Our Holiday to Japan With Kids… NOT Relaxing

A few weeks ago, my husband and I went on an overseas holiday to Japan with our three children for a two-week vacation. Last year, we took our family to Fiji and on a South Pacific cruise, so it wasn’t our first time going overseas as a family. However, this trip was quite different compared to staying at a relaxing resort on the Coral Coast.

1. Holiday Planning

Firstly, planning the trip to Japan took us ages! We were really indecisive about where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see. There are so many options! In fact, we had booked all our hotels, but a few weeks before the trip, we canceled everything (it was free cancellation) and re-planned the trip altogether.

It wasn’t a hassle-free booking process at all. It was time-consuming and involved a lot of work. And it wasn’t even my husband’s or my first time going to Japan. It was the first time for the kids, but not for us. So, why was the planning so much work?

• We did LOTS of research. E.g. read travel books and WikiTravel, etc.
• The itinerary was the contentious part because we were torn between staying in one spot or moving around to different locations (which can be a lot of effort when juggling prams, luggage, portacots, etc.).
• We traveled with a one-year-old, so the activities needed to match both a little one and our older children.
• Understanding the transportation process took a while. The different trainlines can seem (at least to me) relatively confusing.
• Researching accommodation took a while because I wanted to ensure the location was really good.
• The extras, like getting money converted into Yen, travel insurance, and working out plane activities for the kids (because it is a long flight), etc.

I am sure there are better ways to plan a family holiday to Japan, because we did not do the planning efficiently!

2. Our Itinerary

• We flew into Haneda, Tokyo airport. (If I had a do-over, I would have flown into Osaka airport.)
• We stayed overnight at an airport hotel because we arrived at 9 pm and it was a LONG travel day.
• The next day, we caught the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto. It took quite a while, which is why I would have preferred to have flown into Osaka; it is much closer to Kyoto.
• We stayed in Kyoto for 10 days. That is longer than is recommended in the travel books, but we wanted to factor in some extra days in case we got sick, the kids were tired, or there were rainy days. Here are the things we did/visited:
  • Hike between Kibune and Kurama (absolutely loved this hike and the towns!)
  • Tofukuji and Fushimi Inari Taisha (this was an absolutely awesome 4 km hike. LOVE!!!)
  • Ninenzaka & Sannenzaka (Love these traditional streets)
  • Ginkakuji, Philosopher’s Path, Nanzenji (really enjoyed this)
  • Kiyomizudera complex (So pretty)
  • Gion and Yasaka
  • Kinkakuji (the golden pavilion)
  • Nishiki food market (a fun trip)
  • Kyoto National Gardens
  • Maruyama Koen (park)
  • Arashiyama and surrounds (bamboo forest)
  • Nijo Castle, Imperial Palace
• After ten days, we caught the train back to Tokyo and stayed at Tokyo Bay to go to Disneyland. (There is not much to see in Tokyo Bay…)
• Then we flew home.

3. The Trip

Japan felt clean and safe (at least in the areas we visited). It is a mountainous country with good public transport. The convenience stores are awesome and surprisingly cheap.

Personally, I loved Kyoto. It has been a place I had wanted to visit since I was a teenager. It exceeded my expectations. Kyoto was previously the capital of Japan before it was moved to Tokyo, so there is a lot of history and beautiful buildings to see. I am glad we had a few spare days built into our itinerary because we did catch a virus and it did rain. It was nice to discover that we like hiking as a family. I enjoyed being overseas where it was warm summertime compared to the windy cold winter in Australia.

The most important part of our trip was creating wonderful family memories. To be honest, we didn’t need to go on an expensive overseas holiday to do that. But I was grateful for the special memories and had a lovely time with my family.

4. No Buy Year – On Holidays

Since I am doing a No Buy Year, I couldn’t buy anything on our holidays—not even a fridge magnet. I did buy some packaged food to bring back because food is not excluded from my No Buy Year.

I actually found it quite freeing to go on holidays and only bring back memories and photos (+kids and luggage). It creates less clutter and is easier on the wallet. Plus, I didn’t feel the need to shop endlessly for trinkets, so it saved time as well. It didn’t bother me not buying anything in Japan. 😊 I really enjoyed spending money on yummy Japanese food instead.

5. Summary

In summary, I am glad we went to Japan, but I am equally glad to be home. I love Australia. This wasn’t an easy or relaxing holiday. It wasn’t a cheap holiday, but it was an interesting and memorable one.

NOTE: How (and if) you travel is a very personal choice. These are only my thoughts. Make your own decisions based on what works for you and your personal circumstances!

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