Top Kid-Friendly Activities for Japan Family Fun
As an ideal destination to enjoy family fun, a trip to Japan with kids will not disappoint. Enjoy the seasonal colors, from cherry blossoms to fall foliage, enjoy the summer fireworks with local snacks, measure the earth with your feet, or experience the world of anime in an immersive way. Below are the top kid-friendly activities in Japan for your ultimate family holiday.
- Meet Furry Friends From Deer to Snow Monkey
- Explore Diverse Museums & Parks
- Marvel at Magnificent Castles & Shrines
- Gaze Upon the Splendor of Mt. Fuji
- Dive Into the Anime Scene of Akihabara
- Indulge in Japanese Cuisine With Cooking Class
- Embrace Tradition in a Beautiful Kimono
- Experience a Serene Tea Ceremony
- Enjoy a Cherry Blossom Picnic
- Witness Summer Fireworks Festivals
- Hike Amidst the Colors of Autumn
- Hit the Slopes for Winter
Meet Some Furry Friends From Deer to Snow Monkey
Starting your family trip to Japan with animal sightseeing that they've only seen in picture books and cartoons is definitely a worthwhile endeavor!
You can head to the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo's center to see various species at once. Or begin a further journey to Jigokudani Monkey Park in Nagano during your winter sightseeing, when you and your family can capture a funny picture - monkeys with their reddish faces soaking in the hot springs!
Nara Park is another attraction for kids, with many free-ranging deer. It is fun to get close to those roaming deer with a bow, and don't forget to catch their polite bows back as well as the dramatic feeding moment.
Explore Another World From Diverse Museums & Parks
For anime fans, don't miss out on the Ghibli Museum. Step into the tiny, magical fortress romantically arranged to present characters like Totoro and Laputian Robot Troopers. Your kids will be captivated by the pure anime world of Hayao Miyazaki.
The Fujiko F. Fujio Museum in the nearby Kawasaki is also a kid-friendly choice, where you and your kids can restore the familiar fairy tale world through the Doraemon author's studio and original artwork.
Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan offer amusement highlights for your family holiday, while the Ninja and Samurai Museum offers a special ninja show. For car lovers, there is also the Toyota Automobile Museum, which has various vehicles and models awaiting your visit.
Marvel at Magnificent Castles & Shrines
The Japanese-style buildings are also worth seeing during your Japan tour with kids - stroll through these sacred shrines and temples, feel the peace and tranquility, and follow the locals to make a wish.
Through Fushimi Inari Shrine's thousands of orange-red torii, a time tunnel stretches all the way to the top of Mount Inari, or waits for the high tide to witness the miracles floating shrine of Itsukushima.
Capture the white walls of Himeji Castle, and eaves that resemble egrets on the wing. While the Nijo Castle in black offers a taste of the opulence of the Japanese Shogunate. If possible, approve staying up late permission to join the night light show with your kids to sample the different cultural tastes at the Nijo Castle.
Gaze Upon the Splendor of Mt. Fuji
As one of Japan's most iconic symbols, Mt. Fuji is a must-see attraction for kids with plenty of activities. For some relaxing fun with your children, head to the Fuji Five Lakes on the north side, offering many sports facilities, from fishing to camping, water skiing to boating.
On the south side of the mountain is Asagiri Plateau, a vast area with green grass, herds of cows and sheep for sightseeing. Or trend to the Yamanakako Hananomiyako Flower Park to feel the changing of the season.
During the summer season, you can also hike with your kids up Mount Fuji to see the volcano up close, which might be a bit challenging for young kids, though a nice try to feed their curiosity.
Mt. Fuji
Dive Into the Anime Scene of Akihabara
Located in central Tokyo, Akihabara is an anime world known for its various electronics stores. It's a 2D Culture paradise, filled with cartoons, manga, and games that take Japanese anime to the extreme.
If your children are electronics enthusiasts, then they can find the latest cell phones, computers, or various game consoles here. If your kids are anime fans, then Akihabara has a great variety of specialty stores where they are sure to find their own peripheral.
The most unique stores in Akihabara are those themed cafes, where you and your family can experience very good service and taste delicious food served by animated characters.
Akihabara, Tokyo
Indulge in Japanese Cuisine With Cooking Class
For a family trip to Japan, how can you and your kids miss Japanese food? You can taste this world-renowned culinary culture from some of the specialty dishes: freshly made sushi, warm ramen, crispy tempura, the traditional Kaiseki, or the most iconic street food of takoyaki.
For a more immersive experience, join the special cooking class with your kids to make your unique bento, from meat and vegetable combinations to plating techniques. It is not only satisfying to your taste buds, but also helps your children learn about Japanese food culture. Most importantly, an unforgettable hands-on experience to enhance the parent-child relationship.
Embrace Tradition in a Beautiful Kimono
A kimono dressing for a few unique family photos can be a must-do when visiting Japan with kids. Although there are many styles of Japanese kimonos, and they are more complicated to wear - don't worry, it is a totally kid-friendly activity.
There are already stores in Japan that offer a full kimono experience program, from dressing to makeup. The clerk will help you choose the right kimono according to the sightseeing spots and the season you are going to visit, as well as help you match all the relevant accessories. You can go to different spots with your children in a kimono and make your own memories, no matter the ancient Gion or the Nakamise Street in front of the Sensoji Temple.
Kimono Experience
Experience a Serene Tea Ceremony
If you want to take your kids to better understand Japanese culture, a serene tea ceremony is another fun family activity to experience. The Japanese tea ceremony is a cultural activity to explore the way of tea. The chado teacher will lead you to learn the etiquette of the tea ceremony and understand the use of various tea utensils.
Enter the aged tatami room with socks, follow the geisha or master to stir the tea powder with a bamboo whisk. Then, you will taste your own matcha with traditional Japanese sweets. It is an experience and a way of discovering fine living and aesthetics.
Tea Ceremony in Gion, Kyoto
Enjoy a Cherry Blossom Picnic
Once the cherry blossom season comes, the whole of Japan is filled with a pink romantic atmosphere. During your spring break in Japan, you can pick a sunny day to bring your kids for a picnic under the cherry blossom trees, just like the locals do.
In Tokyo, you can visit Ueno Park. There, over a thousand cherry trees bloom gorgeously in the spring breeze. If you are in Osaka, then head to Osaka Castle Park, where the Osaka Castle Cherry Blossom Festival is also held every year, and it's going to be very lively. With delicious food and breathtaking sakura blossoms against the white castle, your kids will love this activity! Can't think of any kid-friendly activity more soothing than that.
Witness the Spectacle of Summer Fireworks Festivals
When visiting Japan in summer, bringing your kids to a local fireworks festival can be the top thing on your to-do list. You and your children will enjoy fireworks with a phoenix motif at the Nagaoka Fireworks Festival. At the Sumida River Fireworks Festival, you'll be treated to a spectacular display of fireworks illuminating the Tokyo Skytree.
But even more special is Kamakura's Sea Fireworks Festival, where the terrain is surrounded by mountains on three sides and has the acoustics of a natural theater. When the fireworks bloom, you and your children can not only enjoy the combination of the night sea and fireworks into a super atmospheric beauty, but also the double enjoyment of the visual and auditory senses, which must be a very shocking experience.
Hike Amidst the Colors of Autumn
In addition to cherry blossoms, red leaves are also a stunning sight in Japan. Especially those cities, like Kyoto and Kanazawa, full of red leaves with Japanese garden-style architecture, bring the atmosphere of autumn to its peak.
From October to December, you can start a fall foliage hike with your kids, a Kumano Kodo hike, and a trip to Nakasendo are good choices. You can walk through the ancient paths while enjoying the red leaves that fill the mountains. Your children will measure the ancient paths on foot, and they will find a sense of sacred ritual in the serene mountain wilderness, as well as a sense of their own connection to nature.
Hit the Slopes for Winter
How can you come to Japan in winter and not experience skiing once? You can bring your kids to the Sapporo Snow Festival, which features snow and ice sculptures. Children can not only enjoy a wide variety of snow and ice sculpture artwork, but also play with snow, ski, skate, and make snowmen in the area!
Besides that, you can also visit GALA Yuzawa Ski Resort in Niigata, where there are abundant kid-friendly programs for parents and children. And Hakuba Valley in Nagano is also a good choice. As for an excellent skiing experience, Niseko United in Hokkaido could be your best choice. Come and bring your kids to experience the world of ice and snow for an unforgettable winter vacation.
Start Your Japan Family Tour With Odynovo
Journey is the most romantic education. Traveling in Japan with kids satisfies your own heart to see the world, and also meets your children's freshness and curiosity. Feel free to contact us and plan your family trip to Japan with Odynovo and enjoy a fun parent-child trip.
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