japan with a toddler
 

Wife toddler and I have a trip set for japan next year.

We're trying to cram tokyo osaka, and kyoto in 13 days. but the thought of carrying around toddler with all over our luggage (checked bag size) seems so daunting that it almost makes me get cold feet

Are there any tips or tricks from parents who went with a toddler they can share? or just travel tips in general

we've taken her on trips before but its either quick weekend getaways or a resort where we leave all our luggage in one spot

There are services, most notably Yamato, who will transfer luggage from the airport to your hotel, and from hotel to hotel so you can travel hands free; this is pretty common in Japan: https://www.global-yamato.com/en/han...l/scene02.html

Hi

we used this service in 2019 from hilton tokyo Bay to conrad osaka. We handed our cases in during the morning and they were delivered to the conrad and the conrad staff put them in our room for our arrival next day.
so all we had to carry on the shinkansen was a carry on and a backpack.
Price was very reasonable
Regards

Tbs

You may be able to avoid the upheaval of changing hotels in Osaka/ Kyoto. The city centers are 30 minutes apart by train. Depending on your plans it may make sense to base yourself in one hotel for both cities.

OTOH, if you want to return to your hotel room for a nap in the afternoon ... the upheaval might be worth it.

Been many times with child from 18 months.

Go.

Always forward luggage to next hotels. It is dead easy. Hotels will help.

Never ever ride local trains or subways during rush hour. Wait. Or walk or take express. For example. With rail pass, take thunderbird between osaka and kyoto. Never expect anyone to care if you use a stroller. They won't. They don't care. If train full, wait for next one.

Who cares if you need to feed your child in Public in a place someone might not normally eat or where you might get the stink eye. Frankly, I worried too much what Japanese might think of me and with the pandemic they showed they don't really regard foreigners well anyway so I'd not sweat making sure you behave like a local.

Pack enough diapers for a few days only if required. They are easy to find everywhere. Make sure to bring any potential meds with you. Don't assume it will be easy to find the same. We had a child predisposed to certain infections and brought a broad spectrum antibiotic in powder unmixed from our Dr.

Headphones for any iPad or phone if they want videos etc.

If you go to any fancier restaurants go earlier when they open. Avoid places that allow smoking since they are not really segregated.

Sorry. Pack light. We pack carry on only for 2 for 2 weeks. Make use of laundry facilities in hotels. General travel tip, learn to pack light. Very light.

Throw in a empty duffle back to check on way home to free up space for stuff you buy and dirty cloths.

Went with my 2.5 year old daughter some years ago, had a great time. Lots of love from strangers, everyone thought she was adorable (she was).

As always pack as light as you possibly can, even with a little one it's possible. We had the advantage of her being mostly potty trained so few diapers required, but we did need a crib as we were staying at what would now be called an AirBnB. I found the smallest, lightest travel crib on the market and we didn't check a single bag. Remember that Japan has all the stuff you could need in a pinch, so don't pack every last "just in case" item you can think of. Have fun!


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...00de3b0172.jpg
Our daughter inviting herself to hang out with strangers. What's a language barrier when you can hardly talk?

We took our then 1 year old and 7 year old to Tokyo, Naoshima Island, Hiroshima, Kyoto (with day trips to Osaka and Nara), Kanazawa, and then back to Tokyo Disneyland about 5 years ago. We strategically used the luggage forwarding services 3 times (Tokyo-Hiroshima; Hiroshima-Kyoto; Kyoto-Disneyland) so that we took all the stuff we needed for the overall trip, but could then repack down into carry-ons for the train rides in between (we used a Japan rail pass to get around except Naoshima to Hiroshima where we hired a van and they brought a car seat). Our larger bags skipped over our next stop twice.

My carry-on is a Briggs and Riley Baseline, so I did purchase a B&R weekender duffle specifically for that trip to maximize my volume of carry on/one handed pulling capacity - I.e. that duffle is designed to fit perfectly on top with the pass through strap and can hold a bunch of stuff - which I needed mainly for the food pouches we took and various just in case items. Then I had a backpack for our gadgets (4x iPads, 4x headphones, my work computer, etc). My wife had a backpack diaper bag and her carry on (diaper bag clipped to stroller when not folded up) Older son managed his carry-on which had both kids’ clothes. Then we had the city mini stroller.

We did also take a set of grandparents - so that was an extra pair of hands - helpful at times but also brought its own logistical challenges. Perhaps that is a suggestion- though YMMV!

It is all very manageable. We were even mobile enough that we got off the train at Himeji Castle - stored our bags - and spent most of a day there on the transit day between Hiroshima and Kyoto (though walking up the castle with said 1 year old maybe less advised). You will have a great time in Japan.

As a father of 6 I would definitely suggest you GO -- teach them early to travel and you'll never regret it!

1. As others have pointed out make use of the luggage delivery service -- its (relatively) cheap and I wish every country had it!
2. If this is your first long trip with the child I would recommend you try a shorter domestic trip to see how your child travels -- most of my kids did ok but two had issues that were worth planning in advance for...
3. Dramamine is your friend -- especially in allergy season in Japan...
4. Don't be the foreign parent that doesn't care what your kid does -- be the parent that tries hard -- trust me the Japanese notice.
5. Stay in the larger international hotel chains -- smaller, local business type hotels are not going to have much for young kids on property
6. Plan for the humidity (unless it is late fall). Young kids can have a really hard time with how different it is in Japan (depending on where you live now) -- so just be aware....
7. Finally -- don't worry too much about offending the locals -- but don't be "that" foreigner -- they appreciate your effort to try and be respectful -- it really goes a long way!

Bottom line -- try not to stress too much and enjoy the trip -- I've always found that my kids could ALWAYS sense when we were stressed as parents -- so take it easy and go with the flow -- there will be good days and bad days -- just take it in stride -- plan more time to do basic things than you think is needed -- and be happy when you arrive early!

We took our kid to at least 30 countries before age 3. Japan was always the highlight (as was, surprising to us, Thailand).

Added Tokyo bonus: the city’s unrelenting commitment to universal access makes traveling with a stroller a total joy.

Local neighborhood playgrounds in Japan = awesome new toddler friends and cultural exchange.

our experience was less than glowing and Japan is far from an accessible place traveling with a disabled child.

(Added, It has improved and in fairness I've heard the Olympics improved things and accessible travel is piss poor in many places. )

Understood and I certainly can empathize that everyone’s baseline of accessible is different.

So let me clarify: compared to NYC’s mean streets, we found pushing a stroller around Tokyo to be a great and easy experience.

yes. I agree there. Same with Toronto.

Remember that the luggage delivery services take time. Usually you must hand over the bags the day before you're traveling to a different city.

and over long distance an added one as I recall.

We've taken our daughter to Japan several times ranging from 6 months to 15 years old! You've already gotten some great advice, the other thing I would add is to allow for extra time when taking trains and connecting. You'll want to use elevators and those are sometimes not as close or even let out in a completely different area from the stairs or escalators.