Japan for Families

Transportation

United Airlines

• Serves three meals

• Departure from LA. It’s better to travel at night so kids can sleep and you will arrive the next day (+17 hours).

• Two forms to fill out. No one tells you till you get in line, and if you miss the kiosk where the forms are, you will need to go back. It’s already overwhelming keeping up with your little one, so that would’ve been great if the stewards had handed those forms earlier on.

• Uber or taxi work perfectly—about ¥28,000 or $180 for a van for family of six plus 3–5 luggages.

Bullet train

Bullet train was not what I expected.

From Tokyo station, packed with hundreds thousands people. Very hard to move forward with a stroller and four kids. We almost missed our train.

Give yourself plenty of time to not miss your train. And hold on tight to your little ones as you move forward.

We experienced first-class seats Tokio-Osaka and standard seats Kyoto-Tokyo and there’s not much of a difference in terms of leg space, cleanliness, and storage. Of course, first class was more expensive and you get to order a special Japanese whisky that costs $12 there and $200 for a bottle here in LA.

When to travel

Winter is cold, but quieter and easier to access. Everything is super clean, and everyone is polite and loves babies. But if you fancy more warm weather and can’t wait for the cherry blossoms, then March to May are your travel months.

To consider

• English is not their strongest language (only in fancy hotels). Most directions are written in Japanese. It’s hard to get things rolling around.

• Smart to purchase tickets, you need to register and get approval and it doesn’t work smoothly when you buy tickets. Ask your hotel concierge to purchase the tickets for you. Extra fee may apply.

• If you live in Los Angeles like I do and are used to the gentle LA weather, then Japan in Nov-late February is pretty chilly, so pack a lot of layers.

• So much shopping in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, so pack very light!

• There’s a service to transfer your luggage from hotels to hotel for an affordable price. (Book with me and I will add that service to your booking.)

• No need car seats for your baby. Yup, you heard it right, no car seats and they don’t care about it as everyone is super careful with their driving skills.

• Crowd factor: As I said earlier, there’s too many people, like too, too many. So if you have young children, be sure to hold them tight. I lost my 11yrs old once, and another time I lost my 11, 9, and 5yrs old for three minutes in a 97% crowd that speaks only Japanese. Those three minutes race my heart 100 mph.

• Japanese restaurant aren’t strong on to-go box style. Plan to finish your meal in the restaurant.

• If you want to see a lot and experience as much as possible, you need to have a clear map out of things to do. Look at what’s close and try to do 2–3 experiences a day, or more if you don’t have young children with you.

In sum

People forget the years and remember moments. Your kids will forget the toys you bought them but will definitely remember the airport where you rushed to catch your flights, when you got lost somewhere in Paris, dog sledding in Lapland, or breakfast with the giraffes somewhere in Africa.

My role is to remove the stress and decision fatigue so that your trip feels effortless from the moment you start dreaming to the moment you return home. Luxury isn’t about how much you spend. It’s about how it feels to be cared for and seen.

If you’re ready to travel beautifully and without worry, I’d love to help you plan your next unforgettable trips.