Travel in Japan

Here is Day 3 of our week-long road trip through the Hokuriku and Central areas of Japan. Wajima is a city in the Noto Peninsula known for their traditional Wajima lacquerware, a great side trip on the way to or from Kanazawa. Here is also our packing recommendations for your Family …

Here is the 2nd day of our week-long road trip through the Hokuriku and Central areas of Japan. Toyama prefecture is located at the centre of Japan and serves as a gateway to the Northern Japan Alps. Toyama means “rich with mountains” and is blessed stunning nature. Toyama is also …

Here is the 1st day of our week-long road trip through the Hokuriku and Central areas of Japan. Matsumoto is the second largest city in Nagano Prefecture and is a 3.5 hour drive from Tokyo. It is famous for the Matsumoto Castle, one of Japan’s most beautiful original castles, and …

Late June to early September is blueberry picking season in Japan. Here are our recommended Tokyo Area Blueberry Picking Locations for Summer 2020.  We have chosen six gardens for great half-day or one-day trips; two in Chiba-ken, two in Saitama-ken and two in Kanagawa-ken. Many of these gardens run through …

If you are planning on Camping in Japan with your own camping gear check out our Family Camping List. If you`re planning on heading out empty handed and let the camp grounds take care of everything for you check out our Top 5 Campgrounds near Tokyo. We`ve got glamping to …

You can still have fun Tokyo Area Clam digging this month. Actually there should be A LOT of clams vs. prior years due to no digging in May 2020.  May and June are the most popular months of the year to go clam digging (潮干狩りshiohigari in Japan). It took about …

Chiba is a beautiful prefecture with ocean, river and rice patties, and some of our favorite Chiba Camping Grounds. Below are five excellent camping facilities that are unique in environment and services. All camp facilities are within 2 hours drive from Tokyo so easy to get to for a quick …

The fifth day of our Kyushu with kids road trip was nature at Mt. Aso, Takachiho Gorge & Yufuin. Central Kyushu is stunning and fertile with amazing natural resources which ranches and farmers continue to benefit. Traveling through central Kyushu was the longest drive segment of our trip but well …

If you are a museum and attraction lover, we highly recommend you invest in the Tokyo Grutto Pass 2020 – also great to buy if you have visitors and you plan to hit many attractions in a short time. Available from April 1, 2020 and for 2200 yen, you can buy …

Kumamoto with Kids was the fourth day of our one-week road trip to Kyushu. We loved the walkability and trams of Kumamoto. It is a very friendly city with wonderful history. A must one day stop on your Kyushu road trip. Before you go on your Kyushu road trip download and …

Nagasaki with kids was the third day of our one-week road trip to Kyushu. Nagasaki a city in Kyushu with about 410,000 people is a lovely ocean site city with old elements of Nagasaki and a traumatic history. We left Saga in the early morning and drove about one hour …

We have a standard Family Packing list for all our trips in Japan: Beach Vacation, Flights with Toddlers, and our favorite – Road Trips! We use this list for our Day Trips from Tokyo and longer stays in Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, Saga & Nagasaki. Here are some Japanese snack foods and …

Saga with kids was the second day of our one-week road trip to Kyushu. Saga is a great place to enjoy the history and art of ceramics. We left Fukuoka early in the morning and ended up in Takeo for the night around 5:30 pm. A great day to view …

Here is the 1st day of our week-long road trip through Kyushu. Take a short 2 hour flight from Tokyo Haneda to Fukuoka airport or 5 hour bullet train ride to Hakata Station. We recommend renting a small car to drive around Kyushu’s best locations.  Here are also our packing …

Two hours via car or train from central Tokyo, you can experience a great Day Trip to Western Kanagawa & Shizuoka Kawagawa-ken outdoor day trip from central Tokyo. About five hours of driving out, between sites and back but great fun for the family. Kids will sleep all the way …

Fuji Safari Park is a lovely place to see and experience animals from around the world living freely. Fuji Safari Park offers visitors 4 options to experience their safari park 1) Self-drive option where visitors can progress through the park in their own car at their own pace, 2) Jungle Bus …

Jojo’s restaurant in Niseko, Hokkaido, is a great place to eat if you have kids who still have energy to burn off after a day of skiing. The restaurant is casual and comforting for the entire family offering 100% Hokkaido beef burgers, pasta, and cakes, which will please all! But …

Niseko has numerous evening foodie options, but Niseko Breakfast & Coffee spots are a bit trickier. Luckily over the past few years, there are have been some new entrants, so families no longer have to survive on convenience store options.  Here are our top recommend early morning breakfast options in Hirafu, …

Niseko is a great family ski resort in Hokkaido Japan, but all parents need a break so check out these top Niseko Childcare Babysitter Services. Niseko Childcare BabySitter Services #1. Niseko BabySitters  – Niseko BabySitter provides in home/apartment baby and childcare from newborn to 14 years of age. All the sitters have passed …

Don`t let the rain stop you from exploring these great Tokyo Indoor facilities for babies to teens. Here are our Top Recommended places to visit on Rainy Days in Tokyo with Kids. Each have been tried and tested by Best Living Japan Parents. If you are traveling in Tokyo with …

Are you planning to go to the Tokyo Olympics with Kids? The Summer Olympics 2020 will be held in Tokyo from July 24 – August 9, 2020 and the Paralympics are from August 25 -September 6, 2020. Over 10 million people are expected to travel to the Olympics this year, …

If you are planning a family ski vacation to Niseko, Hokkaido, register your children early to attend one of the top Niseko Kids Ski Schools. I was told there are over 30 ski schools in Niseko, however, after some personal research and visiting Niseko we are recommending three English language …

Odaiba is our favorite area to take kids and teens. It has a beach, grassy areas, lots of space, a number of attractions, family-friendly restaurants and malls. Here are our favorites; *** Tokyo One Day Itinerary: Odaiba with Kids *** Wondering what to do for one day in Tokyo? Pick …

Here are our Top Recommended 2020 Ski / Snowboard Day Trips from Tokyo. Great for families, offers lessons for kids and easily accessible. We will be adding more in the coming weeks. Do you have one to add? Please let us know in the comments section below. * Please check …

The Akasaka area in Tokyo is a great place to live and visit. Here is the curated family guide for Akasaka with Kids written by Maven Mom, Olga – mother of two and Mom in Balance Tokyo Trainer,  When we came for our look-see, Akasaka was our main focus. I had …