TRAVEL TIPS

If you are living in or visiting central Tokyo, the Docomo Tokyo bike rental program is a great new solution to getting somewhere fast and cheap while having fun! We use it when our kids’ bikes are in for repairs, and when we have visitors. The community cycle or “bike sharing” …

Tokyo can be expensive if you have multiple children, but take heart there are some amazing attractions that are awesomely free.  Kids under four years are usually free at most locations, but the list below includes free locations for elementary school age kids and some for junior and senior high …

Checkout our Tokyo nights with kids if you are looking for family friendly activities in Tokyo open between 7:00 – 22:00 or late at night.  It is super fun just walking through Tokyo at night, but if you are looking for a night activity with your kids we have listed …

What to do early in the morning in Tokyo with kids? Parents with jet-lagged kids dread the early morning wake. If your family is up early and no way going back down, then check out these places to visit and eat, which are open 24 hours or early in Tokyo. …

As a mom of four, frequent traveler, blogger, and AirBnB host I am asked at least once a day how to get to and from Haneda and Narita Airports for families. Since there are so many options, it is not an easy answer. However, the good thing is that there …

Tokyo can be expensive if you have multiple children, but take heart there are some amazing attractions that are awesomely free. Check out our Top Tokyo Free Kids Attractions for Kids Elementary and Younger. Kids under four years are usually free at most locations, but the list below is free …

Haneda airport is a great spot to take your kids. The International Terminal has 30 stores, 44 restaurants, and you don’t need a flight ticket to access. Also makes a great Tokyo Rainy Day activity. Haneda Airport with Kids – TOP THINGS TO DO at the INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL   View …

Try traveling on the Tokyo Water Bus (水上バス, Suijō Basu) for a fun and relaxing method of Tokyo travel.  If you are traveling to Odaiba, locations on the Bay in Minato-ku, or up the Sumida River to Asakusa, I recommend you try a Tokyo Water Bus especially between April – …

Top 39 Things You Will Miss About Japan. Some people love Japan and some people can’t wait to leave, but regardless of how you feel when you’re back in your home country (in our case America) I bet you will miss the following. Just FYI 39, can be read “sankyu” …

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 …

Summer in Japan is hot and humid, but it brings plenty of opportunity for kids to go out and enjoy themselves. Here are our top five ways to protect baby this summer from bugs, heat, UV and dehydration. While kids take advantage of school vacations and longer day light hours, …

If you have a toddler and are traveling soon, empower your toddler to be independent by pulling their travel bag, here are some tips on How to Pack a Toddler Travel Bag.  Our four year old started carrying her travel bag (carry-on) travel bags last year, and responsibly pulled it …

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 …

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, …

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 …

Enjoy our Family Tokyo Bucket List! Our experiences as two moms (with six kids between us),  travel and lifestyle bloggers, and Airbnb hosts we are constantly asked for our “must dos and sees” in Tokyo for new families and short-term visitors. We have widdled down our over 500 activities and locations …

Are you planning a Tokyo vacation soon and wondering whether to rent an Airbnb or not? As an Airbnb host of four years here are my tips for finding the Best Tokyo Airbnbs for Families. Here are my two Family Airbnbs in Minami Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo! Pictures also below. (Unit …

The Best Living Japan Moms have pulled their favorite 100 Things to Do with Kids in Tokyo. How many of these things have you done? Whether you live in Tokyo or Japan or are just traveling to Japan with kids, this is a great checklist! There are thousands of other …

Traveling as a family is expensive, so I highly recommend taking advantage of some of the Tokyo Free Walking Tours listed below. If you are a family of seven like ours, it would cost us 5,000 – 8,000 per person or $350 – 500 USD for a tour. Even though …

Whether you are about to take a long trip home or to head out on a grand adventure traveling with kids can be a bit daunting. I admit, with four kids ages 2-16, traveling can sometimes be trying, but I have never regretted a trip. Annually on average we take …

Traveling With Babies and Toddlers – The Essentials The holidays are here – are you ready? For many of us, the upcoming holidays mean travel. Whether you’re traveling within Japan or internationally, going by car, plane, train or boat, you want to make sure you have everything when traveling with …

We polled the Best Living Japan community to learn about what top 10 Japan Apps they use daily on their Japanese mobile phones. Navigation, translation, eating and more, find out what Apps Tokyo Expats can’t live without. Highly recommended for those traveling to Japan to make their trip more enjoyable. …

Japan is the land of great customer service! One of my favorite services available in Japan is the Narita Airport long-term drop-off and pick-up parking. Valet parking at the Airport!!  With four kids we have lots of bags, so we like to drive our mini-van to and from the airport. …