The Ultimate Guide To Japan With Kids (2026 Japan Travel Guide)

A complete family travel guide to Japan. Whether you’re travelling to Tokyo or Osaka, here’s the best attractions, hotels, food, and cultural experiences that your family will love!

Introduction: Why Japan Is The Perfect Family Destination

We keep visiting Japan with our kids over and over again. Why? Because Japan is one of the best family-travel destinations in the world! It is safe, clean, and so much more fun than you can imagine!

What we love about Japan with kids is that it’s a country that appeals to both adults and children alike. It doesn’t matter if your kids are into Pokemon, Hello Kitty, Studio Ghibli, theme parks, beaches, animals, history or even food, Japan can offer so much more than you think. While adults can eat their fill of sushi and wander around peaceful gardens and charming shrines, kids can live their kawaii dreams. We’ve never known a place quite like it.

The Ultimate Guide To Japan With Kids (2026 Japan Travel Guide)

We’ve visited Japan with kids three times, and now we’re planning a 2026 family trip across Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, and Okinawa. So we know about the stresses and excitement of planning a trip to Japan with kids! I’ve put together the guide I wish existed the first time we were planning our trip. It’s practical, honest, and packed full of real-life tips for parents.

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Should You Visit Japan With Kids in 2026?

This is a question I get asked alot: Is now a good time to visit Japan? Should you visit Japan with kids in 2026? My answer is a short one: Yes! The longer version? 2026 is an excellent year to visit Japan with kids, and now is one of the best times to plan a family trip. We believe that so wholeheartedly, we’re going back ourselves!

From a practical perspective, prices in Japan are still reasonable, especially when compared to the US and parts of Europe. Tickets for family attractions like Universal Studios Japan or Disney are a third of the cost of their US counterparts. And US and European travellers can take advantage of the favourable exchange rate against the yen too.

Japan remains one of the safest destinations in the world (as a parent this really matters!) In all our visits, i’ve never once felt unsafe in Japan. In fact, the friendly people, low crime rates, efficient transport and clean streets are reasons we keep going back.

Finally, Japan’s attractions are only getting better in 2026! For Pokemon fans, the PokePark Kanto will finally be opening in February The Tokyo Disney Resort have new rides planned for 2026 too (including a Wreck it Ralph ride that I can’t wait to see) and if you didn’t visit Japan in 2025 then Universal Studio’s Donkey Kong expansion and the new Athletics Garden in TeamLabs Planets are both well worth making the trip for.

Our 10 Tried and Tested Tips For Visiting Universal Studios Japan On A Budget

There really has never been a better time to be travelling to Japan! 2026 is shaping up to be a stand out year for family travel to Japan and I can’t wait to be a part of it.

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When Do I Book my 2026 Family Trip To Japan?

To lock in the best prices, we always book our flights and hotel rooms for Japan 12 months in advance: as soon as the tickets are released. We find this tends to be the most affordable option (unless you’re brave and you book a last minute trip) and it also gives us time to hone the perfect itinerary.

When to book your activities and excursions is a trickier question, as each attraction has their own ticket booking windows. To help make this a little easier to arrange I’ve put together a handy table:

Japan Attraction	Booking Window	How Fast They Sell	Link to Book
Tokyo Disneyland/Disney Sea	Tickets released 2 MONTHS in advance at midnight JST.	Weekends and holidays can sell out within days. Weekdays are usually available.	Click here to check availability and book
Ghibli Museum, Tokyo	Tickets released on the 10th of each month for the following month	Tickets consistently sell out within minutes	Link here to book with Ghibli direct
Universal Studios Japan	Tickets are released 2 MONTHS in advance	Popular holiday and weekend dates can sell out. Express Passes sell out quickly.	Click here to avoid disappointment and book now
Sanrio Puroland	Can be purchased up to 11 MONTHS in advance	These tickets have good availability and rarely ell out	Book now for an early booking win
Tokyo SkyTree	Can be purchased 1 MONTH in advance	Usually good availability as long as you don’t want a specific reservation time	Click here to book for the best time slots
Pokemon Cafe	Reservations open exactly 31 days before your desired date at 6:00 PM Japan Standard Time (JST)	Reservations often book out in under a minute	Click here to try and get a reservation
TeamLabs Planets	Can be purchased 2 MONTHS in advance	Early morning tickets sell first, but there is still availability 2-3 weeks in advance if you can be flexible	Click here to check availability and book
Fuji Q Highland (Mount Fuji Theme Park)	Tickets released 3 MONTHS in advance	Usually available right up until the day	Book now to avoid disappointment
Yomiuriland	Bookable until the end of the year	Usually available right up until the day (but this will change when the PokePark Kanto opens!)	Link to book now
Legoland Japan	Tickets released 4 MONTHS in advance	Usually available right up until the day	Check availability and book now
Sumo Tournaments	Tickets generally go on sale a month before the tournament	Tickets sell out quickly	Click here to book now
Warner Bros. Studio Tour World of Harry Potter	Tickets released on the first of the month for 3 MONTHS ahead	Tickets for early time slots sell fast, others have more availability	Click here to book now and save
Jungalia Okinawa	Tickets released on the first of the month for 2 MONTHS ahead	This is Japan’s NEWEST attraction, meaning demand is high right now but availability is good	Book now to avoid disappointment

Where Are The Best Places To Visit In Japan With Kids?

Japan has countless family friendly destinations, but if you’re planning your first visit then I recommend that you stick with these three family-friendly cities as the best places to visit in Japan with kids:

Meeting pompompurin in Sanrio Puroland, Japan

Tokyo. Tokyo is a playground for kids of all ages (including 41 year old kids like me!) From world famous theme parks like Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea to interactive experiences at Sanrio Puroland (my personal favourite) or TeamLab Planets. There really is something for everyone, and it’s the most popular landing point for tourists for a reason!

Osaka. Osaka has a more colourful and energetic feel than Tokyo. Because it’s famous for its nightlife, many people don’t see it as a natural fit for families, but missing out on Osaka would be a big mistake! Of course, it’s here that you can visit Universal Studios Japan, but you can also explore attractions like Osaka Castle, the Osaka aquarium, and the maze-like shopping streets of Dotonbori. Because Osaka’s centre feels compact, it is also much easier to navigate for families!

Dressing up at the Kyoto Ninja and Samurai Museum

Kyoto. Want a historic, authentically Japanese experience? You need to go to Kyoto! My boys loved the traditional charm of its shines, and it was here was enjoyed a samurai and ninja experience too. This is the perfect place for kids to learn about Japanese history and explore fascinating temples and gardens.

Of course, these are the most popular cities for tourists to visit in Japan, but I think they’re popular for a reason. You certainly won’t be disappointed if you stick to this trio of cities to explore! On our next trip to Japan, we will also be visiting Nara, Yokohama, and flying our beach bum boys over to Okinawa, but I think trying to visit this many cities on your first visit with kids would just be overwhelming.

Where Should I Stay In Japan With Kids?

There are approximately 1.8 million hotel and ryokan (traditional inns) rooms in Japan, so it would be absolutely impossible for any one person to review them all! But many people do ask where they should stay in Tokyo, and where the best hotels are in Osaka, so that’s what I’ll focus on when answering this question!

The exterior of the Oriental Hotel Tokyo Bay

If you’re in Tokyo and you want to take your kids to the Tokyo Disneyland Resort then I recommend staying in Tokyo Bay, near the resort. I would advise choosing a hotel that is either on the Disney Resort Line monorail OR that offers a free shuttle bus to the park, to make your life as easy as possible. I’ve written a complete guide, The 7 Best Hotels Near Tokyo Disney. Tokyo Disney Hotels For Every Budget! that you can check out here.

Our favourite of those, out of the ones we’ve tried so far, was the Oriental Hotel Tokyo Bay, which balanced affordability with convenience and high quality service and amenities. You can check out my full review of that hotel here.

If you want ONE BASE that you can use to access the Disneyland resort AND the city, then the Shiomi Prince Hotel is the best Tokyo hotel we’ve ever stayed in. Just one metro stop away from Tokyo Station, and only 15 minutes away from Disneyland, it couldn’t be more convenient. It was less than a minute walk from the station, the rooms were large and luxe.

The exterior of the Shiomi Prince Hotel Tokyo Bay

Moving on to Osaka? My complete 3 day Osaka itinerary outlines some great hotel options. We love staying in Umeda and the Hotel Dans Le Coeur, which is in Umeda was the perfect choice for us. (You can check out this hotel here) I HIGHLY recommend Umeda as a place to stay as it’s bustling and lively, next to great attractions (like the Pokemon cafe, Nintendo Store, and Umeda Sky Building) but it also has great transport links.

You could also consider being in Dotonbori if you want to be in the heart of the action (but the nightlife here can be rowdy, which won’t work for all kids) or you could stay closer to Universal Studios Japan if you plan to visit the park during your visit. You’ll find a list of the best Universal Studios Japan hotels in my Universal Studios Japan vacation planning guide.

💡 TOP TIP: Whichever hotel you choose, book it with Klook! They offer great prices and easy cancellation if you change your mind, but the real reason to book with Klook is because I have a reader-exclusive discount code!
Your hotel will take a big chunk of your budget, but code THATMUMTRAVEL5KLOOK gets you a 5% discount: this was a big enough saving for us to book some of our activities, effectively for free!

What And Where To Eat In Japan With Kids

On our first family trip to Japan, what and where to eat in Japan with kids was one of my biggest sources of anxiety. With one very fussy kid, and one adventurous kid that will eat anywhere, I just didn’t know what or where I was going to feed my boys!

In reality, we had nothing to worry about! I found that convenience stores were an absolute life saver for us, and both boys LOVED grabbing breakfast and snacks here. This was also a great source of affordable fruit for us, because I did worry a bit about the boys getting enough vitamins. If you’re visiting Japan with kids on a budget, the convenience stores will be your best friend.

Eating yakatori in a restaurant in Umeda, Osaka, Japan

Japan is also packed full of family-friendly and familiar restaurants. We loved Saizeriya (an Italian Japanese budget family restaurant) and for kids that really crave the familiar, you’ll find McDonalds, KFC, and other chain restaurants everywhere too.

In terms of delicious and authentic Japanese food, both boys ended up falling in love with it! Ramen, tempura, and katsu curry were all huge highlights for them. We mixed it up by having Japanese food one day and something a little more familiar the next on our first trip, just so we didn’t overwhelm them. By the last trip, they were craving sushi and noodles as much as we were!

🍔 MUM NOTE! You haven’t ‘failed’ if you go all the way to Japan and eat nothing but burgers for two weeks – the experience that works best for your family won’t be the experience that works best for other families. I see WAY too much pressure/judgement online about kids eating local, kids eating with chopsticks and honestly? It just doesn’t matter! Fed and happy kids are the most important thing on any holiday! Your trip….your way!

Getting Around Japan With Kids

The Metro System

Getting around Japan with kids isn’t as hard as it looks! The metro stations can be crowded, and the map looks like a spider’s web, but it also means that every corner of Tokyo is easily accessible. I recommend picking up Suica cards as soon as you arrive in Japan: These are like the Oyster cards you use in London, and you can load them with as much or as little cash as you need, so that you can tap and go on the Metro.

It is possible to buy a digital Welcome Suica in advance (you can read about the digital Welcome Suica Card app here) but these can’t be pre-ordered for kids, so for families I think it’s easier to just go into your closest ticket office and buy kids passes when you arrive in Japan. This is worth doing (even if it means a short queue) because kids get a 50% discount on their tickets, which quickly adds up!

airport transfers

When you arrive in Japan, there are lots of different ways to get from the airport to your hotel. I’ve written all about Tokyo Airport Transfers: A Complete Guide to Getting from Narita and Haneda Airports to Tokyo here. But if you’re looking for my recommendation, PLEASE plump for a taxi to get from the airport to your hotel! It’s comparable in price to limousine bus transfers for 4 people, and after a long-haul flight with kids, nobody needs the stress of finding a bus stop and riding a bus!

🚕 MUM TIP: Book your airport transfers with Klook! Your taxi driver will be waiting in arrivals for you, and they’ll even help carry your bags to the car. Use code THATMUMTRAVEL5KLOOK to save 5% on your transfer prices too, making it an even more affordable option.

shinkansen (bullet train)

And finally, the Japanese rail network is so efficient that you can travel from Tokyo to Osaka (a distance of over 500 km) in around 2 hours on the fastest bullet train. This means that although Japan is a huge country, it’s rail network makes it feel much smaller. Riding the shinkansen (bullet train) is an experience in itself, and I recommend you take your kids on a fast train at least once!

Shinkansen train in Tokyo Station, Japan

Wondering if you need to buy a JR Rail Pass? Or what the best value train tickets in Japan are? I answer all these questions and more in the articles below:

What Are Some Unmissable Family Experiences In Japan?

There’s so much to see and do in Japan: from stunning shrines to adrenaline-filled theme parks. I recommend taking a day trip to see Mount Fuji (something everyone should do at least) once, and eating in a themed cafe to all families visiting Japan, just because they’re such unique experiences you can’t have anywhere else.

Here’s a complete list of some of our favourite family experiences in Japan to include in your itinerary. Each idea is clickable so that you can read our full review of each family attraction:

What To Pack For Japan With Kids

The list of things you need to pack for your trip to Japan is probably much smaller than you think. Even if you are travelling with kids! And the less you have in your suitcase, the more room you’ll have to bring those epic Japanese souvenirs home. Some essentials you should consider include:

Passport. This should go without saying but make sure your passport is valid and that you have a visa if you need one (if you’re travelling from the UK or the USA, as well as many other countries you don’t need a visa right now).

Mobile Phone that connects to the internet. For so much more than making calls! We use ours for maps, storing tickets, and using as a translator. Don’t leave yours at home. And you’ll need wifi too. Consider either a portable wifi device or we always use an esim.

JR Rail Pass. If you’re going to be doing a lot of train travel in Japan then it might be better value to buy a JR Rail Pass: you can only buy these from outside of Japan.We’ve packed for Japan with and without these, so it’s a personal preference. I’ve written an article here to help you decide if this is the best value option for you.

Packing Cubes. I swear by packing cubes, especially if you’re packing for a family. Each person can have their own cube for each hotel you visit. We do this because it means that the cubes for Osaka (for example) don’t have to be opened until you get there. Packing cubes for family travel just makes sense! You can get these from anywhere: we’ve even tried Primark ones. But I swear by the Antler compression packing cubes that have an extra strong compression zip so you can pack more in. You need these if you shop as much as we do in Japan! They’re not cheap, I won’t lie, but I think they’re worth the investment. The link to these is here.

Chargers and Adapters. Many hotels in Japan have USB charging points, but if not you’ll need an adapter so that you can plug in and charge your electronics. We use this universal one that works for every country (so we don’t have to keep buying new ones!) On the subject of chargers, these are one of the easiest things to forget to pack! You’ll need chargers for your phone, power bank, Nintendo Switches or other electronic entertainment, and anything else that needs to be charged. Carry them in a separate packing cube or drawstring bag so you don’t lose them.

Power Bank. I don’t know where I would be without this! Because we use our phone so much all day long, my phone typically needs charging at least once throughout the day. So I always carry a fast changing, lightweight but powerful power bank with me. The one I use will charge my phone from empty to full at least twice, then I charge it when I charge my phone each evening. I wouldn’t travel anywhere without this one!

Travel Insurance. You shouldn’t be travelling anywhere without travel insurance – the one thing you hope to never need, but that you don’t want to be without if something happens. I’m not an expert so I won’t recommend the best policy, but if you’re interested, I can tell you we use Aviva.

👜 You can check out my comprehensive packing list in my What To Pack For Japan post here.

👗 Looking for fashion tips? I’ve written a guide to what I wore in Tokyo in April that you can read here.

There are also some practical things that you should arrange before you visit Japan with kids:

A eSIM. Japan is a very difficult country to navigate without access to the internet, so an eSIM is one of our most essential pieces of kit. We use Sim Local: find out why are get our exclusive discount here.
A VPN. We use this primarily to protect our personal digital details, but our VPN also means the kids can watch their favourite TV shows in English (which can be such a lifesaver on travel days!) You can read more about why this is helpful here.

My Top Japan Travel Tips For Families

I have so many tips to share that I don’t know how I’m going to fit them all in! Japan is an amazing place for families, but it does require some planning to make sure you get the best from your trip.

Book your key tickets and transport early. Japan is busy year-round and many family-friendly attractions can sell out fast.
Don’t overpack your itinerary. Japan can be a sensory overload for kids, so we allow for one big activity per day, then mix in shopping, exploring, and letting off steam in the many epic parks and playgrounds to help the kids stay grounded.
Pack for comfort, not for Instagram! When you’re walking 20,000 steps a day, it doesn’t matter how good your trainers look, it just matters that they’re comfortable. Break them in before you travel! We also love breathable layers like fleeces and Airism tops: it’s not glamorous, but it’s practical and it works!
Learn a few simple Japanese phrases. Do this as a family – my boys love that they can speak a tiny amount of Japanese, and the people we meet always appreciate the effort too.
Always carry cash. Japan is a cash-based society, and although the country is increasingly card friendly, you do still need cash in Japan.

Sample Japan Itinerary Ideas

Ready to dig right in and really start planning your family travel Japan trip? I have created a whole host of Japan itineraries for family travel! All based on our own trips to Japan. So whether you’re taking a quick, flying, 5 day trip to Tokyo or you want to spend 14 days travelling around the whole country, I’ve got you covered!

Pick the Japan travel itinerary that will suit you best below:

Final Thoughts: Why Japan Is Our Favourite Family Travel Destination

Japan is the one place we keep going back to again and again as a family. Not because it’s easy (although it is!) but because it’s a special place that’s totally captured our hearts. There’s something for everyone and each of us call it our happy place.

Japan is a rare destination where world-class theme parks sit alongside peaceful temples. You can hop on a bullet train and whizz through the countryside at record speed, and everything just feels easy. For families like ours, Japan is the perfect blend between safe and exciting. My boys love it here, and they always get such a warm welcome everywhere we go.

Whether you’re planning your very first trip to Japan or returning for the fourth time, Japan always feels new. It always surprises and inspires us! And every time we visit, we fall in love with Japan all over again.

Is Japan on your 2026 wishlist? I’d love to hear about the family adventures you’ve got planned! And if it isn’t? Well, maybe it should be…..

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