Japan with Kids: Family Travel Tips No One Tells You -

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Japan is an amazing country, but watching all these YouTube “top tips for your first visit to Japan” would have you thinking it’s all cherry blossoms, matcha lattes, and people bowing to you as you stroll past, making sure you’re having a magical time.

Well, we’ve been there and done it. With kids. Through the train stations. Through the tantrums. Through the “I need a wee” moments with no toilet in sight. One of ours will eat sushi off a stick. The other lives off chicken nuggets and negotiations. We’ve watched the influencer videos too, and while some offer genuine gems, let’s be honest: a lot of it comes from shiny, happy travellers with drone footage, zero kids, and far too much polish.

This post is what we wish we’d read before we landed. It’s not filtered. It’s not sponsored. It’s just what actually helped, what didn’t, and what advice you can safely ignore.

If you’re planning to island-hop or explore beyond the big cities, check out our Okinawa road trip guide for a unique look at Japan’s subtropical side

Getting Around Japan (Trains, Cards And Costs)

Get yourself an IC card (ICOCA, Suica, or Pasmo). It works on trains, buses, vending machines, and even in some shops. Don’t bother with a JR Rail Pass. If someone’s still recommending that, they’re giving outdated advice. Want more detail? Click here for our JR Pass vs ICOCA post.
You’ll see a lot of travel blogs telling you to use luggage forwarding services, as if it’s taboo to carry your suitcase on a train. Sounds lovely but we were quoted £80 for four cases. That’s just not realistic for a travelling family. We dragged our bags through the metro and onto the Shinkansen without any drama, and we weren’t the only ones. Plenty of locals do the same. This is advice that’s trying to sound culturally tapped-in without being grounded in cost or reality.
The Shinkansen is great and smooth and cool to experience, but it’s not cheap. In fact, flying is often cheaper. What you’re really paying for is convenience. We did a proper breakdown here.
Trains in Japan leave exactly on time. Not a few minutes late. Not holding the doors. On time. Miss it, and you’ll need to buy a new ticket.
Don’t fall into the trap of trying to move cities every two days. It’s exhausting, expensive, and you’ll spend more time repacking than exploring. Base yourself in one place (like Osaka or Tokyo) and use day trips to see the rest. Japan’s trains are so reliable, you can be two hours away and still back by dinner.
Don’t book at the station for the Shinkansen. It can sell out, secure your seat ahead of time using Klook.

Luggage stored neatly behind the last row of seats on a Shinkansen train in Japan.

Food for Real Families

One of our kids tried squid. The other? It’s a daily battle to get him to try anything new. Once you finally give up trying to force sophistication beyond their years, 7-Eleven or FamilyMart becomes your saviour. Their hot counters are stocked with chicken nuggets, sausages, and other no-argument options and the best bit? You’re never more than ten minutes from one.
Bento boxes are everywhere and get pushed hard in every YouTube “must try” list for train travel. They’re fine, but often overpriced. Honestly, it feels like more of a flex a way for people to show how cultured or ‘in the know’ they are. You’ll usually find better, cheaper food in one of the eateries inside the station than in the bento shop on the platform. Eat ahead of your journey, save money, and you’ll probably enjoy the food more.
Street food looks great and makes for a fun snack stop, but it’s rarely a good option to properly feed a family. For a proper meal, you’re better off finding a casual sit-down spot. Cities like Tokyo and Osaka have endless affordable options once you step off the main tourist drag.
If you’re self-catering or just want to save a bit, head to Super Tamade or Don Quijote. These were the best budget supermarkets we found perfect for fridge-friendly dinners or stocking up on snacks if your hotel has a microwave.

Exterior of a brightly lit Super Tamade supermarket in Japan at dusk, known for its budget-friendly prices and neon signage.

If you’re travelling on a budget, Super Tamade is a chaotic, no-frills supermarket hero and it’s open 24 hours.

Cash, Cards And Budget Wins

Japan is still cash-heavy. Don’t expect tap-to-pay everywhere.
7-Eleven ATMs are your best bet. Use your Revolut card and always decline the ATM’s currency conversion.
Not everywhere has Contactless debit card option but your IC cards can be used to pay as well as for travelling on.
If you see a Tax-Free Shopping sign, make use of it. Spend over 5,000 yen in a single store, show your passport at the counter or tax office, and you’ll get the 10% back.

Toilets, Bins And Real World Logistics

Toilets are spotless. Even the ones in playgrounds have heated seats, most have built in bidets some even come with deodorizers.
Most trains especially metro and subway lines don’t have toilets onboard. Every station does, and they’re clean and easy to find. If you’re on a Shinkansen or long-distance JR train, you’re covered they will have toilets onboard. Shinkansen’s even have urinals!
Public rubbish bins don’t really exist. You’re expected to take your rubbish home, which isn’t always realistic with kids. 7-Elevens usually have bins just inside the door, so use them when you can. Another hack: vending machines sometimes have a bin nearby meant for cans. No one is checking if your can came from that machine or not.
There’s numerous bins inside your apartment. It can be hard to know sometimes. Recycling has four or more bins: burnables, plastics, bottles, and cans.

Shinkansen toilet with modern urinal and compact sink setup, photographed during high-speed travel between Osaka and Fukuoka]

Yes, that is a urinal. On a train. Japan really doesn’t mess about with their public toilet game.

Why Staying Put Saves You Money (and Sanity)

With so much to see in Japan, its tempting to pack your itinerary with a move every few days. Don’t do it you will lose your mind if travelling with kids.

Don’t try to tick off five cities in a week. Kids melt. Costs explode.
Day trips from a base like Osaka or Tokyo are easy. The train network is incredible. Its often do-able with a bit of journeying on the trains and they are comfortable and reliant enough to do so.
As an example, Nara can easily be part of your Osaka stay than a separate stop. Check out our 3 day Itinerary for Osaka here.

Hotels, Rooms And What They Don’t Tell You

‘Hot tubs’ are just deep baths. Good for a soak, but not bubbly glamour.
Rooms are small. Pack light. Use coin laundries, there loads. Look for places near stations.
Wi-Fi in hotel rooms is typically really good. The free Wi-Fi from stations and shops not so much. Make sure you have your eSim set up.
Having trouble setting up your eSim. Click here for our trouble shooting guide.

Vending Machines, Sake And Smashed Workers

Vending machines are everywhere. You’ll find everything from Ice coffee, fizzy drinks, toys, and even ice cream. They’re cheap and reliable.
You’ll be asked: hot or cold sake? Try both, but we stuck with cold. It went better with food. It’s normal to be served it overflowing inside a wooden box. Don’t feel hesitant about drinking the remains from the box. The locals do.
Work hard, play hard is real here. Seeing a businessman passed out on a bench or in a restaurant is nothing unusual. Locals leave them to sleep it off.

Row of colourful Japanese vending machines offering drinks, coffee, and snacks, located outdoors in Japan.

Five vending machines on a random side street? Totally normal. Japan takes snacking seriously.

Safety, Crowds And Culture

Groping on trains (chikan) – Despite the globally low crime statistics, this is a well known issue in Japan.
There is trains with specific women only carriages. Make use of them, they’re there for a reason.
Butsukari Otoko (men who intentionally bump into people) – Particularly targeted at women or foreigners in busy stations. It’s subtle but aggressive.
Directly handing money to someone, especially touching hands – can be seen as awkward. You don’t hand over cash directly. Put it in the little tray at the till.
Shoes off indoors – At homes, temples, traditional ryokans, and even some restaurants. Most apartments come with a little step up just inside the door. Shoes are not supposed to go past this point.
Queueing is sacred – I thought the British had this down, the Japanese put us to same. Some ques even have their own que guard keeping you all in line.
Talk quietly in public – This was impossible with our kids, but you do get funny looks, even if its hyper children making the noise.

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F.A.Qs

Keep your voice down on public transport, avoid eating while walking, and always take your rubbish with you. Manners matter in Japan.

Yes. Stores like 7-Eleven, FamilyMart, and Lawson offer fresh, hot food and ready-to-eat meals. It’s affordable and surprisingly tasty.

Most toilets are clean and high-tech, even in budget places. Carry tissues just in case, but you’ll usually find everything well stocked.

In most cases, no. The JR Pass has become expensive and often doesn’t save money unless you’re doing multiple long-distance train journeys in a short time. For most families, it’s cheaper and more flexible to buy individual tickets or use an IC card like ICOCA or Suica.

Yes. eSIMs are reliable and easy to activate. You can also rent a pocket Wi-Fi if preferred. Both work well for families who need to stay connected.

Teach them basic words like hello or thank you, and explain cultural rules. Even small gestures like bowing go a long way in Japan.