My family and I plan to visit Japan towards the end of next year ( perhaps mid-end of Nov or beginning of Dec) with my elderly mother (75). We’ll be flying into Osaka, heading up to Kyoto and then ending in Tokyo. For the most part she can walk on her own, but after too much walking her knees will get sore and she will probably need a wheelchair (we’re bringing our own) about midway thru the day.
I have these questions:
1. What activities are there to do/see for an 11 year old boy besides USJ and Disneyland? He likes turtles & war videogames Thanks! 🙂
2. Does this itinerary seem doable with a wheelchair?
3. Will the Osaka Metro Pass and Kyoto Subway and Bus pass cover most of these trips in the Kansai area?
I’m open to any advice/tips to make this itinerary more smooth sailing and would like recommendations for other places I can check out within the areas listed below.
Day 1: Fly into ITM around 8a; Our hotel check in is not til 3p so I figure we can explore Namba Yasaka Shrine and Tsutenkaku/Shinsekai area. Go back to the hotel and rest.
Day 2:
-AM- Katsuoji Temple
-Midday- Osaka Castle
(If my mom gets tired, she’ll go back to the hotel, while the rest of us will go to Dotonbori for the night scene)
-Evening- Dotonbori/ Hozenji Temple
Day3:
-Pack up and head to Kyoto
-Drop off luggage at hotel and head to Yasaka Shrine area (rent kimonos and explore the area for the rest of the day)
Day4:
-AM- Nishiki Market for lunch
-Midday-Samurai Ninja Museum tour
-Fushimi Inari
Day 5:
-Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
-Walk to Adashino Nenbutsuji from Otagi
-Take a ride to Arashiyama Bamboo grove and Kameyama Park (If Mom isn’t too tired, otherwise might just call it a day)
Day 6:
-Pack up early in the AM and head to Tokyo
-Drop luggages off at hotel
-Midday- Nakamise-dori Street and Sensoji Temple
-explore the river area around Tokyo Skytree (if time permits)
Day 7:
Mt Fuji day trip
-Oishi Park/ Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center
-Chureito Pagoda (this one I’m really concerned about wheelchair accessibility and all those stairs 😬- is there a better way to get there? If not, I may have to omit this from our plans)
-travel back to Tokyo
Day 8:
-Tokyu Kabukicho Tower
-Shibuya Scramble and Shibuya Sky
-(I might save this for Day 10) Starbucks Reserve Roastery
Day 9:
Spend the day in Yokohama
-AM- Cup Noodle Museum
-Midday- Yokohama Chinatown
-Evening- Yokohama Landmark Tower observation deck in the evening for panoramic views of the city
-Night- travel back to Tokyo
Day 10
-Last day in Japan. Free day, most likely spend the day shopping for last minute souvenirs.
Day 11
-Fly back home
5 comments
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For Chureito Pagoda, there’s a path with stairs and a path to the side that’s either concrete or gravel (I can’t remember which, maybe someone else can recall) but maybe you could take her up in the wheelchair on that path instead?
For the kid, you could consider the Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise. Plenty of turtles (if I recall correctly you can feed the turtles in one part). It’s a Sea-world lite with more aquarium / zoo features.
I’ve only been to Otagi Nenbutsuji once many years ago but I vaguely remember there were a lot of stairs and steep uphill ramps before getting to the area with all the statues. Not 100% sure though but maybe you can find some youtube videos with a temple walk through from the starting gate to check if your mom can enjoy it.
Adashino Nenbutsu-ji iirc was fairly flat.
I think it’s great your mom is open to bringing a wheelchair so she can stay out with you when she gets physically tired. My family and I just got back and I wish my mom had brought a cane or walking stick (I think she was too proud).
Will that be difficult to carry with you? You may look into whether any of the sights you plan to visit offer free wheelchairs so you don’t have to carry it all the time. Or, if it’s small enough to fit in a taxi trunk (think older Toyota Corolla size) you should be good.
I calibrated to my family’s walking abilities and we found a “step budget” that worked for everyone (10-15k max, but spryer folks could do more). I would check throughout the day to see how far into the budget we got — some days there would be extra walking we didn’t expect (such as, to the end of a long platform with the escalator or elevators, or following a sign to a taxi stand that wasn’t in service).
Based on what you’ve shared, a few things came to mind:
– I’m not sure where you’ll be traveling from/how long your journey will be, but my parents (who were the oldest, in their mid-70s) experienced much more challenging jet lag recovery than the rest of the group. You may consider inquiring whether the hotel would allow one guest to check in early or if she can rest in the lobby beforehand.
– Since Kyoto Station is a major transfer point for a lot of travelers, allow time for taking the elevators. The platform elevators often had a line, some of various physical ability and others with large luggage. It’s probably good general advice to allow time for this regardless of what station you’re in, but it seemed more prominent on our 4 times through this station than others.
– The Osaka Castle grounds/park is charming and nice people-watching even if she is too tired to go inside the castle. There’s a rooftop cafe in the courtyard next to the castle with nice views.