Japan Travel Tips With Kids: 10 Mistakes In Japan To Avoid
Mistakes in Japan happen. In fact, it’s part of the process of visiting a new country! But you can learn from my slip-ups so your family trip goes smoothly!
Travelling to Japan with kids is magical ,but it also comes with unique challenges that can catch even seasoned travellers off guard. It’s unlike any other type of holiday or travel experience, and as a result, visiting Japan takes so much more planning. That’s why I share so many Japan travel tips with kids on this site.
And in Japan, mistakes can and do happen. Trust me, I know… because I’ve personally made every mistake on this list at least once.
👉Check out The Travel Mistake That Cost Us Hundreds In Japan (But We Can Laugh About It Now!) here.
After visiting Japan multiple times with my children (and learning some lessons the hard way), here are the 10 mistakes in Japan to avoid when visiting Japan with kids, plus the little Japan travel tips with kids and personal anecdotes that will help your family trip run much, much smoother.
Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!
1. Not Planning Enough Down Time
Japan is exciting…almost too exciting. On our first trip, we tried to fit Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, as well as Universal Studios Japan and the Tokyo Disney Resort all in a week. By the fourth day of our trip, my youngest was sitting on the floor in a Don Quijote telling us his feet were too tired to take another step. The overwhelm had hit, and it hit hard!
On our last trip we spent two weeks in Tokyo, exploring everything that just one city had to offer. And in March we’ll be doing the big multi-city route again, but we’re staying in Japan for a month so that we can explore at a slower pace.
Japan travel tips with kids to avoid this mistake:
Plan one “big outing” per day. If you can do another activity great, but only book one ‘big ticket’ item per day. Always leave space for rest, playground stops, or an early return to the hotel. Tokyo actually has some great playgrounds, and visiting these can be an adventure in its own right!
2. Trying to Navigate Without the Right Apps
The first time we visited Japan, I thought Google Maps alone would be fine. After all, it was the app we always used to get around. Spoiler alert: it wasn’t!
Because so many things in Japan are on multiple levels (such as shopping centres and hotels underground in subway stations) this just confused Google Maps, which couldn’t work out where we wanted to go! We actually took the wrong subway line twice and ended up in the middle of nowhere with tired kids.
Japan travel tips with kids to avoid this mistake:
Download Google Translate, Navitime, the Japan Official Travel App, and a good eSIM app before you go. There are so many great apps that will make your time in Japan easier, so carve out an hour to sit and download them.
👉Read the 8 Japan Travel Apps You Need Before You Visit Japan in 2026
3. Underestimating How Early Popular Attractions Get Busy
I had read that Japan is the fastest growing travel destination in the world right now…..and wow does that feel true when you get there. Getting tickets to the attractions my kids wanted to see actually felt like winner Wonka’s golden ticket! Especially as we were travelling in April (which is peak season).
Some of the tickets that book up fast include Tokyo Disney, USJ, TeamLab Planets, and the Ghibli Museum. And don’t get me started on the Pokemon Cafe! I spent hours trying to get a reservation on our last Tokyo trip, and ended up having to buy a reservation for a free cafe instead. A move of sheer desperation because it was the only way we could get in!
Japan travel tips with kids to avoid this mistake:
Don’t ever think you can just walk into an attraction in Japan or buy tickets on the day. Plan ahead and buy your tickets in advance! If you can afford to pay the extra, I recommend opting for express passes and timed entry tickets for Japan’s theme parks.
I also recommend booking all of your tickets with Klook, who have the best prices and availability options without the hassle.
My discount code THATMUMTRAVEL5KLOOK will get you an extra 5% off ticket prices too.
👉 Check out the Best Theme Parks in Japan For Kids (Ranked for 2026)
Klook.com4. Not Thinking About Where To Eat
I have one fussy kid and one kid that will eat absolutely everything. But it didn’t occur to me to plan ahead and think about where they would eat when we got to Japan. I assumed feeding them would be easy. It was not! One sniff of bonito flakes and both boys were immediately suspicious of every dish placed in front of them for the rest of the day.
We ended up eating in McDonald’s far more than I care to admit on that first trip. The boys just wanted some familiar comfort food.
Japan travel tips with kids to avoid this mistake:
Introduce Japanese flavours at home first. My kids now love ramen, gyoza, teriyaki chicken, and miso soup. Introducing them early is the best way to make sure nothing is completely new and your kids feel comfortable. And keep snacks on hand. Always.
5. Ignoring How Much Walking You’ll Actually Do
When I say you’ll do a lot of walking when you’re in Japan, I really mean it! We once hit 23,000 steps on what we thought was going to be a “light day.” Japan involves stairs, long platforms at train stations, and endless corridors, which is a lot for little legs. The first couple of days might feel fine, but by the end of two weeks your legs will be on fire!
Japan travel tips with kids to avoid this mistake:
Bring a lightweight stroller for younger kids. Kid that haven’t been in a stroller for years might still benefit from having one: on our first trip, there were a couple of days I wish we’d packed one for our then 6 year old. Another option is to plan shorter walking days between big city explorations.
6. Not Booking Family-Friendly Accommodation
Tiny rooms, no space for suitcases, cramped bathrooms, we’ve experienced them all. Hotel rooms in Japan work a little differently from other parts of the world, because children as old as 12 are allowed to bedshare, meaning you could book a room for a family of four that only has two beds in it. Not ideal!
We had this happen where we were stuck with one single bed and one double bed for two weeks: we’re a family of four with two kids that thrash around like sharks at night. It was not a restful way to sleep! Now we religiously check that each room will have four beds before we book.
Japan travel tips with kids to avoid this mistake:
Look for:
- Apartment-style hotels
- Ryokans with family rooms
- Hotels near major stations to cut down walking
- Options with laundry facilities if you’re enjoying a longer stay
7. Underestimating Jet Lag
We’re regular travellers – we write a whole blog about it! So we know all about jetlag, and how to deal with it. But the jetlag we experience when we fly to and from Japan is all-encompassing, and much worse than we expected.
On our first trip, I made reservations at a nice restaurant for our arrival night (something to kick off our trip with a bang) . My boys fell asleep in the taxi before we’d even made it from the airport to our hotel.
Japan travel tips with kids to avoid this mistake:
Keep your first day in Japan simple. Wander around the neighbourhood where your hotel is to find your feet. Convenience store dinner? Perfect. Early night? Even better.
8. Not Carrying Cash
Japan is increasingly cashless, but I still get caught out occasionally. We have a travel account and a travel card, so the days of carrying huge amounts of cash seem over. But you do still need cash in Japan, especially at smaller restaurants, rural areas, and some train machines.
Japan travel tips with kids to avoid this mistake:
We change some cash to yen before we travel to Japan, and visit the ATM if we need to top up while we’re away. I recommend you always carry ¥10,000–¥20,000 cash (divided between adults) just in case.
👉 Do you need cash in Japan? A guide for first timer travellers
9. Forgetting That Many Attractions Close Early
Museums, aquariums, shrines, temples, even some malls close earlier than you expect in Japan. We once arrived at the Imperial Palace Gardens in Tokyo at 4:15pm and were gently told to come back tomorrow because they closed at 5.00pm and the last admission was at 4.00pm. This isn’t a one-off occurence, so now we aim to visit any of our favourite attractions early.
Japan travel tips with kids to avoid this mistake:
Always check opening hours and last entry times before you go. The last entry times of attractions are just as important as their opening hours.
10. Planning For Play Breaks
Japan has some of the cutest themed cafés, toy stores, and playgrounds. But first time visitors are often so focused on seeing everything that they see spending time in a toy store or watching their kids on the playground as a waste of time (I’m guilty of thinking this myself!) The thing is that no child can spend all day doing nothing but walking around temples and museums, and your kids will quickly let you know that your priorities need adjusting if they’re ready to let off some steam.
Japan travel tips with kids to avoid this mistake:
Some of our boys favourite things to do in Japan that you can definitely add to your itinerary include
- A Pokémon Center stop (Check out my Pokemon guide to Tokyo here)
- A trip to a kids’ department store floor
- A themed café visit (We love the Pokemon cafe – there are branches in Tokyo and Osaka)
- Playground time (Japan has fantastic playgrounds!)
Final Thoughts and Japan Travel Tips With Kids
Learning from my mistakes is the best way to have the smoothest possible trip to Japan with kids. Japan is an incredible family travel destination. The fact that we keep going back again and again should tell you just how much our family love it! But like most parents, I had to learn what not to do the hard way. And learning these lessons means that each trip we take to Japan has just got better and better.
Avoid these common mistakes in Japan, travel at the pace that works best for your family (not the fast pace set by your guide book) and your Japan trip will be everything you hope for and more.
Ready to keep planning your trip?
🗼 Check out my ultimate 14 day Japan itinerary for first time travelers
🍜 Ultimate 5-Days Tokyo Itinerary for Families: Full Guide For Travelling With Kids
🎴 18 Essential Things You Need To Do Before You Visit Japan
WANT MORE POSTS LIKE THIS STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX? HIT SUBSCRIBE BELOW
Heads up! This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you click and make a purchase, I might earn a very small commission – at no extra cost to you. This helps to keep the blog going. Thanks for the support!
