A combination of finances, family concerns and work commitments meant that we hadn’t had a real getaway for years. Two weeks in Japan beckoned—it’d be our 11-year-old daughter’s first overseas trip and a long enough break to feel the relaxation of a holiday.
So, with a combination of savings, frequent flier points and a low-interest credit card, we booked our flights, accommodation and the rail pass that’d take us around the country. The trip’s motto was that everyone would get to do some of the things they wanted, to save the vacation being a fortnight spent in toy stores and ice-cream parlours (our child), high-end restaurants and fashion stores (the other half) and record shops and war memorials (yours truly).
Up and away!
All up it was about 12 hours travel, including connecting flights – fine with an 11-year-old who was happy to re-watch favourite comedies; possibly less fine with younger children who get restless and grumpy.
We spent three days in Tokyo, staying at mid-range hotel in the business district. One thing to consider when booking accommodation for a larger family is that Japanese hotels usually offer a maximum of three people to a room—and sometimes expect that these guests will share a bed. We managed to book rooms with three single beds, but a double and a single is hard to find.
Tokyo was awesome and a great entry point, particularly for learning how to use the subway and rail system, which, once mastered, makes for easy and cost-effective travel virtually everywhere in the country. The rail system, like the rest of Tokyo and Japan, is clean, safe and incredibly efficient.
Yay! Pikachu! Picture: Supplied.
Our daughter delighted at the Pokemon Centre, in a massive mega mall called Sunshine City, joining the dozens or even hundreds of other fans fondling plushy Pokemon toys with names unable to be remembered for more than three seconds by anyone over the age of 15. We all loved the Sky Tree Tower, which offers panoramic views of the city and glass-bottomed walkway nearly half a kilometre in the sky. Similarly, Shibuya Crossing, reputed to be the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world, is a blast, offering the opportunity to be part of a human tide of hundreds of people beneath multi-storey billboards and video screens.
Harijuku and Robots
School kids visiting Harijuku (left) Robots! (right). Picture: supplied.
Harijuku was also fun for its busy-ness and crazy ‘yoof’ fashions. But in terms of weird Tokyo, nothing beat the Robot Restaurant, in which burlesque-styled men and women do insane laser-dance routines while staging mock-battles with giant robotic dinosaurs and other beasties amid dry-ice smoke to raucous rock and techno.
Despite how it sounds, it’s totally family friendly—though not for younger children who’re likely to be overwhelmed by the cacophony. For younger kids, look out for ‘Asimo’ robots casually parked out the front of many stores, particularly in high-end Ginza. Though their people skills are limited, these bots are also endlessly entertaining for kids.
Getting across Japan is part of the fun, thanks to the Shinkansen bullet trains, which are covered by a 7- or 14-day Japan Rail pass. Whizzing across the countryside in airline-style comfort at nearly 300km/h isn’t to be missed, particularly when you see the majesty of Mount Fuji from your window.
Picture: Supplied.
Our next stop was Hiroshima—top of my list—and a sobering reminder of what this country endured for its aggressive policies in the 1930s and 1940s. The city is now a beautiful, bustling metropolis, though the peace park and dome memorial buildings remain a central focus, and completely inundated with Japanese school excursion groups learning their country’s history. Also well worthwhile is Hiroshima Castle, which boasts five storeys of exhibitions of shogun-era costumes, armour, weaponry and artwork.
Good for an easy day trip from Hiroshima is Miyajima Island, home of the glorious “floating gate”, a giant vermilion Torii shirne built in the shallows off the shoreline and rated as one of the top three sites in Japan. Miyajim also offers amazing temple complexes, a stack of great little restaurants and streets filled with very cheeky deer who delight and infuriate everyone with their insistent attempts to eat anything and everything, including maps and handbags.
GENERAL ADVICE
Is language an issue?
Very few Japanese speak English. But their signage is usually in English and free/cheap translation apps for your smart phone are helpful. Being able to say a few key polite phrases in Japanese will endear you to anyone you meet. The Japanese are exceptionally polite and will go out of their way to help you get around. That said, we had a couple of pretty funny experiences in restaurants where we weren’t sure what we’d ordered. Turned out fine—and delicious.
What age is best to take my kids?
Japan’s a country of some 125 million people and it’s busy on a scale that’s difficult to imagine in Australia. But the efficiency and politeness of the people means that everything works smoothly, whether it’s a massive shopping centre or a railway station used by hundreds of thousands of commuters daily. All of that said, travelling with younger children could be hard. Navigating crowded streets and subways with a pram would be a special kind of hell. You’ll also walk a hell of a lot so even early primary school children will likely find it tiring. Our 11-year-old coped fine. A few of her year six friends have also been in the past year and had a great time.
What’s the food like?
Amazing. There are so many restaurants everywhere you look that it’s tempting to believe every single Japanese family must own one. The varieties of traditional and western foods are pretty much endless. But while adventurous adult eaters might be happy to include some tongue in their dinner or snack on dried fish on a stick, children are less likely to go for such exotic options. We got by with a 50-50 policy, in which we tried to make every second meal traditional Japanese, though with menu items—yatakori, sushi, etc—that our somewhat fussy eater found acceptable. Beyond that there’s no shortage of fast-food outlets and ice-cream and candy stores galore.
How much will we pay?
We found it pretty much to be on par with Sydney prices in terms of accommodation, food and transport. A comfortable, clean city hotel room within easy walking distance of the subway usually set us back from $200 to $350 a night, with Tokyo being the most expensive and Hiroshima being the most affordable. A two-course dinner for three with a few beers, wines and soft drinks in a mid-range restaurant was usually in the vicinity of $100. Taxis were a little cheaper than Sydney.
What should we see?
Up to you, of course. We didn’t get to the snow or the beaches or to Universal Studios. But all of those things can be done next time—and you’ll want to go back.
