For two weeks at Easter 2026 we spent 15 nights in Japan with teens (15,14,14). It was tricky to put together so here’s my post sharing what we planned and what worked/what didn’t – hope it’s helpful.

So first we booked the flights and worked out a plan of what to do afterwards. We booked the flight into Tokyo (with Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong) and back out of Osaka so we didn’t back track. It was also cheaper for us to fly back out of Osaka with Ethiad via Abu Dhabi.

We booked quite a lot of things using Klook which is really popular in Japan and a bit like Get your Guide. Lots of things were barely any different in terms of price when using Klook and the interface was so much easier to use.

We had 15 full days and 14 nights and eventually settled on the following plan:

Tokyo

Day 1 (Friday) 27th March

Arrival 2pm to Haneda airport. We got a Transfer from Haneda Airport to Asakusa which was £135 to Asakusa View Hotel.

Nearly every article I read said please don’t try and manage the Japanese transport system (which is albeit excellent) on your arrival from Europe after a 12/14hour flight. So we took everyones advice and booked a transfer from Haneda Airport to Asakusa which was money very well spent.

We also installed our e-Sims before arrival and activated them when we landed. Matt and I have used e-Sims a few times now but this time we ordered them for the girls too. Whilst I do love them to be in the moment when travelling, Japan is so busy, so very busy and I wanted to know that if we got separated they would have the ability to call us. It also helped us all feel more relaxed on public transport as again we knew if we got separated we could all find each other. We ordered the unlimited e-Sims from AU (two complimentary and three we paid full price for) and I can honestly say that throughout our trip we always had connectivity. I’d highly recommend them. If you use our discount code MINITRAVELLERS on this link you’ll get a 5% discount.

We stayed at the Asakusa View Hotel Annex Roku which had been recommended to us and I would highly recommend too. Rooms were a decent enough size and we got interconnecting rooms. Loads of free amenities in reception for you to take up to the room (toothpaste, toothbrush, combs etc), a small gym, and onsite restaurant if you wanted to use it. There was also free soft drinks and snacks 4pm-9pm every evening which had great views across Asakusa.

We didn’t book the rooms with breakfast, and didn’t have any so can’t say if it was good or not.

On arrival at the hotel about 4.30pm we decided to head out almost straight away (to avoid falling asleep) and wandered around Sensoji Temple which was 5 minutes (if that) from the hotel.

We then made our way to the Tokyo Sumo Show with chicken hotpot and photo (6pm-8pm) which was just brilliant and the perfect way to keep us entertained and awake on our first evening, whilst also sotting down and eating.

Isobel being chosen to ‘fight’ a sumo at the end just made the whole thing even better!

Day 2 (Satuday) 28th March – Harajuku & Shibuya

8am Tokyo park run;

Might be a bit niche for most but we like to try and do parkrun if it fits in when we are away. We chose Shibamata koen kadan parkrun because it was the closest to our hotel, although even then it was 35 minutes in taxi from hotel. We left at circa 7am and got back around 9.30am. Tbf it was a good way to kick start the day and stave off the jetlag.

The rest of the day was Harajuku – Crepes & bubble tea; Fashion boutiques; Photo booths

We explored Takeshita Street – Tokyo’s iconic pedestrian street in Harajuku which was quite frankly mentally busy. You only had to go a couple of streets away to get away from the crowds which was much nicer.

We did take a quick walk to Meiji Shrine and then had lunch.

Afternoon was Shibuya Crossing, the MEGA Don Quijote and Shibuya Sky at 18.40.

Ideally I had wanted to book sunset at Shibuya Sky (you have to book two weeks out) but despite being online at exactly the time they were released. I didn’t get them. Instead got tickets at 18.40 and even they were hard to get. Booked via Klook as simply couldn’t get the direct website to work.

Dinner in Asakusa. Booked Mo Mo Paradise 8.30pm for Shabu shabu- excellent but we didn’t need to book the expensive ‘course’ a cheaper one would have been just as good.

Tip – Many restaurants in Tokyo (and Japan in general) have such long lead times to guarantee a table. If you struggle to stick to restaurant reservations made 6 months out then I recommend using Last Minute Japan.

ThatMumTravelLife.com

Day 3 (Sunday) 29th March – Odaiba/Ginza/Shinjuku

Slightly later start this morning and after breakfast at Denny’s we made our way to Teamlabs Planets booked on Klook for a 12.30pm admission. Average visit is 2-3 hours. We spent 2 hours there but really only because we had been to Teamlabs in Singapore over Christmas and there is a slight overlap. The water section of Planets is incredible and we really enjoyed it. We had friends who went round that section twice.

After Teamlabs Planets we made our way to Ginza. As it was Sunday restaurant options were limited but we stumbled upon an incredible 8 seater counter option (Ginza Ramen Shiraishi) which served brilliant ramen and you even had to order with tickets from a machine which was on the kids bucket list.

After lunch we spent the afternoon in Ginza, walked to Uniqlo Flagship and a number of other shops. After shopping we made our way to Tokyo Station, whch is a 2 minute subway ride from Ginza Station. 

Tokyo Station has beautiful historic architecture and its red-brick Neo-Baroque style is worth checking out. It also boasts a large underground shopping and dining scene.

If you want a nice view of the station, head to the Tsutaya Bookstore in Marunouchi Building for a nice view of the red brick building. Alternatively you can head to KITTE Garden Rooftop garden which is free to enter, and get views of the beautiful station. It’s even more beautiful at night time when the Tokyo Station is illuminated. We however made our way to Shinjuku.

Shinjuku Evening:

• Kabukicho
• Godzilla Head
• neon streets
• arcades
• the Giant 3D Cat board. This is the exact location
• Head to Omoide Yokocho, a narrow alley in Shinjuku with a retro Showa era atmosphere

We followed this with a short trip to The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku hosts Tokyo Night & Light a free, nightly projection mapping show certified as the world’s largest permanent display. Running every 30 minutes (typically 6:00 PM–9:30 PM, varies by season), it features digital art, Japanese themes, and popular content like Pokémon or Godzilla. 

Dinner back in Asakusa at Shitirin Yakiniku Anan Asakusa 6-ku which was decent food, really good fun and incredibly cheap (like £37 for 5 of us).

Day 4 (Monday) 30th March

We headed to Hamarikyu Gardens for 10am to see the blossom before the crowds having seen pictures of Ueno park on facebook with throngs of people. This was definitely the right decision as we called into Ueno later in the day and it was far too busy and nowhere near as pretty as Hamarikyu. One thing to note though is that Ueno is free, whereas there is a small charge for Hamarikyu at ¥300 for adults.

From Hamarikyu we walked onto Tsukiji fish market for not only the incredible sashimi, but the wagu too. Lily bought personalised chopsticks and we all tried loads of different food stuff.

Afternoon wandering took us to Yanaka street (cute and quiet) Ueno (busy and overhyped) and then finally to Akihabara the gaming district.

Dinner in Asakusa was at Kura for conveyor belt sushi – another tick off Izzy’s list

Hakone [PAID] 1 Night

Day 5 (Tuesday) 31st March

2 nights Hotel – Hakone Yutowa (ended up being 1)

Transfer to Hakone  – Hakone Romance Train – £12 each (£60) 1hr 28mins – Booked on Klook

Super helpful information about luggage on the Romance Train in this Facebook post:

A very rainy Hakone, a quick lunch and then a trip to the family friendly swimming pool and spa – https://www.yunessun.com/global/en/ (Booked on Klook). Not necessarily one to book in advance but if you too experience a very rainy Hakone, make sure you’ve taken your costumes and you can spend a few hours here.

Day 6 (Wednesday) 1st April

We didn’t actually get to experience the Hakone loop, the weather put pay to that but the articles below were the articles I was going to use to help beat the crowds!

The plan had been to explore Hakone, using its funicular railways, cable cars and ropeways. We did taste the black “kuro-tamago” eggs boiled in the volcanic waters of the Owakudani Valley, and according to tradition, eating one such egg will add seven years to your life! 

I had also ordered the Hakone Freepass x 5 £25 each – £125 on Klook

https://globaltripdiaries.com/perfect-hakone-loop-itinerary

What we did instead of the Hakone Loop was a before breakfast early morning walk down to the river before the rain came in. The blossom was perfect and the sky blue.

After breakfast we then visited the The Hakone Open-Air Museum. I mistakenly thought it was included in the Hakone freepass. It wasn’t but there was a small discount. I actually think we enjoyed this more than we would have enjoyed the loop, or maybe I’m just telling myself that! In any event it was great and I’d really recommend doing it if you can fit it in. It was just a short walk from our hotel.

Fabulous sculptures and we also loved the footbath.

We then made our way to Odawara to take the 2.07 bullet train, and got into Nagoya at 15.14 we pre-booked and paid on Klook; Reserved seating and extra bag room. Children over 11 pay full adult price.

Nagoya 3 nights

We stayed 3 nights at Nagoya JR Gate Tower Hotel which was one of our favourite hotels of the trip. Fabulous staff, perfectly located for great restaurants and so easy for all the train travel we did in these three days.

We also had the best meal of our trip (and there were many) whilst staying in Nagoya. We booked a table last minute at Ryujin Teppanyaki Meieki  which is through a tiny hidden door and we had 5 of the best seats right at the counter. The food was spectacular and the staff were so incredibly lovely. We didn’t have to choose an expensive set meal and could just order from the a-la-carte menu. The potatoes with anchovy butter were some of the best potatoes we’ve ever had and the beef took my breath away.

Day 7 (Thursday) 2nd April

On the Thursday we had the most amazing day and walked the Nakasendo trail from Magome to Nagiso which was about 11k. It involved trains and buses out the hills but it really was worth it.

I used this article to get comfortable with the hike https://www.travelynotes.com/blog-japan/a-hiking-guide-to-the-magome-tsumago-nakasendo-trail and also this facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/2065906306887688

From Nagoya, we took the JR train to Nakatsugawa JR which took 50mins. We then took the local bus which took 25mins to Magome. When we got to Magome there was a big queue at the bus stop but they just put another bus on. Once we had reached Nagiso we then took a train back to Nagoya Station.

During the walk there are numerous toilet stops, places to get drinks and its a genuinely easy walk. There were people of all ages and capabilities doing the walk. It took us around 3 hours, albeit we took a little more time because we stopped for chopstick making, a few drink stops and ice cream at the end.

After we got back from the walk we had dinner at Pygmy Hippopotamus a small restaurant not far from the hotel.

Day 8 (Friday) 3rd April

Friday was effectively our bonus day in Nagoya as we left Hakone a day early. We had a split trip in the morning with Lily and I going to Nagoya Castle and Matt and the twins to Nagoya train musuem.

Nagoya Castle was free and a cute stop but it only took around an hour as you can’t go in the castle itself and the grounds aren’t exstensive. The train museum was also around an hour/hour and half, although I think Matt on his own could have had longer there.

We then all met back up in Osu at Komehyo the huge Kimono shop (bought 4) and got an Ippudo Ramen for lunch. A great chain (that has locations in London too).

The rest of the day involved shopping that wasn’t as chaotic as Tokyo but just as fun. We all really enjoyed our extra day in Nagoya.

Day 9 (Saturday) 4th April – Nagoya to Kyoto

8am Nagoya Parkrun 10 minutes in taxi from hotel. Loved this parkrun and it was a little bigger than the one we chose in Tokyo. The weather stayed sunny too, only changing as we set off from Nagoya.

We then travelled from Nagoya to Kyoto on the 10.49 Nagoya which got into Kyoto at 11.23. We Booked on Klook.

In Kyoto we stayed at The Machiya Ebisuya for 3 nights. The hotel itself was ok, not our favourite, but we did really did love the quiet location. The girls room which was bigger than ours had a small kitchen, washing machine and this was useful for breakfast bits too.

When we arrived at the hotel we were lucky enough to get our room straight away. We then decided to head for lunch at a very popular ramen place around the corner – Men-ya Inoichi Hanare but there was a huge queue out of the door and they were giving out numbers for people to return an hour later. Instead we popped into a tiny place across the road Shinjuku Manya Kazehan. It was cheap, cheerful and had great ramen. We think we got really lucky.

After lunch we went to Nishiki Food Market followed by the Imperial Palace. By this point torrential rain had set in and we were less than enthusiastic about the trip to the palace.

We then made our way to Fushimi-inari-shrine. Instagram said if we arrived later in the day (around 5pm), and if we arrived in the rain it would be quiet. Instagram lied. It was still very very busy. However the advice to keep going was completely right and as we got further up on the trail the crowds did dispel. The rain however did not and whilst we tried to maintain enthusiasm we did give up before the very top.

Dinner 7.30pm at Kyoto Yakiniku Enen Shijo Kawaharamachi close to hotel – again we could order as much as we needed to rather than having to order a set meal which is common in Kyoto.

Get Our Free Printable Guide

Day 10 (Sunday) 5th April

Our Arashiyma plan was overly complicated tbf and started too early. I think Chat GPT made a bit of a hash it of it timing wise for us and I should have trusted my own instinct.

We got up early and booked a cab to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove at 6.10am getting there at 6.30. Whilst this was a great time to see the bamboo grove we were probably an hour too early for the rest of the plan.

6:30–7:15 Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. We walked all the way through to the north exit. It certainly wasn’t empty but definitely quiet.

7:15–8:00am We took a slow walk through Saga-Toriimoto preserved street (This is one of the most beautiful traditional streets in Kyoto.) and the plan had been to grab breakfast and more coffee, however nothing is open at that time. On balance we should have taken a slightly later and busier bamboo grove and got there for 7.30.

8.15am – Arrived at Otagi Nenbutsu-ji only to find it opens at 9am. So we sat and waited (with lots of other people who thought it opened at 8am too) as nothing else we could do.

9:00–9:45 Otagi Nenbutsu-ji only opens at 9am (even if google tells you otherwise) and you can see all the stone statues. This was magical but also busy as everyone arrives early having been told to do so by Chat Gpt and Instagram.

9:55–10:35 Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Bamboo grove + stone memorial field – again the reason lots of people say to do this is for the empty bamboo grove. It’s no longer empty and we actually found it busier than the main one!

10:45–11:15 Gio-ji – Small moss garden temple. Cute but not essential.

11:15–11:40 Walk to: Torokko Saga Station – Chat GPT said budget a full 25 minutes due to pedestrian congestion near JR Saga-Arashiyama. Honestly we didn’t experience any congestion at all.

12.02 Sagano Romantic Train; Arrives Kameoka ~12:25–12:30 (Booked https://www.sagano-kanko.co.jp/en/.) We enjoyed the train but honestly the view and the fun from the boat was SOOO much better. If you’re choosing, choose the rover boat ride and really don’t worry if you don’t get tickets for the train.

1:00pm Hozugawa River Boat Ride. The boat ride took around 2 hours and we LOVED it. Such good fun. We were very lucky that the weather was incredible and we just enjoyed the gorgeous sunny day.
We booked the boat ride on Klook.

I had planned an afternoon to relax but we didn’t get back until 4.30pm so we just went straight out.

We wandered around Gion for the evening. Starting with a wander along Shirakawa Canal. We made our way to Hanamikoji Street (the classic geisha district street) but didn’t ge a chance to glimpse any geiko or maiko heading to appointments. We then went to Yasaka Shrine where there was a huge food market. This part of the evening felt very busy

A surprising hit was the illuminations at Kodaiji Temple which was open 5pm -9pm. This felt beautiful, not too busy and had a gorgeous bamboo walk too.

We had a late dinner made up mainly of gyoza.

Day 11 (Monday) 6th April – Nara

On this day we got the train to Nara in time to meet a guide from Nara Walk. The train was cheap circa £6pp but did take longer than I was expecting so if you need to be there by a certain time, check timings, it took us just over an hour.

Our lovely guide Seiko (who I’d highly recommend) took us around the temples and talked us through Shinto and Buddhism. We wish we’d had this opportunity to learn more about this earlier in the trip. We loved seeing the deer although they were a little scary when they really wanted your food.

We finished the day at Nara wandering around Wakamiya 15 shrine pilgrimage which I’d been inspired to do by this instagram reel.

We were intending to head back to the hotel before the evening but in the end we went straight to Nijo Castle for their very amusing Nijo Castle Sakura Night which started at 6.45pm. We got in and 6pm and wandered around the castle and the grounds before the show, despite being directed straight to our seats. The show lasted 45 minutes and was an amusing insight into Japanese culture.

After the show we got back to our hotel, via the 7-eleven as the girls wanted a noodle sofa dinner (and some time off) and we headed out to find somewhere lovely to eat. We were so lucky to stumble across the amazing Kyoto Sashimimaru which was just around the corner from our hotel The Machiya Ebisuya. It was a small 8 seat counter restaurant and the food was a complete treat. We had 5 courses, a bottle of champagne and sake and all came to around £140 for both of us. Would highly highly recommend.

Hiroshima 2 nights

Day 12 (Tuesday) 7th April

Leave Kyoto and head to Hiroshima for afternoon . Kyoto to Hiroshima train 1hr 36 £50 each £250. Booked on Klook.

Stayed 2 nights at Hilton Hiroshima.

We arrived just before lunch and made our way to have our first okonomiyaki.

During the afternoon we visited the Peace Memorial Park, the A-Bomb Dome, the Peace Memorial Museum and the Children’s Peace Monument. The afternoon was sobering and we walked along the river chatting about how everyone should visit museums of that type, particularly those who make decision to start a war.

We circled back to the hotel to get warmer clothes and set out to watch the Hiroshima Carps v Giants at 6pm. It’s a bit of a faff to get tickets but worth it. https://www.carp.co.jp/en/ Such an amazing atmosphere and everyone around us was so kind, passing us snacks, sharing songs and cheers and then at the seventh innings balloons – watch to the end of the video, I’ve never seen anything like it as a sports game.

Day 13 (Wednesday) 8th April

We got to the ferry port for the trip to Miyajima Island around 9.30am. Generally its better to get there earlier to avoid huge crowds. We explored the island taking in the beautiful Daisho-in temple (one of the prettiest we saw), taking the usual photos of the huge tori gate like everyone else but then we met Yoshi from Miyajima Seakayak and had the most incredible 2.5 hours being able to see the beautiful tori gate and stunning views, basically all to ourselves. Yoshi was very friendly and chatty and made sure we were all safe and well looked after. We absolutely loved this experience and would highly recommend it.

Prices for kayaking Miyajima island range from £36 – £50pp.

Couple of options below:

https://www.getyourguide.com/en-gb/chugoku-region-l32531/miyajima-world-heritage-torii-kayak-tour-t634838

nossieknot@gmail.com

Having made our way back to the hotel we spent the evening in Hiroshima having a cheap and cheerful dinner at Marugame Seimen and then randomly ended up booking an hour in a Karaoke room – such a lot of fun!

OSAKA -1 night (should have been 2 but flights got rearranged)

Day 14 (Thursday) 9th April

Hiroshima to Osaka 1hr 20 £45ish Booked on Klook.

1 nights at Candeo Hotels Osaka The Tower this wasn’t our favourite hotel. Location wasn’t great, and the breakfast buffet was awful, but our room had a fabulous view.

We checked in and made our way to Ikeda where the Cup Noodle Museum is. It’s a little out of town (about 40 minutes) but we went straight there and had lunch at an Ipuddo which was literally next door.

We had booked the ramen cooking course for 3.10-4.20pm (which was £28 and paid on arrival). You could just arrange the cup noodle workshop on arrival. The rest of the museum is tiny (just one room) so if you don’t have tickets to make ramen its probably not worth it. That being said mine loved the afternoon.

Evening wander around Dotombori in the rain followed by another Teppanyaki at Teppan Osaka.

Day 15 Friday 10th April

Had planned to try and do 11am Osaka free walking tour https://osakafreewalkingtour.com/osaka-tours-schedule/ we missed this due to torrential rain.

Also had really wanted to visit Katsuoji Temple – but again rain stopped play.

https://tessomewhere.com/katsuoji-temple-osaka

We finally flew home overnight on Saturday at 6.40pm. Do be aware that Osaka airport is an hour out of the city even in a taxi, and around 1hr 30 on the train. Leave plenty of time.

What an amazing trip. We came home exhausted but very very happy!