Exploring Japan with a Young Family

I’ve always wanted to visit Japan and had intentions to go with my husband in 2020 before the pandemic hit, putting travel on hold for a few years. Fast forward to 2023 and I finally got the chance to go. However, I was now travelling with two babies - a 4 month old and a 2 year old along with my in-laws - so our trip was to be a little different to originally planned!
 
We decided to do the classic Japan itinerary, visiting Tokyo and Kyoto over 8 days. This meant we would get to enjoy and see each city at a relaxed pace and not spend too much time travelling between destinations. 

As we were flying in and out of Tokyo, we chose to spend a few nights there at the beginning and end of the trip, staying in different parts of the city. Tokyo is the largest city in the world, so it can be worthwhile to base yourself on opposite sides to avoid lots of long journeys.
In all of the three locations we stayed (two in Tokyo and one in Kyoto), we chose to stay at MIMARU. With spacious suites featuring multiple rooms and a living space, it was the ideal way to travel in Japan with a family. We could put the babies to bed in the evening and relax together in the lounge and kitchen spaces and we also made use of the facilities, such as washing machines and microwaves.

We stayed at MIMARU Tokyo Shinjuku West in a Superior One-Bedroom Apartment.
This had 6 single beds - four in a separate room and two in a connecting room to the living area.

Something we loved about our stay here was the amenities provided, including slippers for both the adults and children - our toddler enjoyed having his own little MIMARU slippers to wear.
A cot was provided for the baby, along with a high chair for the toddler, which meant we didn’t have to bring travel cots and chairs with us. This is a big bonus when you’re already lugging suitcases and prams around on the Metro.
 
It’s easy to get to MIMARU Tokyo Shinjuku West from Haneda airport, the Airport Limousine stops a few steps down the road and the location is fantastic for exploring the wards of Shinjuku and Shibuya, which include some of Tokyo’s most popular tourist attractions.

Shibuya Sky

On our first day, we visited Shibuya. This colouful area is full of shops, bars and restaurants and is home to the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing. A great way to admire this busy spot is from above and we chose to view it from Shibuya Sky - an observation deck on the top floor of the 14-story Shibuya Scramble Square building. 

This is a popular spot with incredible 360-degree views across Tokyo, so book in advance.
It was easy to take the babies (one in the carrier and one holding our hands) and we were able to leave our pram at the entrance. 

For ease, we decided to have lunch in the same complex and ate a delicious meal at Sushi Matsue.
Something we found everywhere during our Japan trip was how accommodating everyone was to the babies. Our toddler was given a kid's version of sushi and provided with a little high chair to sit in.

We then explored Shibuya on foot, making our way towards Yoyogi Park. This is such a beautiful and tranquil spot in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city.
We spent some time admiring the colours of the autumn leaves and letting our toddler run off some energy, before returning to Shinjuku.

We wandered the famous streets of Kabukichō, where you can spot the Godzilla head at the top of Hotel Gracery and explore the quirky little lanes of Golden Gai.
This sadly isn’t the most toddler/baby-friendly spot - the restaurants are generally too small to fit a stroller and babies are not allowed in bars in Japan.

However, that didn’t stop us from admiring the fun little venues.
 
Nearby, Omoide Yokocho is a similar maze of alleys filled with bars and restaurants, however here there are some more family-friendly spots and we managed to sit down for dinner at one of the barbecue stalls.
It was one of my favorite places in Tokyo and I would definitely return (with or without babies!). 

Shinkansen

The following day we made our way to Kyoto Station via the Metro to take the Shinkansen to Kyoto.

Taking the Shinkansen train was something we were all excited to experience. I love travelling by train and was excited to travel at such high speeds!
We had been warned that taking the Shinkansen with kids might be a bit stressful, but it turned out to be a relatively relaxed journey.
We made sure we had plenty of time to get to the station in Tokyo, and onto the platform before the the train arrived.
We also made sure that one person took charge of the kids while the others managed the bags when getting on and off which made it all much easier.
The journey was comfortable and we had pre-purchased food at the station for lunch to enjoy on the way. We timed the journey so that both the toddler and the baby would be napping, and for once they both did! 

MIMARU SUITES Kyoto Shijo

Here we had a Three-Bedroom Suite, which I have to say was my favourite accommodation of the entire trip.
The suites are so spacious, with a big living area and two bathrooms.

As well as the lovely apartment, MIMARU Suites also offers a nightly sake and craft beer happy hour and calligraphy lessons. Both of which we got involved with.

GION

There is so much to see in Kyoto and despite doing plenty of research I felt a bit overwhelmed with choosing which temples to visit and places to see.
So we decided to book a tour on our first day, to get a bit of a background and an introduction to the city. W
e hoped this would then inform the rest of our time there. It turned out to be a great idea.
Our guide, Kay, took us around Gion, explaining the role of the Geisha, telling us about the history of Kyoto and providing us with plenty of recommendations on where to eat and which temples might be the most enjoyable with a toddler and baby in tow. 

She also took us to the famous Nishiki Market - which was full of different food vendors and exciting stalls.
 
The next day we visited Nanzen-ji Temple and Eikan-dō Temple.
We had been recommended these as being not too busy in comparison to some of the larger temples like the Golden Pavilion (Kinkaku-ji),but great for admiring the autumn leaves as we were travelling during the fall period. 

There is a lovely walking trail called the Philosophers Path that connects a number of the temples, including the Silver Pavilion.
It’s a beautiful tree-lined way that follows a stream with lots of restaurants and shops en route to stop and browse.
Sadly for us, by the time we reached the Silver Pavilion, it was closed, but we very much enjoyed the walk. 

That evening we ate at Yakiniku Marutomi, which turned out to be very family friendly.
They provided a high chair for our toddler which was attached to the table and kept him well away from the hot plate.
We all enjoyed tasting the different meats (especially the toddler who ate more than his fair share of Wagyu!).

Nara was our destination on our third day in Kyoto.

We took the train from Kyoto Station on what turned out to be a very wet and chilly day.
It didn’t stop enjoying the visit though and our toddler was very excited to see the many deer that wander Nara Park.
The grandparents enjoyed visiting Tōdai-ji and the impressive golden Buddha before we were back on the train to see the famous red gates of Fushimi Inari Shrine. 

his isn’t the most pram-friendly destination, so it’s a good idea to leave your stroller at your hotel.
As we had ours with us from Nara, we were only able to walk the first section before there were too many stairs and we had to turn around.
However, we got a sense of the place and enjoyed our time there.

Shinkansen

The next day it was back on the Shinkansen to Tokyo. Fortunately, we were blessed with excellent weather and we were able to spot Mount Fuji from the train windows - a real highlight! 

This had views out over the Sumida River and we could even spot the Asahi Flame.
 Our suite here had a coffee machine, which was handy and they were even able to offer us side rails for the bed to stop the toddler from falling out.
I was really impressed with MIMARU and how many extras they could provide during our stay in Japan.

We explored the local area of Asakusa, including Sensōji Temple and had a delicious dinner at Kura Sushi - the speedy conveyor belt sushi was a hit with our toddler too.
 
On our final day in Tokyo and in Japan, we visited the Tsukiji Outer Market.
Here we sampled an incredible array of delicious foods from lobster and scallops to wasabi peas and tamagoyaki. It was fantastic. 

We returned to MIMARU, checked out and made our way to Haneda Airport - an easy direct Metro from Asakusa Station - after an incredible trip.
Japan was the perfect family-friendly holiday and staying at MIMARU made the experience easy and enjoyable. We can’t wait to return.