Find out how to Journey Japan with a Child (Up to date 2023)

Posted: 10/9/2023 | October ninth, 2023

I like Japan. It’s one in all my favourite nations on this planet. However is it an acceptable vacation spot to go to with a child? Solo feminine journey skilled Kristin Addis from Be My Travel Muse was just lately there together with her child and has tons of suggestions and recommendation for vacationers considering of taking a child with them to Japan.

Japan was our first main worldwide journey with our then six-month-old. I’d heard combined issues about how child pleasant Japan could be, from DMs telling me it wouldn’t be an awesome journey to the overall reverse with folks gushing about how child pleasant it was.

We determined to go for it, hitting 4 spots in two weeks, taking public transportation and staying in a mixture of flats and motels. Touring with a child in Japan comes with some particular concerns, however total, it may be an awesome journey IF you propose it proper. Right here’s every little thing to know:

Japan Child and Toddler Friendliness

With a couple of unusual exceptions, like the shortage of cribs, Japan is likely one of the most child and family-friendly locations I’ve been. It began once we had been personally escorted to the plane by a Japan Airways gate agent when boarding our flight to Osaka. They even supplied me a spot to take a seat with the child whereas I waited. It felt like top quality remedy.

Every time we encountered an airport queue in Japan, whether or not it was for safety or boarding, they all the time had a household line, which is unfortunately lacking from each US airport I’ve encountered.

There are household restrooms in every single place as effectively, and I actually imply in every single place. Even the smallest metro and prepare stations had them, and I by no means encountered one which wasn’t glowing clear. Individuals revered that they had been solely meant for these with disabilities and younger youngsters, as effectively. I by no means needed to wait to make use of one and by no means noticed an able-bodied single individual stroll out of them, which I see on a regular basis within the US.

The bogs are additionally filled with helpful gadgets like a child holder, which I’ve solely in any other case seen in Singapore, altering tables, and padded benches for nursing. I’ve actually by no means seen a household lavatory as geared up as those in Japan.

The locals additionally LOVED our child. In every single place we went, folks would play peek a boo with him, smile at him, and light-weight up once they noticed him. We felt very welcome in every single place we went with him.
 

Getting Round Japan with a Child

Typically, planning fewer issues is less complicated than a packed itinerary when touring with a child anyplace on this planet. That is very true for Japan the place you’re most probably taking a mixture of trains and buses across the nation. The extra distant you’re going, the extra connections you’re prone to have as effectively.

Though they’re dearer, we tended to prefer train travel to bus travel in Japan in order that we might make use of the altering tables on the trains. They had been extra spacious, and the buses not often had a spot to alter diapers.

If you happen to’re touring throughout excessive season, remember to e book prepare tickets forward of time and reserve seats to keep away from having to face along with your child.

Alternatively, think about renting a car to get round. They are often dear, and when you’re North American you’ll be driving on the other aspect of the highway, however it additionally offers you final flexibility.
 

Packing Gentle is Clever for Japan

If you happen to’ll be taking the Japan Rail and/or metro to get round, you’ll need to pack as mild as doable. Realistically, solely what you and whoever you’re touring with can carry goes to work. This appears to be the largest concern for households touring in Japan. They pack an excessive amount of and it impacts their journey enjoyment.

We opted to go away the stroller at dwelling and simply journey with a soft baby carrier. Whereas a stroller could be useful at instances, Japan has quite a lot of stairs and a few metro stations, even in Tokyo, don’t have elevators. We all the time discovered them at JR stations, although.

I’ve combined emotions about this determination as we had been aching by the top of the journey. If I had been to do it with a toddler or older child I’d in all probability go for a hiking baby carrier as a substitute. It distributes weight higher and is a extra comfy expertise, plus they’ve cupboard space. Simply understand that they’re cumbersome and also you’ll most probably have to take away it when utilizing public transport.

If you happen to completely must carry greater than you’ll be able to bodily carry, there are luggage forwarding services in Japan that may assist transport your baggage from resort to resort for you.
 

Renting Child Gear in Japan

Since our child was a bit youthful and never but cellular once we visited Japan, we felt OK with not having a devoted sleeping area and using the ground beds as a substitute. Nonetheless now that he’s older, he wants a devoted sleeping area and ideally a stroller. If we had been to go to now, I’d make the most of rental companies to maintain our suitcases mild and nonetheless have entry to the gadgets we’d like for security and luxury.

It’s doable to rent strollers in various cities in Japan, relying on how distant you’re going. You can too rent other baby gear in some elements of Japan, significantly within the extra main cities.
 

Shopping for Child Necessities in Japan

One strategy to pack lighter is to plan to purchase child necessities in Japan. It’s straightforward to search out diapers, components, and child meals if the place to look.

If you happen to’re doing baby-led weaning, which we had been on the time, you’ll be able to store at any Japanese grocery store for fruit and veggies.

It was really a deal with to go to the grocery shops there since that they had nearly totally totally different snacks and types than I’ve seen elsewhere. The produce was additionally means higher, because it was largely regionally grown. Even within the winter, we had been consuming completely ripe, locally-grown strawberries.

If you happen to want diapers, child meals, or components, you gained’t discover them at a grocery retailer. This stuff are on the market in drug shops solely. Matsumoto Kiyoshi (with brown lettering) is the one we got here throughout essentially the most usually.

Diapers had been straightforward to purchase. They’ll have the burden clearly displayed in kilograms. Jarred child meals and components had been in the identical part of the shop. If you happen to want a specialised (non-cow) components, which may be tougher to search out. Since we did for my child, we introduced sufficient with us from dwelling for the entire journey.

Obtain the Google translate app to be able to maintain your cellphone digicam as much as the Japanese Kanji and skim what the elements and child meals flavors are. Don’t anticipate to see English translations in shops.
 

Selecting The place to Keep in Japan with a Child

We did a mixture of motels and flats in Japan and so they each had their advantages.

Except you’re keen to pay up a bit extra, particularly in Tokyo, you’ll be able to anticipate resort rooms to be on the smaller aspect. Nonetheless they have a tendency to incorporate breakfast, which makes life simpler for fogeys with younger youngsters.

Flats, which you’ll be able to e book on Airbnb, normally have two flooring and a kitchen. The kitchen was useful for meals prepping for the child, and the 2 we stayed in had microwaves. I journey with microwave steam baggage to sanitize our bottles, so this was a pleasant shock.

The 2 flooring additionally gave us a spot to hang around whereas he took his naps. House leases are nearly all the time bigger, and in my expertise, extra reasonably priced than resort rooms could be. Generally they’ve washers and dryers as effectively.

Sizzling water kettles are a pleasant function whether or not you’re in an residence or resort room. They appear to be the usual in Japan, which makes sanitizing, washing, and heating water for components simpler. Faucet water in Japan is usually secure to drink and wash with.
 

Child Sleep in Japan

Probably the most bewildering and disappointing factor about touring in Japan with our child was the shortage of cribs. Even within the 5-star ryokan we stayed at in Kawaguchiko, there was no child crib on provide. It made me marvel what locals do. Do they carry their very own? Do they co-sleep?

In half of the locations we stayed, the beds had been traditional-style mattresses on the ground, so it was positive for our child to sleep on the ground mattresses, nonetheless now that he’s extra cellular, I’d need to carry alongside our journey mattress.

Feeding and Meals in Japan

One of many adverse issues I heard was that we’d be turned away from eating places in Japan with our child. Whereas I’m certain it occurs, I didn’t encounter this, even at kaiseki (which is the very best degree of eating in Japan) eating places. Generally they even had toys they’d carry out for our son.

We had been instructed that the lounge within the resort we stayed at in Tokyo wouldn’t be obtainable to the child within the evenings when alcohol was served, nonetheless. Some eating places, together with the Michelin star ones you could be hoping to eat at, might maintain the identical coverage. There are some eating places in Japan which might be particularly geared in the direction of households. The commonest you’ll discover are Bikkuri Donkey, Joyfull, and Gusto.

Most eating places in Japan may have excessive chairs, however when at extra informal ramen or yakitori eating places, you’re much less prone to come throughout them.

If you happen to’re nursing, my sense in Japan was that it’s finest finished in personal. I by no means noticed anybody overtly nursing in Japan, although I noticed loads of bottle feeding. The household restrooms are in all probability your finest guess for a cushty and personal expertise. I noticed a nursing pod (a bit room that provides nursing privateness, much like the Mamava pods at US airports) at a couple of main prepare stations in Japan as effectively.
 

Medical Companies in Japan

As a dad or mum, I’m extra involved with the provision of healthcare companies than I ever was earlier than touring with a child. Fortunately Japan has a beautiful medical system with completely succesful docs.

I do know this firsthand as I wanted to go to a physician in Kyoto when my bronchial asthma flared up. I used to be capable of go to a global physician at a clinic that companies foreigners the identical day. All the medicine the physician prescribed was obtainable there as effectively. Typically they’ll desire a money cost which you’ll be able to then undergo your travel insurance for reimbursement.

In non-emergency conditions, search for a physician that makes a speciality of worldwide sufferers as there could be language limitations. I used to be capable of finding mine simply on Google Maps. In any other case, hospitals are extensively obtainable, even in smaller cities.

General, I beloved touring in Japan with our child. The clear household bogs offered a straightforward place to alter him, feeding and shopping for provides had been straightforward, and getting round was easy with such a well-connected rail system.

I used to be fearful with so many stops and logistics that it could be a nightmare, however every little thing is so well-organized in Japan, all of it labored out. Plus, the lovely interactions between our son and the locals made it a heartwarming expertise.

Kristin Addis is a solo feminine journey skilled who evokes girls to journey the world in an genuine and adventurous means. A former funding banker who bought all of her belongings in 2012, Kristin has been touring the world ever since. You’ll find extra of her musings at Be My Travel Muse or on Instagram and Facebook.