July 2022 with 5 year old

11 comments

1. I can’t comment on Tokyo as I’ve only been there a couple of times. But I lived in Osaka for quite a long time and 4 days (2 full days) should be enough and I definitely recommend a day or 2 in Kyoto. You can get there easily from JR Osaka Station (JR Kyoto Line) for Kyoto station or from Keihan Kyobashi Station (Keihan Line) for the eastern part of the city. I think most 5 year olds would enjoy visiting the railway museum in Kyoto and visiting the Aquarium in Osaka ~~(it has to my knowledge the only whale shark in captivity)~~

   You probably already know but July is dangerously hot. Try to avoid outside activities and prepare accordingly.

   Edit: Because you mentioned Tenjin festival.
   I enjoyed some parts and it’s a great experience. The part that most people come to see is on the last night. You can try lots of different street food and see fireworks along the Ō River. The downside is the heat and so many people you can barely move. If you have the chance, book a space in a seating area or even on a boat it’ll make your experience much better. Take a handheld electric fan and bottles of water.

2. Mid-late July is a MASSIVE festival season in Kansai–the Tenjin Festival is a major part of that, but it is just one part. In addition to the Tenjin Festival, this includes the Gion Festival (all of July, but especially the 15th-17th and 22nd-24th), Motomiya Festival (July 21st-22nd), and Mitarashi Festival (last 10 or so days of July). I also highly recommend Kobo-san at Toji on the 21st and/or Tenjin-san at Kitanotenmangu on the 25th, though I wouldn’t sacrifice going to the Tenjin Festival just to go to Tenjin-san Market. These festivals are among the only good reasons I can think of to suffer through the heat of summer if going at another time of year is feasible. Ordinarily I recommend roughly a full week just for a quick run-through of the highlights of Kansai, but given the sweltering heat of the late summer and the extra time needed for festivals, I would give it more like 10 full days if you’re going around this time (again, just as a starting point). Right now you have about 5 days set aside for this, which I think would be very tight even just for the highlights during a time of year when the weather is much nicer and there were no special events going on.

   Having said all of that, I have never done any of this with young children. There are definitely activities for children at these events–particularly at the Mitarashi Festival and Yoiyama (evening festivals on the nights before the Yamaboko Junko), but the Tenjin Festival can get really nuts. This is particularly true in the evening, as crowds start making their way towards the riverside for the fireworks. I have never in my life experienced crowds quite as dense as the ones moving toward the O River bridges in the heat of a July 25th evening. For an adult it can be a lot, but for a small child it could be terrifying. That’s not to say you shouldn’t go, but you might want to make a point of not going to see the fireworks unless you’re shelling out for a seat on a boat or something.

3. I can’t contribute any suggestions but I will be eagerly awaiting people’s responses as I’ve got a 1 year old who’d I’d like to take to Japan when he’s a few years older 🙂

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5. Japan in July is extremely hot and humid.

   I don’t know how your child fares in extreme heat, but I myself would opt for a milder season

6. Oof, be prepared for the kid to be super uncomfortable (and yourself.) July is so humid and so hot being outdoors is going to be like swimming in a hot tub. Have a good pathway planned, stop at a lot of indoor locations for cooling off, carry cold water packets and wear cooling clothing.

   At least you’ll find plenty of ice cream around.

7. These are good websites with lots of ideas of things to do with kids. Be very cautious of heat exhaustion though. Little ones are closer to the ground and the heat reflected back from the pavement and have to take double or triple the steps adults do. Plan indoor, air conditioned spots or a nap/rest at the hotel for the hottest part of the day/sun from 11 – 3 pm but it never cools off in July in Tokyo or Osaka/Kyoto in the city. You will be hot, sweaty, and feel like you are walking through a hot sauna the second you step outdoors whether it’s 6 am or 6 pm.

   – [Best Living Japan ](https://bestlivingjapan.com)
   – [Best Living: Summer Activities in Tokyo](https://bestlivingjapan.com/category/tokyo-events-and-activities/summer-in-tokyo-japan/)
   – [Best Living: Tokyo Summer Bucket List with Kids ](https://bestlivingjapan.com/tokyo-summer-bucket-list/)
   – [The Tokyo Chapter ](https://www.thetokyochapter.com)
   – [Tokyo Chapter: Summer with Kids ](https://www.thetokyochapter.com/japan-summer-kids/)
   – [Osaka With Children ](https://insideosaka.com/osaka-with-children/)
   – [Kyoto With Children ](https://www.insidekyoto.com/kyoto-with-children)
   – [Kyoto Itineraries for Families with Children ](https://www.insidekyoto.com/kyoto-itineraries-families-children)
   – [Fleur and Honey: How to Survive Summer in Japan ](https://fleurandhoney.com/blog/how-to-survive-japanese-summer)
   – [5 Products to Help You Survive the Summer Heat in Japan ](https://matcha-jp.com/en/4778)

8. I’ve recently went with my 2 1/2 year old, a bit of an age gap but I think there would be some common interests. Overall there is enough time in each area, just be prepared to take it slow and miss a few things, but you can always revisit on a future trip. A few things your kid might find interesting:

   * Tokyo – consider going to TeamLab Borderless, they will love the light and sensory of it and there are a few interactive displays (there was pre-Covid).
   * Tokyo – If you love Disneyland then you may need to allocate 2 days so you can go to Disneysea as well as they will love it there.
   * Tokyo – There is a Nintendo store in Shibuya. It is ok but if they love Nintendo then it’s probably worth it for the merchandise.
   * Tokyo – Spend some time at arcades playing crane games. There are a few around Shibuya, Shinjuku & Akihabara. My daughter loved trying to win things.
   * Tokyo – Check out Kiddyland in Harajuku, it’s a pretty good toy store with a wide variety of things.
   * Osaka – when in Osaka consider a day trip to Nara to check out the deer. Definitely worth it for kids and also a great town to check out.
   * There is also Nintendo World at Universal Studios in Osaka, it’s only recently opened but might be worth considering.

   Also a lot of department stores will have play areas so maybe research where some are so you can have a bit of a break from the heat.

9. If your child likes Nintendo, there’s actually a new Nintendo area in Universal Studios Japan, in osaka. I haven’t been there but a family friend took their 6 year old Nintendo lover and he had a blast. Otherwise, Disneyland is a good choice for a kid that age. Land, rather than Sea, because I feel like Sea is geared toward a slightly older demographic.

   There’s also various pokecenters in Tokyo and Osaka, and the aquarium in Osaka (Kaiyuukan) is really good. I think there’s also a LegoLand around there (maybe in Nagoya actually?) If your child likes Lego 🙂 just some kid ideas!

10. Sounds miserable

11. Take your kid to Teamlab Borderless, they’ll have a ball