Halfway through the trip, a deer in Nara Park noses your child’s pocket while a hand holds out a cracker bought from a roadside seller, and the squealing starts. Before that came the rides and the churro-scented lanes of Tokyo’s theme parks, and after it come the lanterns of Hiroshima and the red gate standing in the water at Miyajima. This itinerary links Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Hiroshima for families who want a first look at Japan at a child’s pace.
Is 10 Days enough for Japan?
Yes, for a first trip with children, as long as you accept that this is a sampler of one slice of Honshu and not the whole country. Japan is an island nation divided into 47 prefectures, and the route here stays on the line of cities that the Tokaido Shinkansen and its neighbors connect. You see a giant capital, a hot-spring mountain, an old imperial city, a food-loving port, a park of tame deer and a city with a hard and moving history.
The route is built around what children tend to remember. Tokyo gives you the theme parks, spacious areas for strollers and department stores with nursing rooms. Hakone adds a ride on a mountain train, a ropeway and a cruise across a lake.
Kyoto gives them a castle and a station building with a whole floor of ramen restaurants. Osaka is where you eat your way down a canal-side street, and Nara is where the deer wait.
What the route leaves out is a lot. Kanazawa, with its Edo-period cultural heritage and a garden that is lit at night, is for another trip, as are the northern island of Hokkaido, the southern islands of Okinawa, Kyushu and Shikoku.
So are the rural corners where you would sleep in a ryokan (a traditional inn) and soak in an onsen (a hot spring bath) for several nights running. Ten days is enough to enjoy each stop without turning the trip into a race.
Children also set a natural limit. Two big moves, a day for a theme park and a day on a mountain loop fill the days nicely, and a morning in a park or a station food hall costs nothing in energy. Ten days leaves room for a slow breakfast, a nap on the train and a playground stop between temples, which is the real way a family trip works.
The itinerary stage by stage
Days 1 to 3: Tokyo
Tokyo sits on Tokyo Bay in the Kanto region and is the most populous metropolitan area in the world, so the first day is best spent landing softly. The city has many spacious areas that suit strollers, and nursing rooms turn up in department stores, train stations and shopping centers.
The Mitsukoshi department store in Ginza even has baby scales and changing tables in its nursing room. Ginza itself is an upscale district of luxury shops and high-end restaurants, pleasant for a gentle first stroll while jet lag fades.
One full day belongs to a theme park. At Tokyo Disneyland, the Monsters, Inc. ride is interactive and lets children use a flashlight to spot hiding monsters.
Tokyo DisneySea has attractions you will not find elsewhere, such as Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage, the Tower of Terror, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Raging Spirits, plus a lot of exclusive merchandise. Choose one park, not both, and keep the third day light.
You will sleep in a hotel in a district on a train line that suits you. Roppongi and Akasaka are reachable from Shibuya Station in about 10 minutes by train. Tokyo has JR trains, Tokyo Metro lines and Toei Subway lines, among others, so it is worth settling on one base and learning two or three lines.
Day 4: Hakone
Hakone lies in the western part of Kanagawa Prefecture and belongs to the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. It is renowned for its natural hot springs and for its views of Mount Fuji. The gateway town of Hakone-Yumoto is known for its many restaurants and gift shops, and it is a good place for a first lunch.
The Hakone Freepass offers unlimited rides on eight different means of transportation, among them the Hakone Tozan Train, the Hakone Ropeway and the Hakone Sightseeing Cruise. For children the loop is a small adventure in itself: a mountain train, a cable car and a boat on the same day.
A version called the Hako Ticket Plus adds art museums, hot springs and activity facilities and is valid for 2 days or 3 days, which is a thought if you want to spend a night here. Otherwise it is a day outing from Tokyo, with the evening back in the city or on to the next stop.
Days 5 and 6: Kyoto
Kyoto is where you slow down. Its cultural heritage has developed over the past 1,200 years, and it served as Japan’s capital and the emperor’s residence for over a thousand years.
Kyoto Station is served by the Tokaido Shinkansen, and the station building itself is an attraction for hungry children, with a full floor of ramen restaurants, an Isetan department store, a theater and a Granvia hotel. Staying near the station keeps the logistics light.
In central Kyoto, Nijo Castle was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo period, and it gives children a real castle to explore. Kyoto’s traditions include machiya townhouses, the Gion Matsuri festival and the hanamachi districts where geishas live and work. You can walk past wooden townhouses with an idea of what you are looking at, and give the second day to whatever the children enjoyed most the first.
Days seven and eight: Osaka and Nara
Osaka is a charming, relaxed city known for its food, entertainment and nightlife, with some history and culture to discover. Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi are the districts for an evening of snacks and neon.
From Osaka or Umeda Station, the Midosuji Line takes you to Shinsaibashi Station, which puts you at the door of both. Osaka Bay is reached from Osaka or Umeda stations via the JR Loop Line and the Chuo subway line, and it gives you a change of scene from the streets.
Nara is the day for the animals. The city lies east of Osaka and south of Kyoto and is reached by train from both. It has two main stations, JR Nara Station and Kintetsu Nara Station.
Nara Park sits at the foot of Mount Wakakusa, and its tame deer can be approached and fed with crackers sold along the roadside. Treat the cracker stand as the center of the visit and let the children set the pace.
Days nine and 10: Hiroshima and Miyajima
Hiroshima Prefecture offers the Seto Inland Sea, wooded mountains and clear waters, as well as peace-related sites, shrines and museums. In the city, the Peace Memorial Park and the Atomic Bomb Dome are the places that set the tone.
Visitors cannot enter the Dome, which can only be viewed from the outside. On August 6, thousands of people write peace messages on lanterns that are lit at sunset and floated down the river in front of the Dome. Talking with older children before you arrive is time well spent.
The second day goes to Miyajima Island, where Itsukushima Shrine has a red torii gate standing in the sea, and where deer wander again, a nice echo of Nara. The shrine was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1996. Back in the city, order okonomiyaki, the local version of the savory griddled pancake, and the trip ends on a meal that children usually finish.
Getting between stops
| Leg | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo to Shin-Osaka Station | Tokaido-Sanyo shinkansen | About two and a half hours |
| Shibuya Station to Roppongi and Akasaka | Train | About 10 minutes |
| Osaka (Itami) or Kansai International Airport to Nara | Bus and train | About one hour and fifteen minutes |
Japan’s trains are known for punctuality, to the point that travelers can plan to the minute, and that includes the shinkansen and regional trains. Three kinds of ordinary train matter on this route. Local trains stop at every station, which makes them good for short distances. Rapid trains skip smaller stations and need no supplement. Express trains serve fewer stops, and a supplement may apply.
Between the cities the route follows the rail line: Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka runs on the Tokaido Shinkansen, with Kyoto Station on that line.
Within cities, an IC card works on trains, buses and boats, and also in vending machines, convenience stores and some taxis. Most regions have their own cards with different names, but they can be used throughout Japan, and most need a 500 yen deposit when purchased.
Driving is not part of this plan. Traffic moves on the left, highway tolls can be very high, city traffic is often very congested, and road signs are hard to read without Japanese. Planes enter only at the start and the end of the trip, when you reach and leave Japan through a Tokyo or Osaka area airport.
What to book before your 10 Days in Japan
Settle the passes, the IC card and the lodging first. The Hakone Freepass covers eight kinds of transport in the mountains, and the Hako Ticket Plus adds museums, hot springs and activities. An IC card, which needs a 500 yen deposit, covers trains, buses and boats nationwide. Then choose a hotel near a station in Tokyo, one near Kyoto Station and one in Osaka, and leave the rest of each day open.
Adapting the route
If you have less time, drop Hiroshima and spend the last days around Osaka and Nara, which keeps the deer and the food. If you have more, Kanazawa fits as a separate stop, with its castle park and Kenrokuen Garden, which is free to enter and illuminated at night. Kanazawa is on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu, and the Hokuriku Shinkansen has served it from Tokyo since March 14, 2015.
The seasons change the feel of the same stops. Winter is crisp and dry with a little snow, spring brings showers, summer is humid and warm for walking between sights, and October has mild afternoons but frequent rain.
| Tokyo month | Average high (°F) | Average low (°F) | Rain days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49.6 | 34.2 | 4.5 |
| April | 66.9 | 49.6 | 9.5 |
| July | 85.8 | 72.3 | 10.5 |
| October | 71.6 | 58.6 | 10.5 |
In July, build in more time for the indoor stops, such as department stores, the Kyoto Station building and the theme parks’ covered attractions, and keep the outdoor ones to the pleasant stretches. In October, keep a rain jacket handy, since a month of this kind brings showers on many days. In January, bundle the children for the days around the mountains, where it is colder than in the city.
For a slower trip with small children, cut Hakone and stay two nights in each city. Nursing rooms in department stores and stations are equipped with hot water dispensers, microwaves for baby food and soft changing mats, which helps on long days. With older children, add a second theme park day or a second day in Osaka.
Good to know before you go
Everything is paid in yen, and the IC card handles small purchases from vending machines to convenience stores. Electricity in Japan is 100 volts, so check your chargers.
Shoes come off at the entrance of a ryokan or a home, with indoor slippers in their place, and a separate pair is often provided for the toilet. Smoking while walking on the street is prohibited and can result in a fine, and designated outdoor smoking areas are limited. Japan runs on Japan Standard Time, nine hours ahead of UTC.
Sources
- U.S. Department of State, Japan travel information, travel and transportation (https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages/Japan.html), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, trains and buses (https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/how-to-travel-by-train-and-bus-in-japan/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, traveling by rail (https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/traveling-by-rail/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, manners, etiquette, shoes, bowing, chopsticks, public behavior (https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/understanding-and-mastering-japanese-manners-and-etiquette/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, getting around Japan: trains, subways, buses, taxis (https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/getting-around/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, IC cards, Suica, Pasmo, ICOCA, how to use (https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/ic-card/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, Tokyo (https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/kanto/tokyo/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, Kyoto (https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/kansai/kyoto/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, Osaka (https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/kansai/osaka/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, Hiroshima (https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/chugoku/hiroshima/), checked October 11, 2026
- Visit Hiroshima, the official guide (https://visithiroshima.net/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, Nara (https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/kansai/nara/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, Hakone (https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/kanto/kanagawa/hakone-and-around/), checked October 11, 2026
- Hakone Tourist Information (https://www.hakonenavi.jp/international/en/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, Kanazawa (https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/hokuriku-shinetsu/ishikawa/kanazawa-and-around/), checked October 11, 2026
- Kanazawa Tourist Information Guide (https://www.kanazawa-tourism.com/), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikipedia, Kanazawa, Ishikawa (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanazawa,_Ishikawa), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, traveling with children (https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/traveling-with-children/), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan National Tourism Organization, theme parks (https://www.japan.travel/en/see-and-do/theme-park/), checked October 11, 2026
- Wikivoyage, Japan (https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Japan), checked October 11, 2026
- Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), Normal values 1991-2020, monthly (https://www.data.jma.go.jp/stats/etrn/view/nml_sfc_ym.php?prec_no=44&block_no=47662), station Tokyo, elevation 25 m, checked October 11, 2026
To plan your stay
- Best Time to Visit Japan: Cherry Blossoms, Autumn Colors, Weather and Festivals
- Where to Stay in Japan: Ryokan, Temple Stays, Capsule Hotels and the Best Cities to Base In
- Sending Luggage from the Airport in Japan: Hands-Free Travel, Hotel Delivery and Coin Lockers
- Know Before You Go to Japan: Entry, Money, Etiquette and Getting Around