Japan With Kids: The Complete Family Guide (Everything You Need to Know)
Planning a trip to Japan with kids? Our complete family guide from two weeks with our 5-year-old covers when to go, how many days you need, our route, costs, where to stay, trains, food, and things to do with kids.
Japan Tax-Free Shopping Changes in 2026: What Families Need to Know
Starting November 1, 2026, you’ll pay full price at Japan’s tax-free shops and get the tax back after a customs check at the airport. Here’s how the new refund system works and what families should know before they shop.
How We Used Suica in Japan With Kids (Apple Wallet Setup + Tips)
Suica made getting around Japan easy for our family. Here’s how we set it up in Apple Wallet before we landed, how it worked with our 5-year-old, and the tips we’d give a friend before their first trip.
Japan Weather in Late May and Early June: What It Was Really Like
What Japan's weather was really like in late May and early June: warm, humid afternoons, cool mornings, a few drizzly days, and a typhoon that changed one day of our plans. Plus temperatures and what we packed.
How Much Do You Walk in Japan? Average Steps Per Day From Our 14-Day Trip With a 5-Year-Old
How much do you walk in Japan? We averaged about 18,300 steps a day over 13 days with our 5-year-old. Here are our real day-by-day step counts and what helped him keep up.
What Not to Pack for Japan: 3 Things to Leave at Home (and 3 We're So Glad We Brought)
After two weeks in Japan carry-on only as a family of three, here are the three things to leave at home, the three we'd pack again without question, and one tiny tip that makes repeating outfits more fun.
Is the JR Pass Worth It? We Did the Math for Our Family’s Real Route
We went back and forth on buying a Japan Rail Pass, then booked individual tickets instead. Once we had our real numbers, we did the math: here's what we actually spent versus what the pass would have cost.
Japan Travel Activities for Kids (Free Printable Scavenger Hunt + Journal)
A free printable Japan activity pack for kids and toddlers, with a scavenger hunt, train log, station stamp page, snack ratings, easy Japanese words, and a daily travel journal to use on your trip.
Gluten-Free at Japanese Convenience Stores: Why We Stuck to Just a Few Things
We read every gluten-free convenience store guide before our trip, then barely used them. Here's what we actually bought at 7-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart, why we stuck to so little, and how to read a label even if you don't read Japanese.
How the Hakone Loop Actually Works (Explained Simply)
It took us way longer than we’d like to admit to actually understand the Hakone Loop before our trip. Here’s the step-by-step version we wish we’d had, plus what we’d do differently.
Luggage Forwarding in Japan With Kids: How We Sent Our Bags Between Cities
We sent our bags hotel to hotel three times on our 14-day Japan trip with a 5-year-old. Here’s how luggage forwarding (takkyubin) works, how long it takes, how we paid, and what to pack in an overnight bag.
Is Japan Good for Kids? Why It's Worth It for Families (and the Best Age to Go)
Is Japan good for kids? We spent 14 days in Japan with our 5-year-old. Here’s what made it kid-friendly, what was genuinely hard, the best age to go, and why it was worth the trip for our family.
Kyoto or Osaka With Kids: Which Is Better for Families, and Where Should You Stay?
Kyoto or Osaka with kids? We spent 3 nights in each with our 5-year-old and compared them category by category: cost, food, things to do, crowds, getting around, and whether to base in one city or stay in both.
Where to Stay in Osaka With Kids: Our Honest Take
Osaka was one of the easiest stops on our whole Japan trip to feel at home in. Here's where we stayed, an honest breakdown of the city's four main areas, and vetted family-friendly hotel picks in each.
Where to Stay on Miyajima Island With Kids: Our Hotel + 6 Family-Friendly Picks
Where to stay on Miyajima Island with kids: our night at Hotel Miyajima Villa, six more family-friendly picks including Miyajima Seaside Hotel, and whether to stay overnight or day-trip from Hiroshima.
Where to Stay in Kyoto With Kids: 9 Family-Friendly Hotels (Including Ours)
Where to stay in Kyoto with kids, from central Kawaramachi to quiet Arashiyama. The hotel we stayed in, plus 8 more family-friendly hotels in Kyoto by area.
Miyajima Gate: High Tide or Low Tide?
One of the toughest calls in planning a Miyajima visit: see the torii gate floating at high tide, or walk right up to it at low tide? Here's what each view is really like and the one decision that let us have both.
Nara Day Trip Cost: A Real Family Breakdown
Nara was one of the most budget-friendly stops on our whole trip - here's exactly what we spent on food, deer crackers, Todai-ji, and a bike rental that turned out to be worth every yen.
What We Spent in Osaka: A Real Cost Breakdown
Real numbers from our final stop in Osaka - hotel, food, and experiences, broken down honestly, from a family who actually did it.
What We Spent in Hiroshima & Miyajima: A Real Cost Breakdown
Real numbers from our overnight stop in Hiroshima and Miyajima - the ryokan, food, and experiences, broken down honestly.
