Japan with Kids

The family version of the trip: strollers, picky eaters, small emergencies, and keeping everyone fed and found.

1. 1Before you fly

   Family prep that pays off later.

   • Bringing Medicine into Japan: Customs Allowances How much medicine you can bring into Japan without a permit: OTC up to 2 months, prescription up to 1 month, plus rules for controlled drugs (as of June 2026).
   • Do You Need Travel Insurance for Japan? Real Cost Examples What visitors may pay for medical care in Japan, two official cost examples, and how to check cashless care, evacuation, and exclusions.
   • eSIM for Japan: Setup Guide and Common Pitfalls How to choose and set up an eSIM for Japan, compared with physical SIM and pocket Wi-Fi, plus common pitfalls.
   • Japan's Crowd Calendar: Golden Week, Obon, and New Year When to avoid travelling in Japan: the Golden Week, Obon, and New Year peak dates for 2026-27, why they're crowded, and how to plan around them.
   • Japan Autumn School Holidays: How Families Avoid Crowds and Missed Trains A family plan for Japan's autumn breaks: crowd timing, return transport, child meeting points, IC-card balance, toilets, and rain.

2. 2Arrival & moving around

   Kids, bags, and trains — in that order of difficulty.

   • Narita, Haneda, KIX to City: Airport Transfer Comparison Routes from Narita, Haneda, and Kansai airports to the city, with time and fare tables plus late-night options.
   • Luggage Forwarding (Takkyubin): Send Bags Ahead in Japan How to send your suitcase ahead to your next hotel or airport in Japan, with costs, timing, and instructions.
   • Suica & Pasmo for Tourists: How to Get and Use IC Cards How tourists get a Suica or Pasmo in Japan, how to charge it, and how to use it on trains, buses, and at shops.
   • Child Fares on Japanese Trains and Buses: Age Rules and IC Cards When children ride free or pay a child fare in Japan, when preschoolers need tickets, and how to use a child IC card at train gates and on buses.
   • Shinkansen Luggage Rules by Line: 160cm Limit and Tohoku Difference The 160cm reservation rule applies on Tokaido, Sanyo, Kyushu, and West Kyushu Shinkansen—not Tohoku. Measure your bag and find the right storage.
   • Avoiding Rush Hour on Japanese Trains When rush hour happens in Japan, which trains and lines to avoid, and how to handle large luggage during peak commuting times.
   • Japanese Train Etiquette: The Rules That Actually Matter A simple guide to Japanese train etiquette for tourists: phone calls, priority seats, eating, backpacks, and the rules that actually matter (as of June 2026).

3. 3Eating with kids

   Menus that work for small and picky eaters.

   • Feeding Picky Kids in Japan: Family-Friendly Options Where to find kid-friendly food in Japan: family restaurants, konbini, udon and more, plus how to check for allergens.
   • Food Allergies in Japan: Labels, Cards, and Phrases Eating safely with food allergies in Japan: the labelling system, allergy cards, and phrases to confirm ingredients.
   • Conveyor Belt Sushi (Kaiten-zushi): How It Works A simple guide to conveyor belt sushi in Japan: how to enter, take plates, order on the touch panel, read plate-color prices, and pay.
   • Japanese Convenience Stores: A Tourist Power Guide What you can actually do at a Japanese konbini: withdraw cash, buy tickets, print, drop off luggage, find a toilet, and pay for almost anything.
   • Vegan and Plant-Based Options at Japanese Konbini What vegans can eat at Japanese convenience stores, how to read ingredient labels for hidden animal products, and naturally plant-based items to look for.
   • Vegetarian in Japan: Hidden Dashi and Real Options How to eat vegetarian in Japan: spotting hidden fish dashi and meat extracts, where to find safe meals, and phrases to confirm with staff.

4. 4Out and about

   The logistics of a family day out.

   • How to Find a Toilet in Japan Fast: Stations, Stores, and Konbini Need a toilet in Japan right now? Where to look in priority order, how reliable each spot is, phone tricks to find one, and what to expect inside.
   • Nursing Rooms and Baby Facilities in Japan: Where to Find Them Find nursing rooms, diaper-changing tables, hot water, and stroller-friendly toilets in Japan without assuming every station has them.
   • Can You Buy Tampons in Japan? Where to Find Period Products Yes — tampons are sold in Japan, mainly at drugstores. Where to buy tampons, pads, and period pain relief, plus how to read the packaging (June 2026).
   • Buying Sunscreen in Japan: SPF and PA Labels A plain-English guide to Japan's SPF and PA sunscreen labels, reapplication directions, shade and clothing, and what to do if your skin reacts.
   • Mosquitoes in Japan: Repellent and Bite Basics How to avoid mosquito bites in Japan, choose DEET or icaridin, follow child-age directions, and know when a bite needs medical advice.
   • Japan's Summer Heat: Staying Safe While Sightseeing How hot and humid Japan gets in summer, the warning signs of heat illness, where to cool down, and how to check the official heat alert.
   • Where Can I Cool Down in Japan During a Heat Alert? Find cooling shelters, stations, malls, libraries and cafés in Japan during a heat alert, check opening rules, and know when to call 119.

5. 5Where you stay

   Space for four and washing machines.

   • Airbnb in Japan: Why Listings Look Different (Minpaku Law) Why Airbnb and short-term rentals are limited in Japan, how the minpaku law works, and how to check a listing's registration number before booking.
   • Hotel Cancellation Rules in Japan: When You Get Charged How hotel cancellation rules work in Japan, when fees start, and how to cancel by phone or through a booking site to avoid charges.
   • Using Coin Laundries in Japan How to use a coin laundry in Japan: machine types, how to pay, detergent, typical costs, cycle times, and common mistakes to avoid.
   • Bath Etiquette in Japanese Guesthouses and Hostels How to use a shared bath at your guesthouse, hostel, or ryokan in Japan: taking turns, washing before soaking, keeping the water clean, and basic sento manners.

6. 6If someone gets sick or hurt

   Doctors, pharmacies, and the numbers to call.

   • Seeing a Doctor in Japan: English Help and Costs How to find an English-speaking doctor in Japan, what a visit roughly costs without insurance, and how to keep receipts for an insurance claim.
   • Finding Medicine After Hours in Japan Where to buy medicine late at night in Japan: 24-hour drugstores, convenience stores, and after-hours clinics, plus when to ask a pharmacist or doctor.
   • Japanese Drugstore Guide: Finding Medicine by Active Ingredient Use active ingredients, dose, warnings, and pharmacist advice to find an OTC medicine in Japan without relying on a familiar brand name.
   • Dental Emergency in Japan: Finding Help Fast How to find a dentist for sudden tooth pain in Japan, what an emergency visit may cost, and how to get care when you do not speak Japanese.
   • Calling 119 in Japan: How to Get an Ambulance How to call an ambulance in Japan: dial 119, what the dispatcher asks, language support, and 119 vs #7119 for non-emergencies.
   • Is #7119 Nationwide? Japan Emergency Numbers: 110, 119 and 118 When to call 110, 119, 118, #7119, or #8000 in Japan, how to check local #7119 coverage, and what to do if the advice line does not connect.

Different kind of trip? See the other scenarios or browse all guides.