Japan is fun, fascinating, and rubber, making it i of the earth'southward best destinations for family travel.

Whether yous're traveling with young children or teenagers (or both!), Japan's dynamic and eclectic culture has something for everybody. Bullet trains, medieval castles, neon and robots, temples and gardens, colorful art and way – and incredibly helpful people.

(Come across our full listing of 25 family-friendly Nihon activities below.)

While non as off the browbeaten path as information technology was in the past, virtually families still overlook Japan in favor of more "conventional" family travel destinations. And then if you are thinking of a special family trip, full of unique experiences together, Japan is an amazing destination for kids and adults.

Originally written in 2014, this post was updated and republished on August 13, 2020.

Neon streets Tokyo Japan

Why Families Dearest Nippon

Japan is an outstanding family destination for many of the same reasons nosotros so dearest Japan.

It's Prophylactic and Convenient

Japan is peradventure the safest large land in the world, making the US and Europe look quite unsafe in comparison.

It'south too surprisingly easy to get effectually, even if you don't speak the Japanese linguistic communication (go along in mind that most visitors to Nippon don't speak a lick of Japanese).

One of the surprise highlights for so many travelers to Nippon is how beautifully and efficiently things tend to work:

  • Japanese trains are spotless, and depart and arrive on time
  • Japanese customer service is wonderful, and people are astoundingly helpful
  • And of course your kids (and you) volition love riding the shinkansen (bullet railroad train)

On top of all this, Japanese people cater extremely well to children and dear family travelers!

japanese people ladies in yukata kyoto japan

Kids Love Nippon

Many of you lot are well are of this already. In fact, many of y'all had no more than than a passing interest in Japan until your children told you they wanted to visit. (Some of you are beingness dragged by your kids.)

Why do kids dearest Nihon so much?

Japan is the abode of so many things that kids love: fast trains and robots, ninjas and samurai, anime (animation) and manga (comic books), Nintendo and Hello Kitty.

It goes well across the surface. Nihon is an intellectually curious kid's dream, with a beguiling mod yet traditional culture, and fascinating recent and ancient history.

Adults Love Nihon

A primal to a successful family vacation is making certain everyone — parents included — feels included and engaged.

Along with ensuring your kids take a great time, information technology's a much better feel for all if the adults are really enjoying themselves as well.

If you are an adult, we think y'all'll detect several things you'll want to do on our list of bucket listing-worthy Japan experiences. Most are as well smashing with kids!

deer nara japan

25 Family-Friendly Activities in Japan

Japan has something for anybody, and our trip-planning process entails making personalized recommendations based on your and your kids' priorities.

If you're quite flexible and enjoy a fair amount of unstructured time, there is nothing similar "aimless" wandering effectually cities similar Tokyo and Kyoto, both of which are brimming with unique things to encounter and do (not to mention extremely safety).

But most families are also interested in some loftier-quality structured activities, where their kids will enjoy themselves, be engaged, and come abroad with a valuable memorable experience.

So to help you program your trip, we've compiled a cursory merely comprehensive list of our favorite family-friendly activities in Japan.

ane. Ride world-famous shinkansen (bullet train)
2. Visit the Snowfall Monkeys in Jigokudani, Nagano Prefecture
3. Attend a sumo basho (tournament)
4. Participate in a fun and highly active taiko drumming grade
5. Mingle with deer in Nara (almost Kyoto) or Miyajima Island (almost Hiroshima)
6. Stay overnight in a Buddhist temple on Mount Koya
vii. Explore the whimsical Ghibli Museum in Tokyo
8. Experience the world-class aquariums of Osaka and Okinawa
9. Climb Mount Fuji
10. Walk through the the bamboo forest in Arashiyama, Kyoto
11. Immerse yourself in the colorful digital art of teamLab Borderless
12. Dress upwards like a samurai, geisha, or ninja
xiii. Acquire to play a traditional Japanese instrument
xiv. Explore an astonishing Japanese castle in Himeji, Hikone, or Matsumoto
15. Ski or snowboard in Hokkaido, the Japanese Alps, or the Tohoku region
xvi. Soak in Akihabara'southward neon and video game arcades
17. Bicycle across the Shimanami Kaido in Nihon's rural Setouchi region
xviii. Visit theme parks such as Tokyo Disneyland, DisneySea, Universal Studios Japan, Sanrio Puroland, and Fuji-Q Highland
19. Hike along the Nakasendo Way or the Kumano Kodo
20. Attend a Japanese matsuri (festival)
21. Experience an authentic tea ceremony
22. Stroll through the colorful Nishiki Market in Kyoto, and Tsukiji Market in Tokyo
23. Visit the fine art isle of Naoshima
24. Stay in a traditional ryokan (Japanese-style inn) in the countryside
25. Learn to make sushi from a principal chef

traditional japanese theater masks

Embark on a Once-in-a-Lifetime Trip to Nihon

We believe your trip should exist a reflection of your personal sense of adventure and way, and that no two families (or itineraries!) are alike.

If you are looking to embark on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Japan, we take resource that tin assist. Start past checking out our sample travel itineraries and learning near our trip-planning process.

This week we reveal what makes Japan one of the world's best family destinations - and provide a free list of the top 25 family-friendly things to do in Japan!