You have decided to visit Japan with your kids, but you are not sure what you can do to entertain them? Don't worry: Japan is full of activities your kids will love.
You will be overwhelmed with choice, from learning the samurai dance, to watching a puppet show; from bathing in a warm pool surrounded by nature, to visiting the many Pokémon centers. You just need to plan ahead and choose the best activities, perhaps in the process preparing a surprise your kids will never forget.
Highlights
- In Japan there are 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites: a wonderful learning opportunity
- Bring your kids to watch a traditional performance of bunraku puppet theatre
- Discover all the amazing food Japan has to offer, from fresh fish to street food
- Stay in a family-run ryokan, or enjoy the warm water of an onsen bath
- Visit one of the many theme parks dedicated to manga and anime: your kids will love it
1. Visit UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Visiting UNESCO World Heritage Sites is a great learning opportunity for you and your kids. In Japan there are 22 such sites, each with its own special story and features.
We have chosen four for you, some of the most representative.
Historic Villages of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama
These villages, more than 250 years old, are famous for their gassho-zukuri farmhouses, resembling the hands of Buddhist monks in prayer.
A typical tour will see you going round the villages, with a guide explaining their history and how they were constructed. For lunch you will try the local specialty, traditional soba noodles.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial
The ruins of this dome are today a memorial for all the victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The bomb was dropped almost directly above the dome.
A visit to the memorial is simple and quiet: you will stroll around the park to view the many monuments, and then head to the Museum. It is an impressive and moving experience, from which both you and your children can learn something more about Japan's past.
Itsukushima Shrine
Of the many shrines in Japan, Itsukushima is one of the most famous. The shrine is located on a small island not far from Hiroshima and it was built during the 6th century. Take your time to explore the island and its numerous shrines and temples.
The most characteristic feature of this shrine is its torii (gate) built near the shore: when the tide is high, it seems like it is floating.
Historic Monuments of Ancient Tara
There are 8 historic monuments: 5 Buddhist temples, 1 Shinto shrine, 1 palace, and 1 forest. The temples, built during the 7th century, are some of the most important in the entire country. The Shinto shrine is particularly famous for its bronze lanterns.
During the Nara period (8th century AD), the palace used to be the imperial residence. The forest, 250 hectares in area, is home to a huge variety of fauna and flora.
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Customized Trip Planning
My experience with Alisa at Asia Highlights has been excellent. I wanted to customize my trip to South Korea and Japan. I made several changes and asked many questions which she answered promptly. My trip included only hotels and transportation because I wanted to explore on my own. This gave me the option to book my own tours if I want. I selected Asia Highlights because of the great reviews and booked because Alisa was helpful in planning my trip. More
JBC, Feb 2024
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Japan Tour
Alisa did a fantastic job, answering all my questions and catering to what I want for our upcoming Japan tour. The itinerary was so detailed! We are so excited for our trip! More
Theresa Beltran, Feb 2024
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The experience of working with Bert was…
The experience of working with Bert was amazing! Everything is clear! The route he introduced and planned for the travel in Japan was amazing! More
Polina Fedorina, Feb 2024
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Outstanding Agent
We haven't taken our trip to Japan yet with Asia Highlights, but I am so impressed by the thoroughness, communication skills, and attention to detail of their hard working agent, Claire Wong. I sent an inquiry to Asia Highlights and immediately I was given Claire as my agent. She designed a trip for my family that works for us and my communications with her via WhatsApp have been excellent. She always gets right back to me with answers and suggestions. Her English is perfect. Because of Claire, I have a very high regard for Asia Highlights, and I'm glad that I chose this company for our trip to Japan. More
Edwin Lowe, Feb 2024
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Japan Trip Planning
Although our travel plans will not materialize for another 2 months, we had the absolute pleasure of working with Bert Hu in putting our trip to Japan together. Bert was extremely professional in meeting our needs and tailoring a trip to our interests. Bert was also quite patient and helpful when we had to change a few details and add a couple days. I'm sure I'll have more wonderful things to say after our experience in Japan. More
John, Feb 2024
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Bert Hu knowledgeable travel adviser.
Hello! My trip adviser Bert Hu gave very clear instructions about the my travel plan to Japan. He is very knowledgeable and guided me step by step. I highly recommend Bert Hu as a personal travel adviser. Thank you for making my future trip easily accessible. More
Fatema Mohammedi, Feb 2024
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Awesome
Such a great company to help us find our next family trip. We have been working with Bert Hu he is very informative and helpful. Looking forward to continuing doing business and our travels to Japan. More
Shaunda, Feb 2024
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It is my first time in Japan
It is my first time in Japan, I am glad that i found Asian highlights especially meeting claire the travel agent! She is amazing. She is very helpful all through out the process, she respond quickly to all my inquiry. She made the process so smooth. During the trip, I have to praise the company for giving us amazing accomodations and the best tour guides. Claire made everything happened. There are few bumps and she solve it right away.She was honest about the things that she can not provide. It is my first time to ask for help from a travel agency , I am glad I found Asia highlights. If I will plan tour in the future I will definitely ask help for this company. I recommended this company to my family and friends! Thankyou once again. More power! Keep it up Claire! More
Cc, Jan 2024
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Claire has listened carefully
Claire has listened carefully to our ideas and has created a highly customized journey for us. She has been very responsive and has shown a deep knowledge of travel options in Japan. More
Michael Brandenburg, Jan 2024
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Sharon from Asia Highlights
I highly recommend Sharon and her tour guidance.She is very patient and utmost polite.I absolutely loved coordinating my iteniery with her although I was unable to travel to Japan this time.She is an absolute gem and I recommend her to make your Japanese holiday an extraordinary and hassle free experience. More
Tess Thomas, Jan 2024
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10 Day Family Vacation in Japan
We had the absolute best time in Japan! Jennifer was our wonderful tour guide in Tokyo and Ho was our amazing tour guide in Kyoto and Osaka. We can’t thank them both enough for making our 10 day sightseeing trip truly a trip of a lifetime!! More
Sabrina Wilmoth, Jan 2024
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Trip to Japan
Family trip to Japan. Excellent itinerary, allowed for seeing many different sights in multiple cities in Japan. The tour was well-paced with enough time to explore on our own in the evenings. Tour guides were knowledgeable, had great attitudes and were accommodating, willing to modify our plans to allow us to see other sights if we wanted to as well. The vans were large and comfortable for the longer drives and water was always provided. More
May, Nov 2023
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Fall in Japan
The local tour guides in each city were so friendly and knowledgeable. They took care of us like we were family. The accommodations and meals were exceptional. We would definitely use this tour company again for future travel needs. More
, Nov 2023
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Alisa Liu is a star to work makes Asia Highlights even better
Alisa Liu was my contact person for Asia Highlights. She was remarkably punctual, she was thoughtful, and she handle an emergency on my end, with grace and patience. She recommended great hotels in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka Japan that put us in the center of the action. The guides she choose were personable, punctual a knowledgeable about their cities. More
Brent Zadorozny, Oct 2023
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Excellent service
Started using Asia Highlights to plan my trip to Japan. Sharon was very helpful, giving me all the information I would need for the tour. I would definitely use Asia Highlights again, when planning another trip to Asia. More
Rachel Nelson, Oct 2023
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Japan tour
Our airport pick-up went very smoothly. Our guide, Vivian, on the second day was very nice, very accommodating, took into account our preferences. In Osaka, our trip to the castle was a very long walk with lots of steps to climb and quite honestly wasn’t very interesting. But Dotonburi is a must-see and we enjoyed that very much.Our trip to Hiroshima was very memorable. I highly recommend it. Our guide, Etsuko, was very knowledgeable and kind. The trip to Miyajima island, on the other hand, wasn’t too memorable. Our next city, Kyoto, is a truly wonderful place to visit. All the temples we went to were very interesting and very distinctive from each other (Kinkakuji temple, Nijo castle, Sanjusangendo temple,Kiyumizo temple, Fushimi Inari shrine, Kasuga Taisha shrine, Tojaidi temple). The sake tour was a downer and wouldn’t recommend it.Our guide, Ritsuko, was a darling. She was very knowledgeable too and kind and warm and easy to talk to. Our last tour in Tokyo was a rainy day and Sue, our guide, was able to change our tour to the next day. She was so efficient and so accommodating and so kind and very knowledgeable too. More
Mrs Cristina Hidalgo Loris, Oct 2023
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Very good tour of Japan
Very good tour around Japan for 10 days, including Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto. Excellent guides and experiences. Albee, the tour organiser, was always available to sort out changes to itinerary or extra requests. More
Guy Slimmon, Oct 2023
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Everything is good
All of the hotels were wonderful and our guides were super friendly, knowledgeable and flexible. We had a 10 day trip that included multiple cities and lots of different sights, we squeezed in as much as we could, including a 2 day hiking trip to Mt. Fuji (our guide Sun Nan was awesome!). Our guide in Tokyo, Jennifer, was lovely and our guide for 2 days in Kyoto, Dennis, was also super great. We did a food tour in Osaka with Vivian which was nice Sallie Fujimoto-Swun More
Ideale Tran, Oct 2023
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Thank you for the wonderful experience…
Thank you for the wonderful experience we all truely enjoyed. From the beginning (making first contact with Sharon from Asia Highlights) to the end (Saying good bye to our amazing guide Lilly) the experience was top notch. Great communication while preparing the trip and excellent local knowledge of our tour guide. I can highly recommend Asia Highlights and would not hesitate to use them again for our next trip. More
Dany Gruosso, Oct 2023
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Vacations in Japan
The guides Jessie and Vivian were very kind and professionals and the drivers as well. In a future vacation we will get in touch with Asia Highlights without a doubt. More
Hilda Andrade, Oct 2023
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2. Experience Japanese Traditional Performing Arts
Japan has a rich history of performing arts, and watching them can be a unique experience for your kids. In Kyoto, one of the best places to experience this unique traditional art is the Gion Centre, popular among locals and foreigners alike.
Here, you can choose between several different performances, like the elegant kyo-mai dance performed by geisha; kyogen theatre and its comical plays; or bunraku puppet theatre.
Choose the best one for you and your family. We think your kids will be expecially entertained by bunraku and kyogen performances, designed to amuse viewers of all ages. Performances start at 6 or 7 pm, and usually last about 50 minutes.
Traditional Pastimes
In Kyoto you could also watch a geisha show, with dance and music, and wear one of the traditional kimonos. Or, if you want to do some activity, try to learn Japanese calligraphy or origami in the warm setting of a traditional family home.
3. Visit a Local Market and Sample Japanese Food
Food is extremely important in Japan, and this is your chance to discover why. Head to a local market and watch where the greatest chefs buy their ingredients, or stroll around the city tasting the flavorful street food. Or, if you like something more refined, try the kaiseki cuisine.
The Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo is one of the biggest food markets in the world. It opens at 5 a.m., and the best fish are auctioned in a dramatic bidding war. Visit for breakfast and try the freshest fish you can imagine. And, when you are back in the city, try the yakitori: coal-roasted strips of meat or vegetable.
Kaiseki cuisine, on the other hand, is an elegant meal with seven or eight courses. Dishes are light and carefully prepared by skillful chefs, and are usually part of the tea ceremony. This kind of meal is best experienced in a ryokan, where food is prepared using only the freshest seasonal ingredients.
4. Stay in a Family Suite in a Ryokan
Ryokan are small inns built in traditional style, and the best ones are those run by families, with not too many rooms and great care for the custumer. Some of the best are to be found in Tsumago, where ryokans are simple and respect tradition: rooms without too much furniture, futuns for beds, and homemade meals.
Bathrooms are usually shared, but you will have your own sleeping quarters with sliding doors, opening onto a beautiful Japanese garden where you can relax and your kids can play. As mentioned, the food is home-cooked, and only uses seasonal and local ingredients, especially fish from the river which runs through the town.
5. Enjoy an Onsen Bath
Hot springs are one of the highlights of Japan. Onsen baths are bathing facilities built around hot springs and, each weekend, lots of Japanese people escape from the bustling cities in search of an onsen bath, to regenerate body and soul.
Onsens are large, with naturally warm water, where bathers relax naked (they are divided according to gender). Everyone has to take a shower before entering the bath. Locations are usually chosen according to their surrounding views.
Maybe the best way to enjoy an onsen bath is to choose a pool surrounded by snow. If you like the idea, head to the Hakone National Park near Tokyo sometime between December and February. And, if the weather is nice, you will also get to see the great Mount Fuji in the distance.
6. Learn How to Make Sushi or Wagashi
As mentioned above, in Tokyo you can visit one of the largest fish markets of the world, and give your kids an opportunity to learn a lot about local fish and how it is cooked by Japanese people. If you want deeper insight into the fish culture of Japan, book a tour and learn how to make sushi.
After a guided visit to the market, where you can buy the fish you will use to make your own sushi, you go back to a traditional house and learn how to make three different kinds of sushi:
- Maki sushi, the rolls
- Gunkammaki, white rice wrapped with seaweed and with other ingredients on top
- Nigiri, a ball of rice topped with fish or vegetable
A guide helps you and your kids, teaching you everything you need to know about sushi and its history. After you have made it, just eat your own creation!
7. Watch a Samurai Sword Dance
Samurai play an important part in Japanese history, and your kids will love learning their traditional dance, the kenbu: samurai used it to practice sword-craft and to train their concentration.
A master of kenbu will patiently instruct you, every step and every move. It is a truly unique experience that you and your kids will love. Instructors, fluent in English, will happily answer your questions.
After you've learned the dance, you can pick up your pictures and a souvenir (included in the price).
8. Experience Manga and Anime Culture by Visiting the Theme Parks and Museums
We bet your kids will be really excited to visit Japan for mostly one reason: manga and anime. In Japan, manga and anime are extremely popular, and there are many museums and theme parks focusing on them.
Pokémon Centers are to be found in many major cities like Sapporo, Tokyo, Osaka, and Hiroshima: they are small museums and stores where you can buy anything you can think of related to Pokémon. You can take a guided tour or visit them by yourself. They are extremely easy to find.
Another interesting shopping center is DiverCity in Tokyo. It features attractions related to Gundam, including a life-size Gundam statue. Also in Tokyo, at the base of the Tokyo tower, you will find One Piece Tower, an indoor amusement park with dozens of shows, games, and attractions.
Explore Japan with Asia Highlights
We bet your kids cannot wait to have fun in this amazing country, and that you too really want to have fun with them. Don't wait any longer then! Book your trip to Japan with Asia Highlights: our professional staff will craft an amazing itinerary for you and your family, giving you all the fun you can hope for.
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It was a whirlwind across a number of cities, but a very comprehensive experience across the many sides and cultures of China. Most days had sufficient activities, but weren’t overwhelming, which was great.Across cities, we had excellent tour guides, like Kitty (Beijing), Jenny (Xian), William (Guilin/Yangshuo), Kris (Shanghai), and Tony (Yellow Mountains.)
moreFrom the time we landed in Beijing until we left, we were well taken care of. My wife and I had Lily Liu as our guide and she was amazing. From arranging visits to all the different sights, to teaching us the history, it was fantastic.
moreThe tour was excellent. Selinda was very knowledgeable about all the aspects of our tour. Selinda was very interesting and knew so much Chinese history
moreWe made a private tour through South China in January 2024. Altogether Chengdu was the highlight. We had an incredible day at Emeishan. In Chengdu our guidewas Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen.
moreOther highlights are too many to mention but here are a few Ken taking us to the Terracotta Warriors and our food tour in Xian was amazing,
moreOur day volunteering at the Panda Base was truly unforgettable. Helen, our guide, provided us with invaluable insights about Chengdu and the pandas, enriching our tour with her knowledge and expertise. We're grateful to Helen for accompanying us throughout the day and showcasing the highlights of China.
moreWe had a booking with China Highlights through Silvia Ye who guarenteed a perfect organisation. In Chengdu our guide was Helen. She was the diamond of all. Speaking fluently English, full of interesting stories, laughing and talking all the time. We missed her the rest of our tour. We highly recommend to go to Chengdu for 3 days when visiting China, especially with Helen.
moreWe traveled to China during the Chinese new year and we had Kris as our guide and he is simply knowledgeable,helpful and great.
moreWe visited Guilin for 2 days and stayed in the Guilin Waterfall hotel. Guilin was absolutely beautiful! Our guide, William, was very knowledgeable and kind! He taught us so much about Guilin and the surrounding area! We really enjoyed trying the specialty rice noodles of Guilin. Our highlight was the Li river cruise.
moreAmazing tour and the guide Mr. 贺霄 was very accommodating with our needs and request as we have bought our 2 years old with us. Well explained for all the place we visited. Any additional cost were informed well ahead and didn't felt any pressure if we opt not to go for additional detour. The trip was relaxing/ laid back/no rushing with zero shopping!
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