Hello, I’m planning for a 12 day trip with my wife and 1 year old son for 20 Sep – 1 Oct. My wife and I have gone to Japan together (Osaka -> Kyoto -> Tokyo), but this would be our first time traveling with our son.
Our previous trip was super packed, and we walked 20-25k steps/day, this time round I’m thinking to take a slower pace (10-15k steps/day?) given we probably need frequent breaks to feed our son / nap time.
My thought was to base ourselves in Tokyo area given easy direct flight in/out of the country, and will just do side-trips to surrounding cities in a more leisurely pace rather than trying to pack too many cities/moving frequently.
**Here’s my initial itinerary. Would appreciate your thoughts/comments.**
20th (D1/Wed): Arrive in NRT, Check in at hotel in Ueno station area + take it easy for rest of the day
21st (D2/Thu): Ueno (Ueno Park, Ueno Zoo, Ameyokocho); Asakusa (Sensoji Temple, Nakamise dori)
22nd (D3/Fri): Akihabara (otaku + electronics shopping, arcade) & Ginza (Ginza 6,
23rd (D4/Sat): Yokohama Day Trip (Cup Noodle Museum, Brick Warehouse, Yamashita Park, Chinatown) \[Activate JR Tokyo Wide Pass\]
24th (D5/Sun): Take 9AM train to Karuizawa, Check in at hotel in Karuizawa, Explore Karuizawa (Kumoba Pond, Old Ginza St, Harunire Terrace)
25th (D6/Mon): Shiraito Falls, Prince Shopping Plaza, Take afternoon train to Shinjuku, Check in at hotel in Shinjuku, dinner in shinjuku area \[JR Tokyo Wide Pass expires\]
26th (D7/Tue): Shopping day at Shinjuku + Shinjuku Gyoen
27th (D8/Wed): Shopping day at Shibuya + Shimokitazawa
28th (D9/Thu): Take Bus/Train to Kawaguchiko (leave our big luggages in hotel), Check in at hotel in Kawaguchiko, Saiko Iyashi no Sato Nenba, Enjoy hotel Onsen at night
29th (D10/Fri): Oshino Hakkai, Yamanakako Hananomiyako Park, Fuji Ropeway
30th (D11/Sat): Take Bus/Train back to Shinjuku, Check in at hotel in Shinjuku, last minute shopping in Shinjuku & Ikebukuro area
1st (D12/Sun): Check out of hotel in Shinjuku, Fly back out of NRT
​
A few questions that I have:
1. Other day trips I’m considering are Enoshima/Kamakura or Hitachi Seaside Park. Are these worth going in place of Yokohama day trip?
2. I’m also debating between Kawaguchiko and Hakone. I’ve been to both but my wife/son hasn’t. It seems that Hakone is easier to get to & more Ryokan availability, but Kawaguchiko seems to have better view of Mt. Fuji.
3. For Shinjuku->Kawaguchiko, it seems better to take the Fuji Limited Express with a baby rather than the highway bus? Has anyone with a baby taken the highway bus before? To save money, would it be worth going from Karuizawa to Kawaguchiko on day 6 (JR Tokyo Wide Pass still active) until Day 8 then just stay in Shinjuku Day 8 – 12?
4. Any other interesting locations that I should go that would be fun with a 1-year old boy?
2 comments
>Cup Noodle Museum
Please note that several of the attractions have age restrictions, so you won’t be able to participate in all activities with your son. Please check the website for age restrictions for the different activities to make sure you are able to participate in the activities you want.
>1. Other day trips I’m considering are Enoshima/Kamakura or Hitachi Seaside Park. Are these worth going in place of Yokohama day trip?
That’s 100% preference. Yokohama is lovely, but it’s a big city and of course a very different atmosphere from Kamakura. Pick whichever you prefer. City Vs more traditional atmosphere
>1. I’m also debating between Kawaguchiko and Hakone. I’ve been to both but my wife/son hasn’t. It seems that Hakone is easier to get to & more Ryokan availability, but Kawaguchiko seems to have better view of Mt. Fuji.
That’s basically it. Hakone is very hilly, so that may be difficult with a kid.
>1. For Shinjuku->Kawaguchiko, it seems better to take the Fuji Limited Express with a baby rather than the highway bus? Has anyone with a baby taken the highway bus before? To save money, would it be worth going from Karuizawa to Kawaguchiko on day 6 (JR Tokyo Wide Pass still active) until Day 8 then just stay in Shinjuku Day 8 – 12?
I’ve never taken a highway bus with my baby. But I wouldn’t want to for a longer trip. For a couple of hours it should be fine, but longer I wouldn’t consider it. Trains are so much more convenient with small kids, you can move around if the kid is restless for example, and the facilities for diaper change are so much better.
>1. Any other interesting locations that I should go that would be fun with a 1-year old boy?
My baby is soon 1, and she likes anywhere where there are dogs, doves etc. Parks are perfect. It’s better if you consider what you guys want to do, since the baby won’t remember anyways, and rather add some stuff on the way that he likes. What does he like? Train museum, zoo, playgrounds, toy stores? Just throw some of that in between the stuff you guys want to see. But make sure to check all your restaurants, hotels, attractions to see if they are suitable for a 1 year old. Some restaurants will not allow kids under 6.
Check out these websites for lots of baby/toddler friendly travel tips and restaurant recommendations. If you search the first few links below for the city name or neighborhood/area name you’ll find some great ideas and tips. Best to get your #1 thing to see/do done early in the day so anything wise after that is just a bonus since it’s hard to know how the day will go with a baby/toddler.
– [Best Living Japan](https://bestlivingjapan.com/category/travel/)
– [The Tokyo Chapter (has info on other cities too)](https://www.thetokyochapter.com)
– [Passports and Playgrounds](https://passportsandplaygrounds.com/)
– [Best Living: Baby and Toddler Fun](https://bestlivingjapan.com/category/age/baby-toddler-fun/)
[Department stores](https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2020/10/baby-tokyo-department-stores-take-your-children/ ) will also be your friend. They have mother/baby rooms where you can breastfeed in privacy as public breastfeeding is not common in Japan. The rooms also have a microwave to warm up bottles/food and baby changing areas. There are usually one or two floors of restaurants on the top floors that are easy to eat at with a wide array of foods and, especially during the day, there will be other diners with small children in many of them. In the basement floors there are awesome food halls where you can get high quality takeaway food to eat at your lodging if you need a midday rest or for dinner. Much better selection than konbini fare. You may find it easier (and a bit cheaper) to have your main/large/nicest meal at lunch too. After lunch, if you’re lucky, your toddler may nap in the stroller so you can explore a bit. For baby products check [Japanese Drug Stores](https://jw-webmagazine.com/5-best-japanese-drugstores-cc1305f73a77/), Don Quiojte stores, or search Google maps for the nearest Aeon or Toys/Babies R Us.
– [Baby Diapers in Japan: Complete Buying Guide](https://sightseeandsushi.com/baby-diapers-in-japan-guide/)
– [Pull-Up Diapers in Japan](https://tinytotintokyo.com/pull-up-diapers-for-babies-in-japan)
– [Guide to Baby Formula in Japan](https://bestlivingjapan.com/guide-to-baby-formula-in-japan/)
– [Guide to Japanese Baby Food](https://bestlivingjapan.com/guide-japanese-baby-food-brands-types-ingredients/)
– [Japanese Medicine Cabinet Essentials for Babies](https://bestlivingjapan.com/japanese-medicine-cabinet-essentials-baby-kids/)
– [25 Baby Products Japan](https://matcha-jp.com/en/)
– [10 Best Gifts From Japan for Babies and Toddlers](https://bestlivingjapan.com/the-10-best-gifts-from-japan-for-babies-and-toddlers/)
You can also use the wheelchair accessible option in Google maps to make it (a bit) easier to find the elevators for your stroller in train/subway stations.
– [Tokyo Now Has Wheelchair Accessible Routes in Google Maps](https://www.accessible-japan.com/tokyo-now-has-wheelchair-accessible-routes-in-google-maps/)
Don’t forget to build in playground time and/or children’s museum time for toddlers/young kids. They need time to crawl/run and not be strapped in the stroller or baby carrier. Bonus, if they get tired enough they may nap in the stroller so you can better enjoy your next stop.
– [Tokyo Baby and Kids Playgrounds](https://bestlivingjapan.com/top-10-recommended-baby-and-kids-parks-in-tokyo/)
– [Tokyo’s Retro Playgrounds](https://www.thetokyochapter.com/tokyos-retro-playgrounds/)
– [Japan Playgrounds and Play Centers](https://bestlivingjapan.com/category/attractions-in-japan/playgrounds-and-play-centers/)
– [10 Best Children’s Museums in Tokyo](https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/museums/best-museums-in-tokyo-for-kids-and-families)
Happy Planning!