Japan Through Young Eyes
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Highlights:
From encounters with Samurai to towering robots, hands-on cooking classes to walks amid beguiling landscapes, this two week family adventure packs a lot of punch. Be immersed in the local culture and discover Japan’s incredible history with guided excursions sure to please both kids and adults.
Take advantage of Japan’s gardens, theme parks, quirky museums and remarkable rail network to ensure a fun stress-free experience. Learn to make authentic bento boxes, how to pay respect at shrines and other hands-on cultural classes. Visit Hiroshima’s insightful museums, see 17th Century Kanazawa, explore UNESCO-heritage Kyoto and much more.
From encounters with Samurai to towering robots, hands-on cooking classes to walks amid beguiling landscapes, this two week family adventure packs a lot of punch. Be immersed in the local culture and discover Japan’s incredible history with guided excursions sure to please both kids and adults.
Take advantage of Japan’s gardens, theme parks, quirky museums and remarkable rail network to ensure a fun stress-free experience. Learn to make authentic bento boxes, how to pay respect at shrines and other hands-on cultural classes. Visit Hiroshima’s insightful museums, see 17th Century Kanazawa, explore UNESCO-heritage Kyoto and much more.
SKU:
Explore: Japan through young eyes
Customizable Itinerary - 13 Days (from $13,362 / family of four)
Day 1: Depart USA
Today you board your aircraft bound for Tokyo where you begin your exploration of Japan as seen through young eyes.
Day 2: Arrival in Tokyo
After your arrival in Toko you will be met by our representative who will facilitate your transfer into Tokyo and your centrally-located hotel. The rest of the day is left open so you can relax and adjust.
Day 3: A Kid-Centric Tokyo Discovery
After breakfast you meet your guide for a full day tour of Tokyo. Your first visit will be to Asakusa, one of Tokyo’s shitamachi (old towns) where a traditional atmosphere still lingers in the air despite the surrounding neon and bustle. Your first stop will be Sensoji, the most famous temple in Tokyo. The guide will explain some basic temple customs from purifying the hands to praying and paying respect to ancestors. Get a chance to try some Japanese snacks before moving on. A visit to Kappabashi or Kitchenware town gives everybody the chance to create plastic, replica food and take it home as a souvenir. Stop for lunch with a choice of food but sushi is the specialty in Asakusa. After lunch visit some pet establishments before boarding a river cruise to Odaiba, a man-made island with a stunning view of the city. Finish the day with a ride on a giant Ferris wheel.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 4: A Lot to Choose from
Today is left open to let us create a custom day just for your family. There is always the safe bet of a Disney Park but there are also interesting interactive museum like the Ghibli Museum, the National Museum of Science and innovation or the Edo-Tokyo Museum. You can combine one of the museum visits with some special classes including sword fighting with a Samurai master ( wooden swords with no sharp edges), Karate with the stunt coordinator for all four Karate Kid Movies or an afternoon learning the techniques of Manga Art dating back to the 12th Century.
Breakfast
Day 5: A Delightful Day in Yokohama
In the morning, your guide will take you to the station for the 30 minute train ride to Yokohama on the bay. Upon arrival your first visit will be the Hara Model Railway Museum home of the largest model train collection in the world. Fascinating for kids of all ages. Next on the list is the cup Noodles Museum revealing the unique history behind this Japanese invention known around the world (especially college dorms). There are fun and interactive workshops including the Cup Noodle Factory where kids can create their own cup noodle. For lunch head to the Noodles Bazaar and try the noodles from eight different countries. After lunch walk to Yamashita Park, the first seaside park in Japan. Visit Osanbashi Pier where you are surrounded by views of Yokohama. The park is a great place for kids to run freely and burn off some energy. Take a train back to Tokyo.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 6: Train to Kanazawa
After breakfast you transfer to the station and board a train for Kanazawa. The journey takes about three hours but there are plenty of sights along the way to keep everybody occupied. Upon arrival you transfer to your hotel. Take time to visit one of the three well-preserved Chaya districts in Kanazawa. A Chaya (teahouse) was where Geishas used to entertain their guests with song and dance. Higashi Chaya has several artisan shops including Hazuka, a specialized store that sells gold leaf products and features a tearoom covered in gold.
Breakfast
Day 7: A Day in Kanazawa
After breakfast you can start your exploration of Kanazawa by visiting the pristine Kenroku-en Garden which is ranked as one of the top three Gardens in Japan. Here you will find the oldest fountain in the country, a couple of teahouses and a large villa used to be the retirement home of one of the richest clans in Kanazawa. Adjacent to the garden is Kanazawa Castle accessed through the Ishikawa-mon Gate. Have lunch at Omicho Market known throughout Japan for its fresh seafood and fine sushi. In the afternoon head across town to the old Samurai district of Kanazawa where you visit Nomura House a restored residence of a high ranked samurai family. You can enjoy freshly made green tea on the second floor while admiring the Japanese garden below.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 8: The Train to Hiroshima
You have some free time in the morning before boarding a train for Hiroshima. Upon arrival in the afternoon you transfer to your hotel where the evening is left open.
Breakfast
Day 9: Awareness and Remembrance
Today you can visit historic sites in Hiroshima. Your first stop will be the A-Bomb Dome, the ruins of the former industrial promotion hall of Hiroshima. From the dome you cross over Motoyasu Bridge and stop by the Children’s Peace monument that features the statue of a young girl and a number of booths filled with colorful paper cranes. You can also visit the Peace Memorial Museum which displays the history of Hiroshima before the bombing and exhibits a moving collection of articles from the personal belongings left by the victims. Near the park are some local restaurants where you can have lunch. We highly recommend okonomiyaki of ‘Japanese Pancake’ with cabbage, pork, ginger, nori and a special sauce. After lunch head to Hiroshima Castle a good example of hirajiro or a castle that was built on a plain rather than on the top of a hill. Before heading back to the hotel, visit Shukkei-en, a garden with miniature representation of mountains, valleys and forests.
Breakfast
Day 10: Day Trip to Miyajima
In the morning you meet your guide for the short ferry ride to the sacred island of Miyajima located in the Seto inland Sea. If the children are 10 or older you have the option of kayaking out to Miyajima with a photo stop at the Torii Gate. You will visit a couple of shrines and temples and sample local delicacies like oysters, saltwater eel and maple leaf-shaped cakes. The port is also famous for a large number of tame deer wandering the area. Start with Itsukushima Shrine with its pier-like structure dating back to the 6th Century. Its huge, red, o-torii gate seems to be floating in the water during high tide. Walk towards the mountain to visit Daisho-in located at the foot of Mount Misen. If everybody is up to it you can walk to the top for spectacular views of the surrounding islands before returning to the mainland. From your hotel you are transferred to the station for the two hour ride to Kyoto where you arrive in time for dinner at your hotel.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 11: Historic Kyoto
Meet your guide for a full day exploration of Kyoto’s best sites and locations. You begin with a visit to Nijo Castle, an ornamental castle dating back to the1600’s and famous for is Momoyama-style architecture, decorated sliding doors and ‘chirping nightingales’ floors. The serene Ryoanji Temple is next with its well-maintained rock garden. Close by is the golden pavilion known as Kinkakuji Temple and completely covered in handmade gold-leaf. After lunch at a local restaurant you head to Fushimi Inari Shrine also known as 10,000 Torii Gates which was featured in the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha”. Follow the gates up a scenic mountain trail.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 12: Bento Boxes and the Street Food of Osaka
Start the day with an interactive class in preparing a traditional Japanese bento box with a twist. Kyaraben is the short term for character bento, a style of preparing lunch boxes with the food decorated to look like famous cartoon characters or cute animals. You will go to a Machiya, a traditional wooden townhouse to meet and English-speaking local food instructor. After a brief introduction you begin a three hour session learning the basics of cooking and preparing an artistic yet delicious Japanese Bento which you all get to enjoy as lunch. You will then be transferred to the hotel to pick up your luggage and then to the station for the short train ride to Osaka. You are met at your hotel by a guide who will take you through the bustling neon-lit streets of Osaka enjoying the street food for which Osaka is justifiably famous.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: Return to USA
You have the morning to explore on your own, shop for souvenirs and pack for the return trip. You will be transferred to Kansai airport which is built on a man-made island. Here you board your flight bound for the USA.
Breakfast
Today you board your aircraft bound for Tokyo where you begin your exploration of Japan as seen through young eyes.
Day 2: Arrival in Tokyo
After your arrival in Toko you will be met by our representative who will facilitate your transfer into Tokyo and your centrally-located hotel. The rest of the day is left open so you can relax and adjust.
Day 3: A Kid-Centric Tokyo Discovery
After breakfast you meet your guide for a full day tour of Tokyo. Your first visit will be to Asakusa, one of Tokyo’s shitamachi (old towns) where a traditional atmosphere still lingers in the air despite the surrounding neon and bustle. Your first stop will be Sensoji, the most famous temple in Tokyo. The guide will explain some basic temple customs from purifying the hands to praying and paying respect to ancestors. Get a chance to try some Japanese snacks before moving on. A visit to Kappabashi or Kitchenware town gives everybody the chance to create plastic, replica food and take it home as a souvenir. Stop for lunch with a choice of food but sushi is the specialty in Asakusa. After lunch visit some pet establishments before boarding a river cruise to Odaiba, a man-made island with a stunning view of the city. Finish the day with a ride on a giant Ferris wheel.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 4: A Lot to Choose from
Today is left open to let us create a custom day just for your family. There is always the safe bet of a Disney Park but there are also interesting interactive museum like the Ghibli Museum, the National Museum of Science and innovation or the Edo-Tokyo Museum. You can combine one of the museum visits with some special classes including sword fighting with a Samurai master ( wooden swords with no sharp edges), Karate with the stunt coordinator for all four Karate Kid Movies or an afternoon learning the techniques of Manga Art dating back to the 12th Century.
Breakfast
Day 5: A Delightful Day in Yokohama
In the morning, your guide will take you to the station for the 30 minute train ride to Yokohama on the bay. Upon arrival your first visit will be the Hara Model Railway Museum home of the largest model train collection in the world. Fascinating for kids of all ages. Next on the list is the cup Noodles Museum revealing the unique history behind this Japanese invention known around the world (especially college dorms). There are fun and interactive workshops including the Cup Noodle Factory where kids can create their own cup noodle. For lunch head to the Noodles Bazaar and try the noodles from eight different countries. After lunch walk to Yamashita Park, the first seaside park in Japan. Visit Osanbashi Pier where you are surrounded by views of Yokohama. The park is a great place for kids to run freely and burn off some energy. Take a train back to Tokyo.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 6: Train to Kanazawa
After breakfast you transfer to the station and board a train for Kanazawa. The journey takes about three hours but there are plenty of sights along the way to keep everybody occupied. Upon arrival you transfer to your hotel. Take time to visit one of the three well-preserved Chaya districts in Kanazawa. A Chaya (teahouse) was where Geishas used to entertain their guests with song and dance. Higashi Chaya has several artisan shops including Hazuka, a specialized store that sells gold leaf products and features a tearoom covered in gold.
Breakfast
Day 7: A Day in Kanazawa
After breakfast you can start your exploration of Kanazawa by visiting the pristine Kenroku-en Garden which is ranked as one of the top three Gardens in Japan. Here you will find the oldest fountain in the country, a couple of teahouses and a large villa used to be the retirement home of one of the richest clans in Kanazawa. Adjacent to the garden is Kanazawa Castle accessed through the Ishikawa-mon Gate. Have lunch at Omicho Market known throughout Japan for its fresh seafood and fine sushi. In the afternoon head across town to the old Samurai district of Kanazawa where you visit Nomura House a restored residence of a high ranked samurai family. You can enjoy freshly made green tea on the second floor while admiring the Japanese garden below.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 8: The Train to Hiroshima
You have some free time in the morning before boarding a train for Hiroshima. Upon arrival in the afternoon you transfer to your hotel where the evening is left open.
Breakfast
Day 9: Awareness and Remembrance
Today you can visit historic sites in Hiroshima. Your first stop will be the A-Bomb Dome, the ruins of the former industrial promotion hall of Hiroshima. From the dome you cross over Motoyasu Bridge and stop by the Children’s Peace monument that features the statue of a young girl and a number of booths filled with colorful paper cranes. You can also visit the Peace Memorial Museum which displays the history of Hiroshima before the bombing and exhibits a moving collection of articles from the personal belongings left by the victims. Near the park are some local restaurants where you can have lunch. We highly recommend okonomiyaki of ‘Japanese Pancake’ with cabbage, pork, ginger, nori and a special sauce. After lunch head to Hiroshima Castle a good example of hirajiro or a castle that was built on a plain rather than on the top of a hill. Before heading back to the hotel, visit Shukkei-en, a garden with miniature representation of mountains, valleys and forests.
Breakfast
Day 10: Day Trip to Miyajima
In the morning you meet your guide for the short ferry ride to the sacred island of Miyajima located in the Seto inland Sea. If the children are 10 or older you have the option of kayaking out to Miyajima with a photo stop at the Torii Gate. You will visit a couple of shrines and temples and sample local delicacies like oysters, saltwater eel and maple leaf-shaped cakes. The port is also famous for a large number of tame deer wandering the area. Start with Itsukushima Shrine with its pier-like structure dating back to the 6th Century. Its huge, red, o-torii gate seems to be floating in the water during high tide. Walk towards the mountain to visit Daisho-in located at the foot of Mount Misen. If everybody is up to it you can walk to the top for spectacular views of the surrounding islands before returning to the mainland. From your hotel you are transferred to the station for the two hour ride to Kyoto where you arrive in time for dinner at your hotel.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 11: Historic Kyoto
Meet your guide for a full day exploration of Kyoto’s best sites and locations. You begin with a visit to Nijo Castle, an ornamental castle dating back to the1600’s and famous for is Momoyama-style architecture, decorated sliding doors and ‘chirping nightingales’ floors. The serene Ryoanji Temple is next with its well-maintained rock garden. Close by is the golden pavilion known as Kinkakuji Temple and completely covered in handmade gold-leaf. After lunch at a local restaurant you head to Fushimi Inari Shrine also known as 10,000 Torii Gates which was featured in the movie “Memoirs of a Geisha”. Follow the gates up a scenic mountain trail.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 12: Bento Boxes and the Street Food of Osaka
Start the day with an interactive class in preparing a traditional Japanese bento box with a twist. Kyaraben is the short term for character bento, a style of preparing lunch boxes with the food decorated to look like famous cartoon characters or cute animals. You will go to a Machiya, a traditional wooden townhouse to meet and English-speaking local food instructor. After a brief introduction you begin a three hour session learning the basics of cooking and preparing an artistic yet delicious Japanese Bento which you all get to enjoy as lunch. You will then be transferred to the hotel to pick up your luggage and then to the station for the short train ride to Osaka. You are met at your hotel by a guide who will take you through the bustling neon-lit streets of Osaka enjoying the street food for which Osaka is justifiably famous.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: Return to USA
You have the morning to explore on your own, shop for souvenirs and pack for the return trip. You will be transferred to Kansai airport which is built on a man-made island. Here you board your flight bound for the USA.
Breakfast
