Travelling with kids is challenging. If you are looking for a more relaxed Osaka Kyoto itinerary for your family, then please read on. In this article you will learn how to travel to Kyoto from Osaka via buses and trains. You will discover fun activities and attractions you and your children can enjoy. Finally, I will also share some personal tips and the gems we found that can enhance your overall travel experience.
There is a colossal Mario figure showcased outside the Takashimaya building.
An Overview Of Our Osaka Kyoto Itinerary With Kids (Expectation vs Reality)
This itinerary is designed for parents who want to have a laid-back day in Kyoto. But that wasn’t the original plan. You see, my wife and I have prepared something great for our one-day trip to Kyoto with the kids. Here’s what we expected to do there as a family:
Walk around the old streets of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka.
Explore Kiyomizu-dera Temple.
Have coffee at the first tatami-floored Starbucks.
Return Kimono and Yukata.
Food escapade at Nishiki Market.
Dinner at Menya Inoichi.
Travel back to the hotel in Osaka.
But things, more often than not, don’t go according to plans when you’re travelling with your children. Here’s the actual Osaka to Kyoto day trip itinerary we ended up with:
Breakfast at hotel
Travel to Kyoto.
Food trip and shopping at Nishiki Market.
Shopping and photo op at Nintendo store, Kyoto.
Travel back to Osaka.
Dinner at Umeda Food Hall.
Go back to the hotel.
In the end, we just couldn’t find the time, strength, and energy to execute the master plan for our short trip to Kyoto. Do I sound disappointed? The truth is, we are genuinely thankful that things didn’t go as we envisioned it. We really enjoyed this version of our itinerary because it gave us the rest we needed. Super Nintendo World was the main reason we visited Japan. The past four days in Osaka have been fun, but it is also depleting. This trip is more about getting recharged, especially for me and Lalaine.
Food hall inside Nishiki Market.
A Recharging Osaka to Kyoto Day Trip Itinerary
I recommend you put this plan into action after an exhausting day. Perhaps on the third or fourth day of your Japan itinerary. The idea is to alternate the relaxing day and the stressful day. This will help you enjoy your family vacation more.
Osaka to Kyoto Day Trip By Train
We travelled to Kyoto via buses and trains. If you also plan to do so, I highly recommend you get the Kansai Thru Pass. This pass will give you unlimited rides to metro trains, subways, and buses within the Kansai region. An example of cities included in the Kansai region are: Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, Wakayama, and Kayasan.
Train route: (estimated travel time: 1.45 hours)
Mode
From
To
Time (est in mins)
Bus
Ichioka bus stop
Osaka station
30
Walk
Osaka station
Osaka Umeda station
15
Train (Hankyu-Kyoto)
Osaka Umeda station
Karasuma station
60
Bus and train route from Minato, Osaka to Kyoto.
Day 4 of our Japan trip was supposed to be a relaxing one. Yet, it turns out to be the most tiring thus far. Based on the original schedule, we should have already boarded the train to Kyoto by 9 AM. But here we are at 11:41 AM, just started walking to Ichioka Bus Station (IBS) to ride the bus going to the Osaka Station (OS).
Get The Lowest Rates on Deluxe Double Room at Hotel She, Osaka
Hotel She, Osaka in Osaka (Minato), is within a 5-minute drive of Kyocera Dome Osaka and Dotonbori. This hotel is 5.2 km from Universal Studios Japan and 3.8 km from Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.
Ideally, we should be taking the train to Kyoto upon arriving at the OS. But instead, we got distracted. We didn’t realize that the OS was linked to one of Japan’s biggest shopping and entertainment centers, Osaka Station City. We were stunned. The next thing we know is we wasted another hour exploring the department stores.
Lunch at McDonald’s
There’s a Capcom Café we want to try. But because we’re desperate to make up for the lost time, we ended up having a quick bite at McDonald’s. It’s already 1:57 PM, and we’re still an hour away from Kyoto.
At Karasuma Station in Kyoto.
Transfer to Osaka Umeda Station
The JR Line in OS is not included in the Kansai Thru Pass. We have to take out an additional ¥580 per person from our transportation budget to get to Kyoto. But if we want to save money, we can walk for 15 minutes and take the Hankyu Lineat the Osaka Umeda Station (OUS). We know we don’t have much time, but we chose to transfer to OUS anyway.
Our supposed “laid-back” Osaka to Kyoto day trip plan has slowly become distressing due to hurry. We paused for a while. Took a deep breath. And reminded ourselves that it’s about the journey, not the destination. By 2:21 PM we were on board and arrived at Karasuma Station (KS) by 3:10 PM.
The ginormous ebi tempura at Nishiki Market is a must-try!
Food trip at Nishiki Market
Today’s weather is chilling. The first thing we did upon arriving in Kyoto was to get a cup of hot coffee. After that, we then headed to the Nishiki Market to have a food escapade.
The Nishiki Market is a 400+ year old marketplace famous for its food and goods. Also known as Kyoto’s Kitchen, this place boasts a staggering 130 vendors crammed into an approximately 400 meters long passageway. Nishiki Market sells a variety of fresh and preserved foods, including duck dishes, Japanese sweets, and different types of pickles. You can also find excellent and unique cookware, dinnerware, elegant ceramic wares, condiments and paper goods.
Inside Nishiki Market.
But what amazed me about this place the most is its cleanliness. I have never seen a marketplace so tidy!
Looking at our original plan, I hoped that we could at least have coffee at the tatami-floored Starbucks. But you know what? Spending our time here wasn’t so bad after all. We found most of the food we were looking for: ice cream, sushi, maki, gyoza, tempura, plus a lot more. This place is overflowing with food! Moreover, Lalaine got her dream come true of owning a pair of customized chopsticks.
Nishiki Market is something I’d recommend to everyone thinking of spending one-day in Kyoto.
Inside the newly opened Nintendo store in Takahashimaya building in Kyoto.
Shopping and photo op at Nintendo Kyoto
It’s 4:51 PM, and we’re already out of the marketplace. I’m not really sure where to go next until I saw a group of people carrying Nintendo plastic bags. I checked Google Maps and there is in fact a Nintendo store nearby. It was recently opened, and it is located on the 7th floor of the Takashimaya department store.
One thing you should take note about this place is that this is a TIMED ENTRY store. Meaning, you cannot just go in anytime you want. You need to get a free entry ticket at Shijo-dori Underpass before visiting the store. Our time of entry was 5:30 PM. This setup may not appeal to travelers who are rushing through their itineraries. Since we have no other agendas, the kids and our inner-children immensely enjoyed their moment there.
Nintendo’s store in Kyoto offers a great selection of official Super Mario merchandise plus more. They also have products from other famous franchises, such as The Legend of Zelda, Splatoon, Animal Crossing, and Pikmin. If you or your children are fans of these characters, then visiting the Nintendo store is a great addition to your Kyoto day trip itinerary.
One tip before you leave the store: go up one floor to get a photo opportunity with Mario. Most visitors were not aware of this during our time there.
Dinner at Umeda Food Hall
By 8:18 PM we were back at Osaka Umeda Station from Karasuma Station. Most restaurants in Japan were already closed around this time. Thankfully, we found Umeda Food Hall in the second basement of the station.
Umeda Food Hall has 1,000 seats to be shared among diners, and 18 restaurants ready to satisfy your cravings. You can choose from a wide variety of specialty dishes around Italy, Korea, Taiwan, and of course, Japan. They also have dessert shops that offer crêpes, ice cream, and coffee to conclude a wonderful meal. Please note that bringing in food and drinks bought outside is not allowed.
For some reason the food hall setup is exactly what we needed tonight. We all have different cravings – considering we just came from a food trip at the Nishiki Market. I crave gyudon and gyoza, while Lalaine for ramen and tempura, and the kids for chicken karaage and plain rice. We’re grateful that we got all we wanted at the Umeda Food Hall.
Our dinner at Umeda Food Hall.
Our Day 6 to 8 itinerary
Thank you for reading all the way here. I hope you enjoyed our simple one-day family itinerary from Osaka to Kyoto. For day 6, we are going on another day trip. But this time from Osaka to Kobe. Then after that, we will spend our days 7 and 8 at Rinku Town to shop at their premium outlet stores before we head home.
Also, don’t forget to download our one-week in Japan sample itinerary to see the overview of our trip. It is made with Google Sheets, thus you can also use it as a tool to plan your next family vacation.
Follow the Journey
This journal is my way of making sense of the lessons from the journey. Get the next full entry delivered straight to your inbox.
It was my first time traveling internationally as a dad. All I can say is, travelling with your kids is a totally different experience. If you’re planning a family vacation in Osaka, read on.
In this post we’ll share our one-week Japan itinerary that worked for us. We will walk you through our day-to-day schedule and activities. We will also share some insights that could help you enjoy (and survive) Osaka with kids. This article will include information on:
How we travelled by train
Where we ate
What attractions we visited
Where we shopped, and more
Download The Osaka Sample Itinerary
To make this post extra helpful, I made an overview of our trip using Google Sheets. You can download it here. Feel free to edit and use it to plan your family trip.
Day 1: Arrival in Osaka
Pick-up train passesand SIM card
We departed Manila at 2pm and arrived at Kansai International Airport around 7pm. Our first priority after landing was to pick up the rail passes we bought online at Kansai Tourist Information Center. These are the ICOCA IC Card, Osaka Amazing Pass, and Kansai Thru Pass. They are important because we plan to explore Japan using its rail system for the next 7 days or so.
Unfortunately, we didn’t realize the information center closes at exactly 7pm. We spent a few minutes checking if there were other pick-up locations, but we got no luck. It’s the only redemption area in the airport. Oh well, I guess we have to deal with those passes tomorrow morning.
*** Note: You can always buy those passes locally, but of course, purchasing them online is cheaper and more convenient.
Our next priority was to get our SIM Card. We haven’t been to Osaka, and we are travelling by ourselves. Having a reliable internet connection is essential to our survival in Japan. Thank God, the pick-up point was still open. We got the SIM card installed on our phone in less than ten minutes. Here’s the SIM Card that we used. Another one we considered was this.
Airport transfer
After getting the SIM, we headed up the escalator, then exited through the gate. We then headed to Nankai Rapi:t station to claim the express ticket we bought online. By 8:30pm, we are on-board and headed from Kansai Airport Station to Shin-Imamiya Station.
We arrived at Shin-Imamiya Station around 9pm, and grabbed a quick snack at 7-11. One train ride more to go. After eating, we then travelled from Shin-Imamiya Station to Bentencho Station via the Osaka Loop.
Hotel check-in
We got lost. But praise God for the lady who walked us to our hotel. There’s an approximately ten-minute walk from Bentencho Station to here. Yet, she didn’t mind going out of her way to help us get to our destination.
We chose to stay at the Hotel She, Osaka with my family because it was the biggest room we could find for our budget. Japan is known for its small hotel rooms, making it difficult to find a space to fit a family comfortably. But more than the size, Hotel She’s location is ideal for our itinerary.
We arrived at the hotel at 10:29 PM. The check-in process was a breeze. We’re already in our room 10-minutes after. The only hesitation we had with this hotel thus far was they only have two options for breakfast:
Cheesy bacon on sliced bread with corn soup and salad.
Ham croissant with egg and creamy avocado dip.
We don’t mind having these options if we’re going to stay for a day or two. But we plan to stay here for 6 days, so yeah, we’ll probably have the same breakfast each morning. To be fair, the food’s great!
Get The Lowest Rates on Deluxe Double Room at Hotel She, Osaka
Hotel She, Osaka in Osaka (Minato), is within a 5-minute drive of Kyocera Dome Osaka and Dotonbori. This hotel is 5.2 km from Universal Studios Japan and 3.8 km from Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.
It’s now 11 PM, and it’s time to relax. Or so we thought. One of the many challenges we encounter as parents is that kids are always hungry. So with heavy feet my wife walked across the nearest Family Mart to get us our dinner. She got an Omurice, a Katsu-Curry with rice, a Japanese custard for dessert and some drinks.
*** Tip: I do not fully recommend this day one itinerary that we had. It can be too exhausting for both you and the kids. If we could redo it, we will avail of the same-day luggage delivery to the hotel. It will surely make our airport transfer less tiring. A couple more options are perhaps renting a van, or spending the night at a nearby hotel.
Day 2: Osaka Day Tour
My wife and I designed our Osaka one-week itinerary to be loose and flexible. It’s our first time traveling with the kids, so we don’t want to stress ourselves too much. The idea is to alternate the hectic days with the relaxing days. Since day one was hectic, we began our day two a little later than planned – except for my wife. She went out early to pick up our rail passes at the nearest redemption station.
Stroll and lunch at Tempozan Harbor Village
We started our day trip by train after Lalaine came back from a tourist information center in Namba. We took the train to Tempozan Harbor Village (THV). We hopped on the Chuo Line and traveled from Bentencho Station all the way to Osakako Station (OS). After getting off OS, we walked for about 10 minutes to get to THV.
THV has many kid-friendly attractions to offer, including Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel, Legoland Discovery Center, and Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explore them all since it was already 11:56 AM. Based on schedule, our main goal for the day was to be in Universal Studios Japan before 4pm.
Explore Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
After having our lunch at the Tempozan Marketplace, we then headed out and bought our tickets to the Kaiyukan. I won’t spoil you with details. All I can say is this aquarium is a must-add attraction to your Osaka family vacation itinerary.
Half-day adventure at Universal Studios Japan
2:54 PM. It’s time to ride the Captain Line. This fast shuttle ferry will take you from Kaiyukan to Universal City Port (UCP). And from UCP, you only need to walk for about ten minutes to reach Universal Studios Japan (USJ).
Tears welled up my eyes as I set my foot in USJ for the first time. My wife and I have saved up and prepared for this moment since 2021. A lot of challenges happened in our lives. Planning for this trip gave us something to look forward to. Anyway, we basically spent the remaining of our day inside USJ. From 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM we were able to:
Have snacks at Snoopy’s Backlot Café
Ride the Minion’s Freeze Ray Sliders
Experience the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man 4K3D Ride
Picture-picture and shopped for souvenirs
But what we achieved this afternoon is just a bonus. Our real intention for buying the one and a half day studio pass was to learn the ins and outs of USJ.
You see, exploring Super Nintendo World (SNW) at USJ is the main reason why we went to Osaka. Unfortunately, getting inside SNW isn’t guaranteed because of the sheer amount of crowds going there. To secure your entry, you need to pay a premium price for an express or a timed entry pass. We thought about them, but we think getting there early is the better option for us. (As in before-the-park-opens kind of early.)
Our half-day stay at USJ basically served as our ocular visit to help us better navigate to SNW tomorrow morning.
Dinner at Pomme-no-ki, Universal Citywalk Osaka
It’s 7:28 PM. We are considering having dinner at USJ. Sadly, all restaurants close at exactly 7 PM. Our next option was to look for a place to dine at the nearby Universal Citywalk Osaka (UCO). The place was packed as it seems like all people coming from USJ are also here to eat before they head home.
With all the food options available at UCO, we decided to go with Pomme-no-ki (or Pomu no ki?). In any case, Pomme is renowned for its delicious omelette rice, better known as Omurice. Lalaine and I loved it. But more importantly, both Joab and Jrue also enjoyed it. This accidental food discovery is a must-add to any Osaka itinerary. 4/5 stars.
Night market at Don Quixote
It was about 9:07 PM when we finished our satisfying dinner. We then head home to the hotel by boarding the JR Yumesaki Line from Universal City Station to Nishikujo Station. Then from Nishikujo Station to Bentencho Station via the Osaka Loop Line.
We didn’t go to Japan solely for kids. Mom and dad have their own agendas too. We planned out our trip for both kids AND parents to enjoy. So based on schedule, we should be going for some late night shopping at Don Quixote. Unfortunately, the kids and I are too tired for it. Plus, we need to sleep early because we have to get up at 5:30 AM tomorrow to get a chance at Super Nintendo World.
So what happened in the end was me and the kids stayed at the hotel, while Lalaine went to Don Quixote to shop by herself.
Day 3: One day at Super Nintendo World
7:28 AM, and we’re already outside USJ’s gate eating Onigiri for breakfast. We’re excited and nervous at the same time. Bulk of my prayer today is about asking God to help us get in SNW. It feels like our Osaka trip will be a failure if we can’t get inside the park. Everything hinges on this attraction.
By 7:45 AM the park had let a number of people get in. At first, I don’t really know what’s going on. “How come those people who came late are getting inside ahead of us?” Later I learned that they are Early Entry Pass holders. They basically paid additional to enjoy USJ 15-minutes before it officially opened.
Get The Lowest Price For Universal Studios Japan
Experience the world’s first* Mario-themed area and Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge™ attraction, both of which received Thea Awards, considered an enormous honor around the globe in the themed entertainment industry.
Exhilirate your senses with a day of play in a park full of endless excitement and thrills!
To maximize your experience, we recommend you get the Early Entry + 1 Day or the 1.5 Day Studio Pass.
We got inside USJ at around 8:05 AM and zoomed directly to SNW. Praise God for the answered prayer. By 8:16 AM we’re already at SNW’s logo taking our first family selfie. There are already plenty of people inside, but not too crowded. We learned that the average waiting time for one ride starts at 30 minutes, but it can eventually go all the way to 120 minutes (Yikes!).
Anyway, we planned to be here the entire day, so no rush. Yet, we still tried to be smart with our decisions by going against the flow. It’s 8:29 AM, and we feel like not many people will be thinking of eating at this hour. Thus, we went to Kinopio’s Café as our first stop and ordered the following:
Gratin Hamburger Steak with a Mashed Potato Tree (Winter Menu)
Chef’s Special: Omurice with Shrimp and Mushroom Cream Stew
Kid’s Hamburger Meal with Mario Figurine Pick
? Block Tiramisu
Super Star Hot Yuzu Lemonade
Super Star Lemon Squash
Hot Coffee
Iced Coffee
The overall waiting time from being in line to having our first bite was about 45 minutes. We tried to eat as much as we can now, so we can focus solely on the rides later. But more than anything else, we gave Kinopio’s Café the priority to celebrate Lalaine’s birthday. 4/5 stars
Enjoy Super Nintendo World
It was 10:32 AM when we got out of the café. Here’s what we did for the next 7 hours:
Meet and greet with Mario, Luigi, and Toad
Ride Yoshi’s Adventure
Snack at Yoshi’s Snack Island
Ride Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge
Collect coins and stamps using the Power-up Band and USJ App
Played the interactive games to unlock keys and defeat Bowser Jr. (Power-up Band required)
Bought souvenirs and Christmas gifts at the 1 Up Factory.
Super Nintendo World has exceeded our expectations. Spending our time here as a family was incredibly special and by far the most memorable. We still wish to stay, but we need to transfer to The Wizarding World Of Harry Potter (TWWOHP) to have our dinner.
Chill and butterbeer at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
We left SNW at 5:45 PM and arrived at TWWOHP at 6:01 PM. Our plan was to cap our long tiring day with a Great Feast at Three Broomsticks. To our disappointment, restaurants at USJ get their last order at exactly 6 PM! Ouch, for some reason I felt more tired after hearing that. Oh well, we should at least try the butterbeer before we head home. For the next thirty minutes, we found ourselves at a corner sipping butterbeer, enjoying the beauty of TWWOHP.
Dinner at Sushihan Ichiokaten
By 8:03 PM, we disembarked the train at Bentencho Station. We bought some kiddie snacks at the nearby vending machine as we still didn’t have any idea where to eat. The plan is to travel back to the hotel and simply dine somewhere along the way. As we traversed, we realized most restaurants in the area also close at 7 PM! And so, we changed our plan to Plan B: just get something to eat at Family Mart!
It’s a bit anticlimactic for such a special day. But it is what it is. As we got to Family Mart, we saw this fine-looking restaurant across the store still open. The signage is in Japanese, but we later learned that the restaurant’s name is Sushihan Ichioken. We’re a bit skeptical because there were no people dining. I asked what time they were closing, they said 9 PM. I guess we don’t have the leisure to be choosy as it’s already 8:38 PM. We got ourselves a seat and ordered the following:
Ebi Tempura with Cold Udon Set
Mixed Sushi Tempura Set
Kids Menu: French fries, meatballs, friend chicken strip and shrimp.
Of course, we ordered using Google Translate as everything in their menu is written in Japanese. The servers also don’t speak much English.
We came out of the restaurant at 9:17 PM, thankful and satisfied. I’ll give them an overall grade of 3.5 out of 5 stars. It’s not how we planned our evening, but we still enjoyed the spontaneity of the experience as a whole.
Day 4: What To Do In Osaka For A Day?
Today is a free day. Yesterday was hectic, thus we intend to take the day slow. Lalaine and I intently didn’t put any concrete agenda in our schedule. This is absolutely not how we travelled in the past. But with kids, we learned to be intentional in putting white spaces in our schedule to avoid burnout. We actually don’t have any idea what to do for the day.
But some itches are difficult not to scratch. Halfway through my breakfast I went up and asked the person at the front desk for a brochure about Osaka. There I browsed some of the attractions we can visit via train. Most of what I saw were shrines. But one attraction that caught my eyes was The Osaka Museum of Housing and Living (TOMOHAL).
Lunch at Yoshinoya, Tenjinbashi-suji Shopping Street
We travelled to the Housing Information Building in Tenjinbashi via JR Osaka Loop Line. The exhibit is located on the 8th floor. We boarded the train from Bentencho to Temma Station, and walked for about 10 minutes to get here. Time check, it’s 12:44 PM, and we haven’t eaten our lunch yet. We checked Google Maps and saw there’s a Yoshinoya nearby. Our friends said that it’s a must-try.
We ordered a Beef Sukiyaki Hot Pot for me, an Unagi (Broiled Eel) Rice Box Set for Lalaine, and a Chicken Karaage Meal for the kids. I’m not sure if it’s over-hyped, but the food is just alright for us. Maybe around 3 out of 5 stars.
Educational tour at The Osaka Museum Of Housing and Living
Also known as Kurashi no Konjakukan in Japanese, TOMOHAL is a recreation of a townscape of the Edo era. It’s like being flashed back in time as you will be able to walk in the street and peek inside the houses. As a dad, I pressed more on the lesson of gratitude. I showed them how living that time is not as comfortable as today. There’s no internet, air conditioner, and mobile phones. If you want water, you have to get it from the well. Being there for 45 minutes gave us a perspective on how pampered we are in this generation.
Shopping at Namba-Sennichimae
We arrived Namba at 3:22 PM. The plan is to spend the rest of our day here food tripping, chilling, and shopping. We got here using the Sakaisuji Line. From the museum, we walked for 7 minutes, got on board at Ogimachi Station and got off at Nippombashi Station. Then from the station, we walked about 10 minutes to reach Namba-Sennichimae shopping district.
We stayed here until 7 PM. And during those times we were able to:
Buy Playstation 5 Slim at BIC Camera
Shop for skin care products, eye drops, and toiletries
Nap time for kids while we took a break at Hoshino Coffee
Enjoyed the best Takoyaki we ever tasted.
Dinner at Matsusakagyu Yakiniku M
I’m sure you have already heard of Kobe beef. But one type of beef they said is an equally must try is the Matsusaka beef. So now we’re here at Matsusakagyu Yakiniku M, one of the well-known restaurants serving Matsusaka in Japan. Going here is about a 10 to 15-minute walk from the BIC Camera. We came here without reservation, and we were advised that the waiting time is about 45 minutes. It’s already 7:25 PM. My tummy is grumbling.
Thankfully a group of diners came out after 15 minutes, thus we were seated earlier than advised. By 8:40 PM we’re done, and I must say that the food is amazing, but the place is horrifying. I’ll give the food a 4.5 out of 5 stars, however my overall experience is 3.5. The beef is one of the best I’ve ever tasted. Sadly, the darkness and narrowness of the place gave me a terrible claustrophobic experience the entire dining time. If you don’t mind tight and dark spaces, add this place to your Osaka itinerary.
Stroll around Dotonbori
We got lost a little bit, but we eventually got to the famous Dotonbori by 9:21 PM. It’s a long walk from the restaurant. Maybe around 2,403 steps. On the way here we got to try the 10 yen cheese coin pancake which my little cheese-monster Jrue enjoyed. The reality is all we want to do here is eat and have a picture with the Glico Man. But since we were still stuffed by all the meat we ate, we simply had an orange juice and endured our aching feet to find the famed landmark.
By exactly 9:30 PM we got our family picture with Glico Man and travelled our way back to the hotel. From Nippombashi to Sakaisuji Hommachi Station via Sakaisuji Line. Then transferred to Chuo Line going from Hommachi to Bentencho Station.
Day 5: One Day Trip From Osaka To Kyoto
We kind of messed up day 5. Yesterday was supposed to be a relaxing one. Yet, it turns out to be the most stressful day thus far. The plan was we should already be on-board to Kyoto by 9 AM. Unfortunately, we overslept and got out of the hotel at 11:41 AM! Oh well, we don’t want to ruin our day so decided to simply have a chill day trip to Kyoto.
There is a colossal Mario figure showcased outside the Takashimaya building.
Day 6: One Day Trip From Osaka To Kobe
Day six in Japan. We have two more days before going back home. It’s weird, but I feel like I’m missing this wonderful country already. My personal mission here is almost over. I already took the kids to Super Nintendo World, and I already bought my PlayStation 5 Slim. There is one thing left to do: go to Kobe and have a date with my wife over the legendary Kobe steak.
Meriken Hatoba – Beef Sashimi (Seasonal)
Day 7 to 8: Last Minute Shopping at Rinku Premium Outlets
We are spending our last two days in Japan at Rinku Town.
Rinku Town is one station away from Kansai International Airport. This place is great for stopovers and last minute shopping sprees. It covers a vast area and has many facilities such as hotels, restaurants, parks, beaches, and a huge Ferris wheel. But those aren’t the reasons we’re here. We’re here because of its premium outlets.
Rinku Premium Outlets View from the bridge.
That’s it. Thank you for checking our one-week family itinerary in Japan. I hope you found this post helpful. Happy trip!
Follow the Journey
This journal is my way of making sense of the lessons from the journey. Get the next full entry delivered straight to your inbox.
We just got home from our one-week family vacation in Osaka. Now I know why Japan is one of the must-visit countries in the world – especially for people with kids. If you are a mom or a dad who’s looking for your next travel destination, read on. In this post we will share why you should travel to Japan with your family. We will cover the experiences we most enjoyed and why we can’t wait to go back there again soon!
1: Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Japan.
Super Nintendo World (SNW) is the main reason we went to Osaka.
If you’re a fan of the Super Mario Brothers, then SNW is more than enough motivation to travel to Japan. Here are some of the most notable experiences my kids and I enjoyed during our visit:
Riding the Mario Kart: Bowser’s Challenge.
Celebrating my wife’s birthday at Kinopio’s Café.
Punching the floating bricks to collect coins.
Showdown with Bowser Jr.
Meet and greet with Mario and Luigi.
We stayed at SNW for 10 hours, and it feels like we still haven’t exhausted all the things we can do there. It’s definitely one of the most memorable moments in our lives.
Reason to visit again: The idea is to explore Disneyland and Disneysea in Tokyo on our next visit. But Universal Studios Japan recently announced that Donkey Kong Country will open inside SNW in the Spring of 2024. It might be worth it to take a look!
Get The Lowest Price For Universal Studios Japan
Experience the world’s first* Mario-themed area and Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge™ attraction, both of which received Thea Awards, considered an enormous honor around the globe in the themed entertainment industry.
Exhilirate your senses with a day of play in a park full of endless excitement and thrills!
To maximize your experience, we recommend you get the Early Entry + 1 Day or the 1.5 Day Studio Pass.
My wife and I love Japanese food. But the kids, not so much. That’s why we seldom go to Japanese restaurants here in the Philippines. And whenever we do, there’s nothing they want to order except for chicken teriyaki. Thankfully, they became more adventurous when we were in Japan. Do you also love Japanese food? Here are some of the best food you can enjoy there:
Kobe beef
Matsusaka beef
Omurice
Takoyaki
Shrimp tempura
Crabstick tempura
Udon
Japanese ice cream
Omurice now tops our kids’ list as their favorite Japanese food. They actually have been asking for it since we came back. My wife didn’t have a choice but to learn how to cook it at home. Read our gastronomic family experience at Kobe.
Reason to visit again: Food always plays a huge part in my travels. In fact, it may be my biggest motivation to visit Japan if I don’t have kids. I can see myself mapping out all the must-eats in the area and would visit them one by one. But travelling with children is different. We often found ourselves simply eating anywhere nearby, and hoping it’s good. We simply cannot find the energy to really traverse the places we wish to dine. Thankfully we were able to check the boxes on the Kobe and Matsusaka beef. But my wife and I felt we weren’t able to really satisfy our cravings. We still haven’t gone to the best ramen, sushi, and curry place yet.
3: Courteous People
Most travelers won’t list the local citizens as one of their reasons to visit Japan. But to me and my family, it was a big deal. When we got lost on our first night, a random lady approached and walked with us for 20 minutes to take us to our hotel. Who does that?! We’ve been hearing a lot about how respectful and polite Japanese people are. But those didn’t mean anything until we experienced it ourselves. I received a real life lesson on kindness that night. I’m sure the kids got it too. The only regret we have is we weren’t able to take a photo with the lady.
Reason to visit again: Overall, you can feel the “care” in Japan. Japanese people are overflowing with empathy. They think forward and consider other people’s potential needs. As for us parents, you will appreciate how they put extra effort into making our lives easier:
Every restaurant (that we have gone to) has a kid’s menu.
They also provide dinnerware sets for children.
All train stations have elevators.
Every toilet has wipes to clean the seat.
They provide a play area in shopping outlets.
There are lots of diaper changing areas.
You can rent lockers in train stations, so you can travel light.
4: Pop Culture
Lalaine and I grew up enjoying Final Fantasy, Suikoden, YuYu Hakusho, and Naruto. If you love gaming and anime, then Japan is something you should not miss. The country itself is like one massive theme park. You will see your favorite characters here and there. In posters, food packaging, and such. If you’re lucky, you can even meet cosplayers during your train ride. I don’t know, but being in Japan seems to nourish my inner child.
Reason to visit again: There’s still a lot to explore. Our last trip was solely focused on Nintendo. There’s still Pokémon, Capcom, and Naruto.
5: Train Rides
I must say that riding the train as a family is one of our favorite highlights in Japan. It’s no secret how efficient their public transportation is. But more than that, train rides in Japan will also give your kids a sense of adventure and exploration.
In every train station you’ll see a small table where you can collect a stamp. I call them “saving points”. It’s a reference from playing video games where you save your progress by going to a certain spot in the game. These stamps are unique per station, and they only serve as a souvenir. Regardless, the kids are always excited about the next stop, as they want to add more stamps to their collection.
Here’s a quick guide of the tickets we bought for our train rides:
We use this card to explore Osaka. It gives unlimited train, bus, and subway rides within the city.
A table for the different passes in Japan.
Reason to visit again: We still haven’t tried the bullet train, plus there are more stamps to collect!
Honorable Mentions
The list I presented above is already more than enough to make our family keep going back to Japan. But here are the honorable mentions that put the cherry on top:
Cool weather. The weather here in the Philippines is mostly humid so we, more often than not, prefer to go somewhere cold. Japan is an ideal country to go to if you also love cool weather because it’s just three to four hours away.
Shopping. I’m not a big fan of shopping. But it can easily be one of the top answers to the question, “Why visit Japan?” — just ask my wife. To be fair, I also enjoyed buying stuff when we were there for some reason. I bought a gaming console and lots of Nintendo merchandise. I also got myself a couple pairs of shoes and a shirt at Rinku Premium Outlets.
Historical sites. I love history. I am fascinated by the way people live during their eras. Japan has not only done a great job of preserving their historical sites. They also did well in presenting them in such a way that even kids could also appreciate.
Summary
It’s my first time traveling internationally with my two kids, and Japan has been nothing but spectacular. I don’t know what I could ask for. They have amazing theme parks, sumptuous food, courteous people, and super efficient public transportation. Japan definitely is one of the places my family will never tire to visit again and again.
