Japan: 10 Days of Cherry Blossom Viewing for Families

Asakusa cherry blossoms:

We started our spring Japanese vacation in the Asakusa neighborhood of Tokyo, which was extremely family friendly. The neighborhood has a residential feel with easy access to the Metro and Toei Subway lines, and beautiful cherry blossoms along the Sumida River that we enjoyed walking beneath on our way to and from sightseeing every day. The area surrounding Sensoji temple also had cherry blossoms in bloom, which made for a lovely background to our first temple visit. We enjoyed staying at the Prostyle Ryokan Tokyo Asakusa in a corner twin room because it had a traditional Japanese feel with tatami mats and a partially open air bath, which we all enjoyed taking turns soaking in after our full days. A nice bonus was that the room had a view of the Skytree across the river. The kids tried to guess the meaning behind the changing colors and patterns on the Skytree every night!

Kyoto Takase River cherry blossoms:

Taking the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto will delight the train lovers in your family, and is an efficient and clean way to get from city to city. Our kids loved picking out a to-go sushi lunch at Tokyo Station, and then getting to enjoy it on the train as they were trying to get a glimpse of Mt. Fuji from the window! After checking into the lovely and modern Richmond Hotel Premier Kyoto Shijo, we ventured on the subway towards the Gion neighborhood to stretch our legs before dinner. We enjoyed a leisurely stroll along the Takase River near Kiyamachi-dori Street where we took some stunning family pictures on the little bridges with a full pink tunnel of cherry blossoms in the background. The area was fun for the kids to wander around because of the super narrow streets filled with bustling izakayas and small shops, where they had to carefully navigate around motorcycles and bicycles, adding to the excitement.

Ryoanji Temple cherry blossoms:

The cherry blossoms on the grounds of the Ryoanji Temple drape over the walkways, making for a peaceful escape from the crowded temple. The temple itself is worth a visit to view Japan’s most famous rock garden where all 15 rocks cannot be seen at once. Spend some time as a family sitting by the rock garden to contemplate or meditate. The kids were actually better at this than we were! One thing that stood out to me is the inscription on the stone water basin that translates to “I learn only to be contented”.

Tenryu-ji Temple Garden cherry blossoms:

On our last full day in Kyoto, we wanted to explore the unique Arishiyama Bamboo Grove. It is a little outside the city so we took a taxi instead of public transportation to save some time. The bamboo grove is impressive, featuring a dense, natural green canopy that reaches almost 100 feet tall in some areas. Walking through it feels like being immersed in another world, with the sunlight filtering through the bamboo stalks creating a peaceful escape from the bustling city. After wandering for awhile on the path, we stumbled upon an entrance to the Tenryu-ji Temple, and decided to go in for a change of scenery. Sometimes the unplanned moments are the most memorable, and this was definitely the case here! The kids enjoyed using the map to pick which path to take through the temple gardens, and we were pleasantly surprised to find several types of cherry blossom trees in full bloom along with panoramic views of the city from the higher elevation paths.

Imperial Palace cherry blossoms:

After eight days of exploring Tokyo and Kyoto, we returned to Tokyo for our last two nights and checked in at the Palace Hotel Tokyo. Walking up to the hotel from Tokyo Station was a breath of fresh air because although we were in central Tokyo, the hotel is located on the opposite side of the moat from the Imperial Palace gardens, and has a serene, luxurious feeling. The walkway to the hotel was lined with cherry blossoms along the moat and our kids enjoyed watching the swans and turtles in the water as we walked. The Imperial Palace garden grounds also had an impressive number of cherry blossom trees in full bloom, and were especially beautiful when illuminated at night. We could see them from our hotel room, and we spent some time on our last day walking through the grounds to enjoy one last viewing before heading home.

• Our favorite meal in the Asakusa neighborhood in Tokyo was at Tempura Asakusa Sakura, which was decorated with sakura hanging from the ceiling, and made for quite the festive atmosphere! We enjoyed watching the chefs prepare the tempura right in front of us at the 10-seat bar. The kids really loved the wagyu tempura, and my husband had fun with the sake pairing. This is a small, intimate spot that is 100% dedicated, gluten-free, and Halal-certified restaurant. Make a reservation!

• Our first dinner in Kyoto was at the wonderful Kobe Beef Teppanyaki Kyosaien Hanamikoji restaurant in the Gion area. It is a coursed, Teppanyaki-style dinner where the friendly chefs will cater to your children while they prepare A5 Kobe beef to melt-in-your-mouth perfection. The kids loved having the opportunity to try real Kobe beef, and absolutely loved it! It was a long dinner, but our kids stayed entertained just by watching the chef and chatting with him throughout the night.

• We stumbled upon Sabanji in Kyoto when we found ourselves starving on our walk from the Golden Pavillion to Ryonji Temple, and this was a food highlight for us! They serve just one dish at this 10 seat restaurant—the only choice we had to make is whether we wanted the regular or large portion of the Sichuan beef ramen. The service was excellent, and the kids enjoyed watching the chef make the ramen in front of them. There was a short wait, but someone who was leaving told us we should stay and we’re glad we did!

• We wanted to try one of the 10 restaurants at the Palace Hotel Tokyo, and we are so happy that we chose Wadakura. The restaurant features seasonal Japanese dishes and is beautifully designed. The space feels like a quiet oasis with water features and little wooden bridges. It was an intimate dining experience where our kids felt like kings & queens with the kaiseki—beautiful Japanese dishes that just kept coming, and with the attentive service that made us feel like special guests.

• For our “Goodbye, Japan” dinner, we ventured across Tokyo from the Palace Hotel for a nice dinner at the New York Grill on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt Hotel. It was a cloudy night, but there is still something special about dining high above the city with jazz music playing in the background. The service was impeccable, and although it is a fine dining restaurant, they are very accommodating to children. Our kids really enjoyed the wagyu sliders on the kids menu, and my husband & I enjoyed trying different types of Japanese steaks that we shared.