Trip planningBy Clever Tourists · Published
Japan is one of the easiest long-haul countries to visit with children: it is clean, the trains are punctual, convenience stores sell simple food at any hour, and child rail fares are discounted. The planning questions are train tickets by age, heat in summer, how to move luggage between cities, and how many cities to try. We spent about 33 days in Japan in March and April 2023 as a travel-and-photography trip, and do not claim to have travelled with children, so this page uses our route for ideas and published rules for the family logistics. The route had Tokyo (9 days), Hakone, Matsumoto, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto (4), Nara (2), Osaka (3), Kobe, Himeji and Hiroshima.
Free toolConvert to your own currency at live rates →Live mid-market rates for all 17 currencies we used, so you can see what a price actually costs.With children, two or three bases beat six. A workable first family trip is Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka with Nara as a day trip: about 4 nights in Tokyo, 3 in Kyoto and 3 in Osaka. Our own time was 9 days in Tokyo, 4 in Kyoto and 3 in Osaka, and the shorter version fits into 7 days in Tokyo and Kyoto or 10 days in Japan including the Alps. Our full route is in the 33-day Japan itinerary.
Place by place: Nara (2 days) is the easiest child win, because the deer park is a short walk from the station; read the rules first in Nara deer park etiquette, since deer bite and young children with deer crackers are the usual problem. Himeji (we spent under 2 days there) has the castle, and Osaka has Universal Studios Japan: see is the USJ Express Pass worth it. City pages: 3 days in Tokyo, 3 days in Kyoto, Osaka. Hiroshima suits older children; the museum content is heavy for the very young.
On JR, children aged 6 to 11 generally pay half the adult fare for the basic ticket and half for Limited Express and reserved-seat surcharges, but Green Car fees are not discounted. Children under 6 travel free if they do not occupy their own seat, and for young children aged 1 to 5, up to two can ride free in non-reserved cars with an adult. If you reserve a Shinkansen seat for a child under 6, a child ticket is required. Infants under 1 ride free unless they take a reserved seat. The exact application varies by railway, so confirm on the operator's site before you buy.
A child JR Pass is half the adult price for ages 6 to 11. Whether any pass pays off is a route question, covered with fares in the bullet train and JR Pass guide, is the JR Pass worth it in 2026 and 14 and 21-day passes. For city transit, a Suica or Pasmo card works for children too: Suica and Pasmo guide and Suica on iPhone and Android.
Trains are packed at rush hour and station stairs are many. Send suitcases ahead between hotels with takkyubin luggage forwarding and carry a small daypack each, and use coin lockers at Tokyo and Kyoto stations when you have a few hours between check-out and your train. Taxis and rides are covered in the Japan taxi guide.
Our model's typical band for Japan is US$70 to $120 per person per day on a budget and US$150 to $250 at mid-range, from published 2025 and 2026 cost guides, not what we spent. These assume a shared room, which suits a family sharing one room. Children's rail fares are half-price, and their meals are cheaper, but the exit tax is not waived for children over 2: the departure tax of ¥3,000 (≈ $19.0) applies per person, and our guide gives the example of two adults and two children over 2 leaving Japan twice paying ¥24,000 (≈ $152) in total. See Japan's departure tax and how much a trip to Japan costs.
Hotel pricing for families varies by whether children are counted as guests, so read each property's occupancy rules rather than assuming a double room fits three or four people. Food is where families save: convenience store food, set meals and grocery stores cover most meals.
Summer is hot and humid, and the UK Foreign Office lists heatstroke as a significant risk, with typhoons from June to December and the peak July to September. For families, spring and autumn are easier, though cherry blossom and autumn leaf weeks are the most crowded: Japan cherry blossom 2027, Kyoto autumn leaves, Golden Week 2027. Winter: Japan in winter.
Bring your own supply of children's medicines, because rules differ: Japan medicine rules. Emergency numbers are 110 police and 119 fire and ambulance, and the Japan Visitor Hotline is +81 50 3816 2787. Entry paperwork for the whole family: Visit Japan Web, and check do I need a visa for Japan.
Quiet on trains is the main rule: phone calls are not made, and children should speak softly. Shoes come off at many restaurants, temples and homes; see Japan etiquette mistakes and what is considered rude in Japan. Public baths are split by gender and require washing first, and rules about tattoos vary by facility: onsen etiquette. Some ryokan offer private family baths, so ask when booking. Temple rules: temple and shrine dress code. Packing: what to pack for Japan.
Children aged 6 to 11 generally pay half the adult fare on JR, and children under 6 travel free if they do not occupy their own seat. If you reserve a Shinkansen seat for a child under 6, a child ticket is required.
Two or three bases. Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka with Nara as a day trip is a workable first family route.
Yes for children over 2. The ¥3,000 (≈ $19.0) departure tax applies per person, so two adults and two children over 2 leaving once pay ¥12,000 (≈ $76).
Spring and autumn are easier than summer, which is hot and humid with a heatstroke risk and typhoons from June to December. Cherry blossom and autumn leaf weeks are the most crowded.
110 for police and 119 for fire and ambulance. The Japan Visitor Hotline is +81 50 3816 2787.
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