We visited Japan for three weeks in October with our two todder sons, Marin age 3 and Hobie age 1. Needless to say traveling with toddlers is a full time job but we find it so worth it! Grant and I had been to Tokyo years before and were itching to get back. Shoudler season is where it’s at in Japan. Spring brings flocks of tourists to see the famous cherry blossoms but fall is underrated with it’s gorgeous foliage and mild temperatures! We live in Costa Rica and October is the height of rainy season (many restaurants close and Marin’s school even takes a two week break!) so it’s the perfect time for us to globe trot.
What’s a 14 hour flight like with toddlers?
We almost always fly Delta which means we usually go through their hub in Atlanta. We are from Georgia and my family lives there so it always is a great way to start and end a trip. After the kids got to spend a night with grandparents we geared up for our 14.5 hour flight direct from Atlanta to Haneda.
We did a Europe trip 3 months prior so the boys were used to the longer flights (and Marin did the 16 hour flight to Johannesburg at age one so he’s our seasoned pro!) but that doesn’t mean it isn’t tricky. It honestly goes by kind of fast. Between sleeping (or trying to get kids to sleep!), eating a few meals, lots of snacks, and watching some movies, you only have like 4 boring hours left.
We are on a pretty much zero screen time policy at home. We will watch the occasional family movie or sports event but the kids don’t have iPads or ever get solo tv time so when there is seatback entertainment on the flight they are so excited! (Our rules pretty much go out the door on planes as long as they sleep.) Poor Marin’s eyes were bloodshot after a Mickey Mouse Club House bender. But I can’t blame the little guy, I’m trying to get some movies in to pass the time too!
Insider Tip: It’s risky, but we don’t buy the kids a seat if they are under two. This meant I was risking a 14 hour flight with an infant in arms. But (knock on wood) there’s always been an empty seat on the plane. Talk to the gate agent and they can usually help accommodate you.
What baby gear do I need to bring to Japan?
Every trip I switch up which gear we are bringing. As the kids get older and have different needs, our bags and baby gear change a bit.
Car Seats
We have an amazing Pico WayB travel car seat but we actually didn’t bring it to Japan. Marin’s big enough to sit in a regular seat on the plane and we just added on car seats to our rental cars. We brought Hobie’s UppaBaby infant car seat so he could sleep in it on the plane, but we stored it at a luggage locker in Tokyo throughout the trip since it’s so bulky.
Strollers
We brought two Pockit Air strollers. These fold up so small and can fit in the overhead! Our our recent Europe trip we only had one, but now that Hobie was over a year old he was getting a little heavy for the ErgoBaby carrier. We still brought it for hikes, but the stroller is way better for strolling around a city.
Pack and Play
We never travel with a pack and play. I requested cribs at hotels and a few had them, but we mostly bedshared. (That’s what we typically did at home too since Hobie was still breastfeeding). The good news is, many of the beds in Japan are already on tatami mats on the floor so the kids can’t roll off the bed!
Download our complete family travel gear guide for free here.
Getting around Japan with Toddlers in Tow
We used a variety of transportation to get around Japan. Planes, trains, and rental cars!
Getting around Tokyo:
In Tokyo, we took the metro everywhere using our PASMO cards.
Insider Tip: Put your PASMO card on Apple Pay so you don’t have to worry about digging around for the card every time (your hands will be full with baby stuff!). You can even recharge it digitally using the PASMO app.
Tokyo to Nikko:
We rented a car (and car seat for Marin, we hadn’t yet dropped Hobie’s since we were driving round trip to Tokyo) to drive the 2 hours from Tokyo to Nikko. The Toyko highways are crazy (hello, mega city!) but again the Japanese people are orderly drivers. Once out of the city, the drive to Nikko was easy.
Tokyo to Kyoto
We took a Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto and the boys loved it. We ate snacks, looked out the window, and used an app to measure how fast we were going! In Kyoto we used a mix of buses, subway, and taxis.
Kyoto to Osaka and Nara
We took another bullet train from Kyoto to Osaka and then took normal trains between Osaka and Nara. We walked around Osaka and Nara once we were there.
Osaka to Fukuoka
Back to the high speed Shinkansen! Osaka to Fukuoka was our longest leg of the journey but we arrived fairly quickly. Once in Fukuoka we used public transportation to get around.
Fukuoka to Yakushima
Our first domestic flight of the trip was from Fukuoka to Yakushima. If you want a naughty giggle, google the airport codes between these two cities! We flew Japan Airlines and it was great. They even gave the kids toy airplanes!
Once on Yakushima Island we rented a car (and car seats) and drove around the whole island exploring!
Is the JR Rail Pass worth it?
I researched this a lot and we ended up not buying the JR Rail Pass. We opted to buy our train tickets a la carte so we could have a little more flexibility on the type of trains we got to ride and since we were renting cars as well.
Time Change and Toddlers in Tokyo
We started our Japanese adventure in Tokyo. I love this electric city! From mouthwatering omakase to children’s museums, Tokyo has something for everyone. Read about our Tokyo with toddlers recommendations here.
Chasing Foilage in Nikko
We spent a weekend in the mountain town of Nikko and it was such a delight! Waterfalls, temples, cedar, and sake, read here why you don’t want to miss Nikko.
Staying in a Ryokan in Kyoto
Kyoto was amazing! We had some friends and family join us which is always so fun on a longer trip. We stayed in ryokan with an onsen, admired ancient temples, climbed up monkey mountain, and ate everything in Nishiki Market… twice! Click here for our complete guide to Kyoto with kids.
Visiting Nara and Osaka
We came to Nara for the deer and left with an appreciation for more beautiful temples! But really the deer were so cute, the kids loved it! Osaka was…Osaka. Glad we checked it out but it wasn’t my favorite stop on our trip. Find out why I loved Nara and was unimpressed with Osaka in this post.
Being Foodies in Fukuoka
Fukuoka was our favorite city we visited! The ramen alone is worth coming for, but the day trip to an island filled with flowers? That was a pleasant surprise! Click here to read why you should add Fukuoka to your itinerary now.
Forest Bathing on Yakushima Island
This was our favorite part of our entire three weeks in Japan. This place continued to amaze me with stunning nature, (think cascading waterfalls, ancient cedar trees, and playful monkeys!) From hiking to hitting the beach, Yakushima is a dream. Check out our complete guide to Yakushima here.
Is Japan good for toddlers?
Absolutely! It is clean and orderly and the people are so kind. The public transportation is easy to navigate as well. Some restrooms in the subway even have little baby seats to put your child in while you pee. If you’re a mom to young children you know how nice this is!
We visited many parks and playgrounds and did many kid-friendly hikes. My only critique is that I didn’t encounter many high chairs at restaurants so I had a lot of ramen dropped on my lap, ha!
Joyful in Japan,
-Ray