If you’re planning a trip to Japan with a 10-year-old*, take a look at our itinerary for ideas and what we loved and wish we’d done differently. I’d traveled to Japan before (as a solo traveler in my 20s), but this was my first time visiting Japan with one of my children.
We had an amazing time visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima. Our basic itinerary was:
Day 0: Flight from Europe to Tokyo
Day 1: Tokyo
Day 2: Tokyo
Day 3: Tokyo
Day 4: Tokyo
Day 5: Train to Kyoto
Day 6: Osaka day trip
Day 7: Hiroshima day trip
Day 8 Train to Tokyo
Day 9: Tokyo
Day 10: Tokyo
Day 11: Flight from Tokyo to Europe
Our 10 days don’t count our travel days to and from Europe.
Let’s take a look at:
- What we did each day in Japan
- Regrets about our Japan itinerary
- What my son and I loved most about our trip to Japan
- Final thoughts on this itinerary and planning a trip to Japan with a 10-year-old
If you’re like me and love reading about other families’ trips while planning my own, prepare a cup of matcha and… here we go!
*My son was 9 at the time, but just about to turn 10
Looking for more on travel to Japan? Check out
9 Reasons to Visit Japan with Kids
Packing List for 10 Days in Japan with a 9-Year-Old
10 Days in Japan with a 10-Year-Old – Our Itinerary
Souvenirs from Japan – What We Brought Back
Things to Do in Tokyo with a 10-Year-Old
Where to Stay in Tokyo with Kids – Areas & Hotels
How to Get Glasses in Tokyo – In One Day
A Day at Universal Studios Japan – Our Experience
Tokyo Disneysea with Kids – Quick Tips
Staying in a Ryokan in Kyoto
10-Day Japan Itinerary with a 10-Year-Old
Here’s what we did in 10 days in Japan:
DAY 0 – FLIGHT FROM EUROPE TO TOKYO
We flew from Italy to Japan with ITA Airways. Our route: Florence FLR -> Rome FCO -> Tokyo HND.
DAY 1 – TOKYO ARRIVAL AND AKIHABARA
We arrived at Tokyo Haneda in the late morning. We only had carry-on bags, so we went straight to get cash from the ATM, purchase our SUICA cards, used the toilet, got maps at tourist info (they have welcome origami to give to kids!), and then took the metro to central Tokyo.
We got off in Akihabara, left our two carry-on roller suitcases in luggage storage, and explored the area. We had lunch at Sushiro (conveyor belt sushi) and played video games at Namco (we purchased cards to play). Then we picked up our luggage and made our way to our hotel in Ueno.
After checking in, we had a casual meal in our neighborhood.
Helpful Tip: If you decide to get sushi at Sushiro, here’s how the system works… Get a number and wait to be called. Then, scan your number at the little machine and eat at the booth it tells you to go to. If you decide to leave because the estimated wait time is long, and you miss your number, you can still scan your number and get on a waiting list (happened to us). We both loved the experience and our meal!
Hotel: Ueno
DAY 2 – FOOD TOUR & JOYPOLIS
We woke early and walked to Asakusa for our family food tour with Arigato Travel. I booked it because I wanted to make sure there would be some kid-friendly foods to try and I thought my son would enjoy the company of other kids. It ended up being just us and a couple with a baby, but our guide Motoko was fabulous and my son soaked up our time with her, learning about and tasting Tokyo’s culinary treats!
We stopped at multiple shops, food stands, and restaurants to sample everything from pickled foods to yakisoba to melon bread filled with ice cream. And Motoko sprinkled in fun stops for my son – from gachapon machines to catching little fish.
Bellies full, our next stop was Joypolis – an indoor theme park. We took the metro and walked around the waterfront before entering the building. The lines were unexpectedly short and we were able to try most of the rides and experiences. My son’s favorites were the Tower Tag (even though his partner – me – needs some practice), Half Pipe, and the Gekion Live Coaster. We closed the place up, took in the views of the Tokyo skyline lit up at night, and then made our way back to Ueno by metro.
Hotel: Ueno
DAY 3 – DISNEYSEA
I’d originally had this day as a ‘free’ day, but my son decided last minute that we shouldn’t miss the opportunity to visit the unique DisneySea. So, we made our way to the park by metro and tram, arriving by 8:00am to wait in line.
The lines were loooong, so we used the Priority Pass and we ended up buying the Premier Pass for a couple of the rides.
Our favorite rides were Tower of Terror, Indiana Jones, Raging Spirits, and Journey to the Center of the Earth.
We also loved just wandering around, checking out the sets, waving back at the most cheerful Disney employees we’ve ever encountered, and just soaking up the Disney magic.
Good To Know: The souvenirs here are fantastic. I’m a big Disney fan but besides my Disneyland sweatshirt, I don’t really have any Disney souvenirs. I felt like a little kid in a candy store at DisneySea! The stationery, pens and pencils, stickers, and clothing… my son had to drag me out of the shops (but not before we loaded up on adorable pens and pencils).
We took the tram and metro back to central Tokyo and spent our evening browsing the crowded aisles of Don Quijote and trying Japanese specialties at McDonald’s.
Another great day!
Hotel: Ueno
DAY 4 – BORDERLESS, HARAJUKU, PIGGIES, ELECTRONICS, & SOBA
This was a busy, memorable, and incredible day for us in Tokyo!
We started the day by taking the metro to TeamLab Borderless. This digital art experience is really hyped up, and it deserves all of the hype!
We spent about 2 hours exploring the expansive indoor space. There’s art all around you, and the art moves from room to room, so you can return to a room and it may look different. Our favorite area was the aquarium where you can draw your own fish and set it free in the water!
After Borderless, we took the metro to Omote-Sando (near Harajuku) for a generous serving of Happy Pancakes – delicious and filling (but slightly egg-y).
Good To Know: We were able to walk in at A Happy Pancake, but it’s recommended to reserve. I didn’t reserve because I wasn’t sure how long we’d spend at Borderless. Our order took about 20 minutes.
Then, we walked to Harajuku to check out some of the trendy shops. I’d planned on getting street sneakers for my 10-year-old and 6-year-old, but I wasn’t able to find much selection of sneakers in kids sizes. Bummer.
Next, we walked to Takeshita Street, which I’d remembered much differently from my visit in my 20s. I was a little disappointed, but my son really enjoyed looking at the shops, the funky food (rainbow cotton candy), and getting gachapon upstairs at Alta (I highly recommend this quiet, spacious spot for gachapon).
Here, we also made our afternoon appointment for MiPig Café. MiPig is a café with mini pigs that come and sit on your lap (on the floor) and wander around the café.
Helpful Tip: If your kids want to visit an animal café, do your research and choose the best option for your family. The staff at MiPig looked really happy to be there and the pigs seemed loved and well-taken care of.
Next, we made our first visit to Yodobashi Akiba, the famous multi-story electronics store. My son wanted to check out the Nintendo Switch offerings in Tokyo (games and accessories).
Finally, we closed our big day by walking to and slurping soba at Sugiei.
Hotel: Ueno
DAY 5 – TRAIN TO KYOTO & BIKE TOUR
After breakfast, we took our first bullet train (shinkansen) of the trip, which took a little over two hours.
We left our carry-on bags (and our newly acquired clear plastic Japanese umbrella) in the luggage storage lockers in the Kyoto station and my son had lunch before we made our way to our meeting point for our Kyoto bike tour.
We spent about 3.5 hours cycling around Kyoto and made stops at temples and shrines, the Arashiyama bamboo forest, art installations, and the Arashiyama Monkey Park. It was such a fun way to see Kyoto, the city’s highlights and some of the residential areas we never would’ve made it to on our own. We also learned so much about Kyoto!
We wrapped up our day with ramen and pickled veggies (yum!) and slept soundly in our ryokan.
Hotel: Kyoto
DAY 6 – DAY TRIP TO OSAKA AND UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN
We day-tripped to Osaka for yet another highlight of our trip – Universal Studios Japan.
We had timed tickets to Super Nintendo World, and we went on all of the rides. Our favorite was Mario Kart.
Then we explored the rest of USJ and had a blast! My son’s favorite rides: Jaws, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, the Flying Dinosaur, and Hollywood Dream.
We walked around saw other areas like Snoopyland and Minion Park (do the Minions ride!).
Good To Know: Our USJ Express Pass included Super Nintendo World, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and other rides (like the Flying Dinosaur).
We made our way back to Kyoto in the early evening.
Hotel: Kyoto
DAY 7 – DAY TRIP TO HIROSHIMA
We took a late morning train to Hiroshima and decided to walk from the train station to the Hiroshima Peace Park.
On the way, we stopped for an okonomiyaki lunch at the tiny Okonomiyaki Teppan-yaki Momiji-Tei. Fortunately, we arrived when no one else was waiting – when we left, there was a line down the stairs waiting to get a seat.
Seeing Hiroshima was a special request from my son, and although we’d read about Hiroshima and talked about what happened, nothing really prepares you for the images, artifacts, and displays inside the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. We spent about 1.5 hours in the museum, including the area at the end that focuses on nuclear weapons.
Helpful Tip: Pay the minimal fee to reserve your entrance to the museum. You get to skip the long line of people waiting to buy tickets.
After, we walked through the Peace Memorial Park and spent time looking at the A Dome Building and the display of paper cranes. Then, we sat on a bench, talked about what we’d seen, and read on our Kindles.
Finally, we took the metro back to the train station and took the shinkansen back to Kyoto (2.5 hours), where we got cup-o-noodles to eat in our room (while we looked through Pokémon cards).
Hotel: Kyoto
DAY 8 – KYOTO, THEN TRAIN TO TOKYO
We spent the morning walking around Kyoto.
Before sightseeing, we stopped at a hair salon and my son got his hair cut. Success.
Next we walked to Gion, where we wandered the small lanes, watched candy being made, and spent time at the river looking at the fish in the crystal-clear water.
Side Note: Isn’t it funny how random moments become some of your favorite vacation memories? Looking at the fish together was one of those moments for me.
We walked through the Nishiki Market and sampled foods (and bought a few) before walking back to our ryokan to pick up our bags.
We walked to the Kyoto station via the underground walkway and bought sushi for our shinkansen back to Tokyo.
A quick metro ride brought us to our new hotel in Shinjuku. We spent the evening playing at the video arcades, walking around and looking at the lights (and the cat billboard), and relaxing in our hotel room.
Hotel: Shinjuku
DAY 9 – TOKYO EXPLORATION
This morning, we headed to a neighborhood mamma really wanted to visit – Kappabashi Street, the kitchen and restaurant supply area. My son was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed looking at all of the restaurant display food. We bought a couple of knives and then spent the rest of our day visiting:
- The Shibuya Scramble
- Guzman y Gomez (for Mexican food)
- Jordan, World of Flight (sneaker shopping)
- Nintendo Store
- Pokemon Store
- Tokyu Hands
We had an early evening and watched the lights from our hotel room and made sad faces that we only had one more full day in Japan.
Hotel: Shinjuku
DAY 10 – TOKYO ARCADES & SOUVENIRS
Today was our ‘chill’ day in Tokyo to buy souvenirs and do anything else we felt like doing (like play at video arcades).
We walked a lot and made our way back to Yodobashi Akiba and other electronics shops, video arcades, Don Quijote, and I even bought eyeglasses (you can do it in one day here!). We ate our favorite treats from the konbini (convenience stores) and strolled through Shinjuku at night when the area was lit up.
It was a lovely final day in Tokyo!
Hotel: Shinjuku
DAY 11 – FLIGHT FROM TOKYO TO EUROPE
To get to Haneda Airport, we took the Tokyo Airport Limousine Bus from the Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal (about a 5-minute walk from our hotel). It’s an inexpensive and comfortable way to get to the airport from central Tokyo.
Our flight ended up being delayed by over 9 hours, and our airline put us up in the airport hotel (Hotel Villa Fontaine).
We did have the option to head back to Tokyo, but it was raining and as amazing as Tokyo is, we were tired and decided to just relax at the airport hotel.
We had lunch at the hotel buffet (so plentiful and delicious, a hidden gem at Haneda), browsed the shops at the airport, bought our last treats at the airport’s Lawson, and relaxed in our room before heading back to the airport to check in for our flight.
And just like that, sayonara Japan!
Regrets About Our Japan Trip
- Buying our Hiroshima train tickets last-minute. The early morning trains were sold out by the time we tried to buy them (the day before we wanted to go), so our day trip from Kyoto to Hiroshima was a little shorter than we wanted it to be.
- Not using the onsen. We had access to a couple of them during our trip, but we never found the time to use them. Another reason to come back!
- Not taking time for a Japanese art. I wish we’d taken a calligraphy or origami lesson in Japan.
What I (Mamma) Loved the Most About This Trip
- Starting and finishing our trip in Tokyo. I’m usually a fan of open-jaw flights in order to reduce backtracking and save time and money on transport. However, on my last trip to Japan, I remember thinking how great it is to start in Tokyo (so exciting!) and finish in Tokyo (the best for souvenir shopping). So, we planned our trip to start/end in Tokyo and I’d do it again next time.
- Seeing my 10-year-old travel confidently in Japan. I left some of the planning and navigating up to him, and he thrived. Japan’s not an easy place to travel (language, crowds, different culture), and it was a learning experience for both of us. He took the reins plenty of times and I loved watching it.
- Having free time in our hotel room before and after dinner to chat and hang out. Having three sons, sometimes it’s tough to get one-on-one time and I loved having this time to connect and talk about our trip and everything else that’s important to a 10-year-old.
- Trying new foods. I’m in my 40s, so I’ve tried a lot of foods at this point, but our time in Japan was full of new flavors and textures. It was fun to try them alongside my son. I was even reminded what it’s like to try a food and really not like it (like need-to-spit-it-out-not-like-it), which I probably hadn’t felt since I was a kid!
- Our Bike Tour in Kyoto. As a former cycling guide, seeing a destination by bicycle is still one of my favorite things to do. And, watching my son soak up Kyoto by bike was so fulfilling. Our local guide (Ray) was engaging and brought the area to life for us.
My 10-Year-Old’s Favorite Parts of the Trip
When I asked my son what his favorite parts of the trip were, he replied:
- Riding the Flying Dinosaur at USJ
- Visiting the Hiroshima Museum
- Going to the mini pig café
- Trying new foods and eating conveyor belt sushi
- Playing at the video arcades
- Shopping at the konbini
Final Notes About 10 Days in Japan with a 10-Year-Old
Golden Week – The last couple of days of our trip overlapped with the beginning of the huge cluster of holidays in Japan – Golden Week. As a precaution, I
Length of Trip – Japan is intense! 10 days was plenty of time for us to explore. We’d love to come back, but we were happy with this amount of time and ready to head home.
Getting My Son Involved in the Planning – This was a big one because I thought I knew what he’d want to do in Japan, but some of my assumptions were incorrect. For example, I thought he’d be thrilled to ride on the Mario Karts in Tokyo, but he didn’t want to if he couldn’t drive (he’s too young). I also thought he’d really want to go to the Pokémon Café, but when I explained the reservation system, he told me he wasn’t that interested and would be happy just going to the Pokémon store.
Leaving Free Time in the Itinerary – My son couldn’t get enough of the arcades, so I’m glad we had free time in Tokyo so we could explore more of them than I’d originally planned on. I do wish we’d had a little more free time built in for ‘chill time’ at a park in Tokyo.
Making Reservations for Sites – So many things in Japan need to be reserved, and there are so many requests that you often have to be online the second the tickets open up. So, this meant I sometimes set my alarm for 1:00am in hopes of clicking perfectly to get the reservation we wanted. Everything worked out well for us and we were able to get our tickets for USJ (& Super Mario World) and TeamLab Borderless. I wasn’t able to get reservations for the Ninja Restaurant (this one), but now we have a reason to go back! Other sites and experiences you should reserve in advance: sporting events like baseball or soccer, Ghibli Museum, and viewpoints like the Shibuya Sky.
Making Reservations for Trains – After researching, I decided not to buy a rail pass or reserve our train tickets in advance. I’m glad we waited, as the train stations are huge, and it was nice to not have a time to make. There are so many trains coming and going (shinkansen included) that there was never a long wait. Even though the end of our trip was during Golden Week, we only had one train (morning trip from Kyoto to Hiroshima) that we had to wait for (we left a couple of hours after we wanted to).
Lots of Walking – I was happy we both had comfortable shoes for all of the walking we did. My son never complained, and I think a big part of that were his Adidas sneakers that fit well and were cushioned. We were definitely tired at the end of the day, but we didn’t get blisters or have any foot pain.
Trying New Foods – My son loves sushi and ramen and is pretty adventurous about trying new foods. Still, we tried Japanese McDonalds and sampled treats from konbini. I tried to balance new with familiar.
I hope my son always remembers this amazing trip to Japan – I know I sure will!
