same. So if you are afraid that this can happen, then get some back-up plans.
Disneyland… no, apparently the unique one is Disneysea. I would highly consider it instead of the zoo.
No it is not especially hard to move between cities, most of the time it’s just a single shinkansen ride. To move luggage, you can either use a forwarding service or you can bring them with you on the train, but check because you need to book specific spot if you carry large luggage on the shinkansen.
Fujiyoshida is not too out of the way, it is just not a good stop between Tokyo and Kyoto. I would rather do it as a day trip from Tokyo. If you decide to not go and don’t to change your hotel reservation, then you can consider doing something in Kyoto on that day and take the extra day to do a day trip to Nara to see the deer (and don’t miss Todai-ji).
-Should we go to Disneyland: My personal opinion, strong no. While I have not been personally, by all accounts, it’s just Disneyland, and in many ways is designed to be pretty much like the Park in the US. I think that the best part of international travel is seeing and experiencing things that you cannot experience back home.
-Jet Lag: Since this is your first time doing international travel as a whole family, just be aware that jet lag is going to be rough, especially with 6 of you, there’s a good chance that your sleep is going to be messed up for several days, and you’ll want to take it easy.
-Kyoto: I think you’re missing out big time if you skip the Fushimi Inari Shrine (and really the entire complex, it’s a whole small mountain). It’s an absolute highlight of Kyoto, and one of the more unique sites in all of Japan in my opinion. You will inevitably find that many shrines and temples in Japan share a lot of similarities, if you go to enough of them they will even start to blend together in your mind (this is often jokingly called “temple fatigue”). Fushimi Inari (and the hike up Mt. Inari under thousands of Torii gates) is unlike anything else. Definitely worth a good 2-4 hours – I recommend 4 to really have time to soak it in. The other place I would consider is the Kiyomizaderu temple complex. I think your plans on March 11, 12 and 13 are all light enough that you could add one other major attraction like the above.
-Hiroshima: Have you considered doing a day at Miyajima? If you get to Hiroshima early on March 18 it might be worth knocking out all of the city attractions and then spend a day on Miyajima, I think Miyajima, especially if you take the time to really explore the island (not just the little busy area surrounding where the ferry lands), is a really wonderful experience.
-Shoes/fitness/hiking: I don’t know anything about your family, whether you are active hearty hiker types or not, but every Japan Guide worth its salt will mention how much walking is involved in a big Japan trip. It will sneak up on you, but between walking around different sights, walking to and from subway/train/bus stations, etc., the miles really add up. This can be particularly tough for younger kids who might not have as much of the “tough it out” mentality (by the end of my first 30 day Japan trip I think I had a combined 10 or so blisters between my feet). Bring several pairs of comfortable, well-worn-in shoes that are suited for long hikes, maybe try taking some longer hikes as a family in the months leading up. I know this can sound a bit silly, but it can really make or break a big trip like this.
-Transportation: The big question here is whether you are planning to rent a car (or I should say van, with 6 of you) or not. With 6 people it may actually save you a *lot* of money over the train. With your itinerary it’s *probably* worth getting the 14 day JR Rail pass, but only barely, and they’re not cheap (but inidividual train tickets between Tokyo -> Kyoto/Osaka (they are so close you can take inexpensive local trains) -> Hiroshima -> Tokyo will run you even more). However, driving between these places is *way* slower than taking the bullet trains so I would go by train unless the monetary savings makes a big difference. If you go with the trains, they are extremely easy. Between these major cities trains run regularly, and with the JR pass you can just show up at the station at your leisure and get a ticket for the next train usually quite easily (or you can always book in advance also). Boarding is simple, generally all of the major train stations will have some amount of tourist help if you get turned around, and security is non-existent (in contrast to airports).
Disney sea, hell yes!! Wouldn’t do the zoo. Osaka aquarium is wonderful though!
Do you have a guide for Kyoto?
We had a blast when we visited Arashiyama prepandemic.
I recommend you enter Tenriyuji temple grounds and enjoy the view of the small lake and then exit through its North Gate to enter the Bamboo Forest. I highly recommend TOEI Kyoto Studio Park ([https://global.toei-eigamura.com/](https://global.toei-eigamura.com/)) near Arashiyama. Its a nice alternative to (or in addition to) a visit to a “western” theme park.
After Kinkakuji Temple, you can see early-blooming cherry blossoms at Hirano Shrine, which is about a 20-minute walk from Kinkakuji Temple.
You will also be able to see early blooming cherry blossoms at Kyoto Botanical Garden.
Then, on March 14, the Seiryue will be held at Kiyomizu-dera Temple, located up the 3-year slope, starting at 2:00 pm.
If you get there around 1:30 p.m., you can get a good vantage point to see the event.
I don’t see the page in English.
https://www.kiyomizudera.or.jp/event/seiryu_e.php
The dragon will return to the main hall at the end of the day, so you may as well wait in the main hall.
Since you say you are traveling as a family with children, I think it would be a good idea to plan a trip for children.
Since you are planning to visit Tokyo, Fujiyoshida, and Osaka, it might be Daddy Cool if you include Disneyland, Fujikyu Highland, or Osaka Universal Japan as options, respectively.
By the way, Disneyland in Japan does not serve alcoholic beverages, but DisneySea does, so if you feel like having a drink, you can go there.
Fujikyu Highland is a unique attraction in Japan, so it might be worth a visit. Osaka Universal Studios Japan has events that are only available in Japan, so please check in advance.
Also, if you go to Hiroshima, I recommend Onomichi. Onomichi is a town with emotional streets that will make you feel as if you have been left behind in the flow of time. Take a leisurely stroll.
I wish you a very enjoyable trip to Japan. 😛
Considering that you have four daughters of different age and I presume different interests – it may be actually in your best interest to split up on some days.
To comment on your itinerary:
March 5 – skip the Imperial Palace tour, especially since the tour is on the exterior of the buildings – you may instead go Tsukiji Outer Market for a nice family breakfast. I would advise you to expect very long wait time at Tokyo Ramen Street during lunch hour if you expect to get six people seated, so you may want to split into two groups of three. Tokyo Character Street on the same side of the station should be a hit with your kids.
As far as wandering around Akihabara – unless both of the adults in the group have a keen interest in electronics/Japanese pop culture related stuff – you probably want to split into two groups based on maturity level and interests of your kids. There is fair number of adult content about and in some places – it’s not that clearly marked.
March 6 – you may want to end up at Skytree in the early evening (regardless of whether you’d go to the observation deck).
March 7 – To be frank, a day trip to Kairakuen in Mita to enjoy plum blossoms would make actually more sense than going to a fairly uninspiring zoo.
March 9 – Samurai Museum is closed at the moment and it will take a significant time to re-open as 90%+ of the exhibits are loans from society members and are not stored locally. Also note that unless your kids enjoy Japanese history, samurai culture and art of sword-/armorsmithing – they may not enjoy it very much. Going to Sunshine City planetarium or Snoopy Museum in Machida may be much nicer day out.
March 10: I think it’s absolutely abysmal idea to try to visit Fuji Five Lakes area on your way to Kyoto. If you are using JR Pass, it will take you 5 hours+ to navigate via Otsuki, Hachioji and Shin-Yokohama to Kyoto. The bus to Mihara is typically a non-starter for group of six people. And this is assuming you use Kuro Neko or other luggage service.
March 11: Unless all your kids are extremely interested in manga art – Manga Museum would be a skip – it holds primarily Japanese manga collections and I think that the kids would be bored. Frankly, the kids would have more fun in TOEI Kyoto Studio Park.
March 12/13: Any actual reason to hit Kyoto Botanical Garden? Frankly I would combine Arashiyama and Kinkaku-ji (even with kids) and go on the next to visit Hikone (it’s more kid-friendly than Himeji).
March 14: Unless you book with specific restaurant around Pontocho – you would be very lucky to get seating for six. Especially when your youngest is around 8/9. Izakayas and frankly most of non-family restaurants are not really designed with kids under 12/13 in mind.
March 15: If you are visiting other castles (and you should be either Himeji or Hikone – see above), Osaka-jo is a horrible concrete reconstruction with a fairly nice garden and decent historical museum focusing on Toyotomi family. Ohatsu Tenjin shrine is a 10 minute visit that really makes only if you are visiting arcades next door for a drink, HEP Five, or Umeda Sky Building.
March 16: Kaiyukan takes about 2-2½ hours (maybe 3½ with lunch and ferris wheel).
March 17: This is assuming you can score six tickets in advance.
March 18: Hiroshima castle is perfectly skippable. Hiroshima Bay is about 30 minutes away from Knot Hiroshima by tram. To look at the actual open waters of the Pacific, you’d have go to by train to Nobeoka, Kochi or Kii-Tanabe.
March 19: Note that you may need to split in Okonomimura to be accommodated in a decent time.
March 20: Any signifcant reason, why you are choosing Mt. Gokurakuji over Miyajima and Mt. Misen?
March 21: Under the very best circumstance it takes 4½ hours (5 with JR Pass) to get from Hiroshima to Haneda by train. 5½ hours (6 hours+ with JR Pass) to get from Hiroshima to Narita by train. Considering that it will take you at least 14½ hours+ and two flights to get to El Paso – this is an irrational decision. Frankly, I would skip March 18 plans entirely and replace them with 19th plans, on March 19th I would visit Miyajima and on March 20th I would head for Tokyo to get some gift shopping done (Shibuya department stores, Donki etc.) and then get a night of good sleep.
Since cherry blossoms are coming increasingly early, the last day could be used on walking through Shinjuku Gyoen, or Meguro River seeing blossoms opening and just chilling before taking a flight home.