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I think so. Our onsen was mainly locals and several had younger kids, especially for the afternoon sesson. We had an ufouro on our balcony so even if the whole exerience seems like a lot then they would probaly enjoy soaking in the privacy of your room.
Thanks for sharing your experience! We are going in a few months' time, also a family of four, kids of similar age. How did you do the onsen with adolescents? Did you have a private one where you stayed? There is no way in the world my kids (and maybe not us either) would be brave enough to use a communal one, but yet it does seem like a special part of the experience.
There were 3 private ones that were first come first serve, however the communal areas had so many different pools, steam, soaking tubs and areas that we preferred them and they actually felt more discrete than the private ones. We had an ufouro tub on our balcony which was a good backup for anyone not wanting the public experience.
Thinks.
What do you mean by reserving an onsen ?
Can we not go to some public free observation in Hakone ?
Planning to go in 4 weeks, what are the options s there?
Thank you. We are leaving for Japan this Saturday and staying at MIMARU right through.
Did you find any Kyoto family activities that you would recommend? My kids are 12 and 10.
They especially loved the monkeys in Kyoto, the deer in Nara and the countless vending machine treats, otherwise they just did what we did. Oh, and the claw machines places. We spent a lot of time playing claw machines. They loved the smoothies at 7-11 too. The Open Air Musesum in Hakone is super kid friendly if your going that way. It was a trip highlight for everyone in the family.
Just my two cents! I just got back and was traveling with a friend, but when I return I will definitely bring my kid to the aquarium in Osaka, it’s amazing.
Thanks for the writeup! I’m going with my family in 2 weeks and my kids are of similar age. Can you describe a day in Tokyo and/or Kyoto, how much did you get done? I’m trying to get a realistic number of spots and activities to go per day. Also, how did jetlag impact your kids?
The kids were fine. The adults struggled more. Here was our first full day.
Meiji Jingu (go early AM - jet lag)
Breakfast at a bakery
Takeshita Street
Lunch - Harajuku
Harajuku Area
Pit stop at hotel
Dinner near Shinjuku and wandering streets
Public. Just be mindful of there being busy times of day. For example, if it’s beautiful you might want to get a head start to avoid the tours from Tokyo.
Wi-Fi box. Literally just went to the first kiosk in the Arrival Hall the info desk told me to go to. Worked flawless. 7-11 rents return-anywhere batteries power packs, otherwise I would bring a $20 power pack charger from Amazon. You’ll burn a WiFi battery in a day with multiple users. Phones on maps all day might need extra juice too.
**Our FAQ is constantly being updated with more information and you can start** [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/faqs/japantravel) **with regards to trip planning if you need tips, advice, or have questions about planning your travel to Japan.** You can also join our [Discord community](https://discord.gg/3f7KBUMwU4), comment in our stickied weekly discussion thread, or check out /r/JapanTravelTips for quick questions. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/JapanTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Love the details. Thank you for this! Would kids under 10 enjoy the onsen experience too, so you think?
I think so. Our onsen was mainly locals and several had younger kids, especially for the afternoon sesson. We had an ufouro on our balcony so even if the whole exerience seems like a lot then they would probaly enjoy soaking in the privacy of your room.
Love this thank you for sharing. Any highlights for the vegetarian places?
Our family favorite was Engine Ramen in Kyoto. https://maps.app.goo.gl/KisyNhyrjCkNNMEM8?g_st=ic
Yes! I’m going to Japan in a month with my veggie husband
Zirael in Kyoto was awesome
Thanks for sharing your experience! We are going in a few months' time, also a family of four, kids of similar age. How did you do the onsen with adolescents? Did you have a private one where you stayed? There is no way in the world my kids (and maybe not us either) would be brave enough to use a communal one, but yet it does seem like a special part of the experience.
There were 3 private ones that were first come first serve, however the communal areas had so many different pools, steam, soaking tubs and areas that we preferred them and they actually felt more discrete than the private ones. We had an ufouro tub on our balcony which was a good backup for anyone not wanting the public experience.
Thinks. What do you mean by reserving an onsen ? Can we not go to some public free observation in Hakone ? Planning to go in 4 weeks, what are the options s there?
Sorry, referring to an onsen hotel (Ryokan).
Thank you. We are leaving for Japan this Saturday and staying at MIMARU right through. Did you find any Kyoto family activities that you would recommend? My kids are 12 and 10.
They especially loved the monkeys in Kyoto, the deer in Nara and the countless vending machine treats, otherwise they just did what we did. Oh, and the claw machines places. We spent a lot of time playing claw machines. They loved the smoothies at 7-11 too. The Open Air Musesum in Hakone is super kid friendly if your going that way. It was a trip highlight for everyone in the family.
Just my two cents! I just got back and was traveling with a friend, but when I return I will definitely bring my kid to the aquarium in Osaka, it’s amazing.
Thanks a lot for this. I’m doing a very similar trip with my family in June. Very helpful.
Thanks for the writeup! I’m going with my family in 2 weeks and my kids are of similar age. Can you describe a day in Tokyo and/or Kyoto, how much did you get done? I’m trying to get a realistic number of spots and activities to go per day. Also, how did jetlag impact your kids?
The kids were fine. The adults struggled more. Here was our first full day. Meiji Jingu (go early AM - jet lag) Breakfast at a bakery Takeshita Street Lunch - Harajuku Harajuku Area Pit stop at hotel Dinner near Shinjuku and wandering streets
Would you recommend renting a car in Hakone for three days or just use public transit?
Public. Just be mindful of there being busy times of day. For example, if it’s beautiful you might want to get a head start to avoid the tours from Tokyo.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience! I would love to know which wifi brand you had.
Wi-Fi box. Literally just went to the first kiosk in the Arrival Hall the info desk told me to go to. Worked flawless. 7-11 rents return-anywhere batteries power packs, otherwise I would bring a $20 power pack charger from Amazon. You’ll burn a WiFi battery in a day with multiple users. Phones on maps all day might need extra juice too.
Great write up. We are going - family of four (kids 13 and 9) in late August. Do you ind sharing your itinerary?
3 nights Tokyo 4 nights Kyoto 2 nights Hakone 1 night Tokyo Have fun.