Two Months in Japan with a Toddler

Two months in Japan. A dream, obviously. Two months in Japan with a toddler? This could be a nightmare. For us, it was one more step in a life we’re trying to build for our family, one made of experiences.

My husband Alan and I believe immersive trips will introduce our daughter Lake to ways of life beyond our day-to-day life in Toronto. When she was seven months old, we did a six-week road trip through Italy; at eighteen months, a month in Oahu; and smaller trips in between to New York, California and Florida. At the age of three she moves through airports like a commuter.

A little friction is good for everyone, and travel provides plenty of it: unfamiliar food, broken routines, languages she can’t understand yet. So far, travel has given her patience, resilience, an ease with strangers, and a serious appreciation for international snacks. She’s learned that the world is full of people unlike her, who are glad to see her anyway. That seems like the right first lesson.

Before we decided to spend two months in Japan as a family, I’d been to Tokyo twice, and Alan had spent real time in the country, including many trips through the main cities and a stint as a backcountry ski guide in the Japanese Alps and Hokkaido. We knew the culture, or thought we did. Traveling with a child changes the shape of a trip, but not the essentials of Japan: ritual, respect, kindness, extraordinary food. Tokyo is one of the most livable cities in the world, and I trusted we’d navigate it, and hopefully the rest of the country, with ease.

We started and ended in Tokyo. Over eight weeks we crossed the country by plane, train and automobile, arriving in Tokyo snow, skiing in Hokkaido, watching the seasons turn in Toyama, and finishing under cherry blossoms in Osaka and Kyoto. We had a lot to carry and a lot to coordinate. It went, mostly, without a hitch.

The highlight for everyone was our month in Toyama, where Lake attended a local Japanese preschool through the Japanese Preschool Exchange, a fully immersive month that shaped the whole trip.

Japan’s culture of service made car rentals, train bookings and intercity flights almost effortless. The Japanese call it omotenashi, a practice of anticipating needs before they’re spoken as a form of respect. Things work the way they’re supposed to, and every process is made as easy as it can be. We shipped and stored luggage along the way so we weren’t dragging ski gear across the country.

The same attention reached Lake. What surprised me most was how welcome she was, everywhere, without exception. Restaurants set her place with child-sized bowls and cutlery, usually printed with cartoon characters, before we could ask. A stranger on the street gave her stickers. A country famous for formality turned out to have endless patience for a two-and-a-half-year-old.

TOKYO

We flew directly from Toronto to Tokyo. Lake’s done overnight flights and we have a good routine: we differentiate between “sleeping airplanes” and “playing airplanes” to manage expectations. For a sleeping flight, she changes into pajamas at the airport, gets really cozy once we’re in our seats and we keep things low-key: no toys, just her screen-free Yoto player or something slow-paced to watch until she’s out. A “playing airplane” or short-haul flight is where we take out the toys and colouring and screen limits go out the window. 

We landed at Haneda Airport in the evening and shipped our ski gear straight from the airport to our accommodation in Niseko, through Yamato Transport aka Black Cat, the country’s largest courier. One wrinkle: our ski bag was over the weight limit and had to be repacked on the spot. If you’re shipping gear, weigh it before you leave home; I bought a small luggage scale on this trip and I’ve used it on every one since.

When traveling, we usually stay in Airbnbs or apartments. I like a slow morning, making coffee and breakfast at home before going out for the day, and having room for the adults to sit up after bedtime matters more than people admit. But we started this trip at the Hoshinoya Resort and it turned out to be exactly right for our family.

Hoshinoya is a Japanese chain with hotels across the country. The Tokyo location is styled like traditional ryokan: tatami floors, yukata pyjamas and robes in every room, and an onsen, which in Tokyo was on the hotel rooftop. The real win was that each floor has only six rooms, plus an ochanoma, a small lounge with coffee, tea and snacks, somewhere to land besides the room while we all worked through jet lag. The open-air onsen was a genuine relief after long days of sightseeing and toddler-wrangling, plus the hotel sits near the Imperial Palace and above several metro lines, which made the rest of the city easy to reach.

One of our Tokyo rituals is spending the first morning at Yoyogi Park, Tokyo’s answer to Central Park. Sharing it with Lake this time made it better, not just familiar. We got up early, took the subway to the park, got coffee and croissants at Fuglen, a Norwegian import with mid-century furniture and excellent baked goods (my people), then walked into the park and let Lake wander. We worked our way to the famous Meiji Shrine, from which you can continue to Shibuya or Harajuku. As it was very early, we opted to cruise around Harajuku looking at all of the stores. I tried to convince Lake that a visit to the mipig cafe to snuggle with baby pigs was a great idea, but she wasn’t interested. Will I try again next time? Absolutely!

Our Tokyo days balanced adult wandering with toddler entertainment: a morning in the Imperial Palace gardens, singing Frozen and Bob Marley at family karaoke at Rainbow Karaoke in Shibuya, a rainy afternoon bowling at mid-century marvel Sasazuka Bowl, a wander through the old Tsukiji Market, and a walk through the Nakameguro neighborhood drinking coffee and popping into stores like my favorite clothing store Coverchord, featuring brands like Auralee. We ended our Nakameguro day at Daikanyama T-Site. This epic multi-level book and magazine store has a children’s section perfect for a couple of stories and a special souvenir. For the grown ups, we checked out vintage stores, snagging some special pieces at Brooklyn-based Front General Store’s Tokyo outpost Front 11201. We browsed record stores and drank many, many coffees. Even with jet lag, it was a great week. 

We love to get to know places through food, and Lake’s happy to try most things. A quick onigiri rice ball or fresh fruit from 7-Eleven or Lawson covered our snack needs, but we sat down properly once a day. Our family-friendly favorites were margarita pizzas as good as you can find in Naples at Savoy Pizza, Curry Bondy for rich traditional Japanese curry which Lake claimed was “the best in the whole wide world,” tendon bowls of crispy shrimp and rice at Tempura Mikaku, and conveyor-belt sushi at Sanchoku Gourmet Kaitenzushi Kantaro in Tokyo Station. 

NISEKO

From Tokyo we flew to the northern island of Hokkaido, driving out of the main city, Sapporo, two hours to the ski town of Niseko. This leg of our journey was organized with the tour company, H2. They booked transport to and from the airport, our apartment, ski lessons for Lake, and a mountain guide for us, and helped with anything we needed while we were there, including booking a once-in-a-lifetime day of cat skiing.

Niseko draws crowds from Europe and North America chasing #japow. It’s really several villages in one; we based ourselves in Hirafu, the largest, with the most restaurants and amenities, and used our ski passes to roam to the nearby towns Annupuri and Hanazono.

Our apartment was spacious and perfectly set up for our family. Two bedrooms, a kitchen with everything we needed to cook at home and laundry. It was right in the middle of Hirafu, close to a bus stop where we could catch a free shuttle to the ski lift every day. Hirafu also has a diverse food truck scene and there was a little group of them right up the street. 

Early ski mornings meant we cooked in or ate at the food trucks most nights. But lunch on the hill in Japan is a unique experience with not a drab pizza slice or soggy poutine in sight. I still think about the tomato crab ramen at Ace Hill Cafe, at the top of the Hirafu Gondola. The real culinary highlight was skiing to Rakuichi Soba in Annupuri, where we watched the owner and chef hand-make soba noodles while we indulged in a ten-course meal perfectly paired with local sakes. It’s the best meal I’ve had in ski boots, and I don’t say that lightly. For apres-ski, we liked the craft cocktails at Bar Gyu, worth the line at the tiny fridge door, though we learned to show up before opening, and the live music at Bar Mina Mina. 

TOYAMA

After two busy weeks of travel, we were all ready for some routine. We flew directly from Sapporo to Toyama, picked up our rental car, and arrived at our home for the next month.

This month of school for Lake, and immersion for us, was the crux of the trip. We found the Japanese Preschool Exchange online, and gave them a sense of our family and what we wanted. Our goal for this part of the trip was to be in a small or mid-sized city with culture and things for the adults to do while Lake was at school, ideally close to skiing. Toyama has a population of 400,000, sits at the base of the Japanese Alps, and is 2.5 hours to Tokyo by Shinkansen; it also sits on the Sea of Japan and is known for its fresh seafood. Plus it is home to the Montessori-style Kamidaki Nursery, which was a perfect fit for Lake. 

When we arrived, I discovered the city wasn’t beautiful. Toyama is historically an industrial town; it was bombed in World War II and subsequently rebuilt. It reads suburban from the car with multi-lane roads, chain shops and restaurants. But there were more gems, and more culture, than I expected.

Once you book, the Japanese Preschool Exchange handles accommodation, provides access to a coworking space and a spot in school, for anywhere from one week to two months. Pricing depends on length of stay, region and season; for example, cherry blossom season is peak and costs more. We found the pricing to be fair given it covered accommodation, coworking access, and full-day school for four weeks. Anything outside that, including transportation, is extra.

Our apartment was a 15-minute drive from the school and 20 minutes from downtown, with restaurants, shops, grocery stores and several conbini within walking distance. We took the largest unit available, since Alan works remotely and Japanese apartments are famously small. We needed a car for this location, which gave us lots of flexibility. Weekends were ours, and we used them for day trips and a weekend away in nearby Kanazawa. We had hoped to ski while we were there, but a warm and wet winter meant there wasn’t great snow. 

We chose a Japanese school over the American or international options to give Lake an authentic experience. No one at the school spoke English, which worried me going in. We had a video call with the administrators a few weeks before we left, facilitated by a translator from the Japanese Preschool exchange. They told us the school hosts a lot of foreign families, so they are used to kids with different languages and are all learning English as fast as possible! 

Lake’s time at Kamidaki Nursery was so special. We started with a half day to ease her in; by day two, she wanted to be there full time. Lake fit in seamlessly. The teachers sent daily updates and photos over the communication app Line, which auto-translates both directions, and we used Google Translate to help with our basic Japanese at pickup and drop-off. I never once felt out of touch or like I didn’t know what was happening for Lake at school.

She was surrounded by caring teachers, welcoming kids, and had unique experiences like a field trip to a local shrine. She still brings up her Japanese school, unprompted, months later.  

While Lake was at school, Alan and I split our time between the coworking space, coffee shops like Sixth or Third Coffee Stand, or a table at the Toyama Glass Museum. The museum, built in 2015 by Kengo Kuma, is the showpiece of Toyama. It is also home to the public library, which has an English-language kids’ book section, and was an unlikely but wonderful place to get work done. It was centrally located in town so we could have a delicious lunch and wander after doing our work and before school pickup. D&DEPARTMENT TOYAMA became a regular stop too: large tables for working, delicious lunch, and a selection of locally made goods. We bought most of our souvenirs here, yuzu hand cream, boots made from rubber sourced in the area, and local tea and soy sauce among them.

Toyama is full of good restaurants. The fresh fish rivalled some of the finer omakase I’ve had, at a fraction of the price. We found local chains like Yakitori no Meimon Akiyoshi, where Lake discovered tsukune chicken meatballs and salty cucumber on a stick (go early and expect a line), and conveyor belt sushi Banya no Sushi, where she ate her first cooked shrimp nigiri. Our favourite adult lunch spots were a soba noodle shop lined with hand-painted pottery and a small casual restaurant filled with office workers, where we enjoyed perfect set menus of fried chicken or grilled fish with soup, pickles and rice. Minozushi is a perfect place for an affordably indulgent omakase lunch. You choose from several set menu options including one highlighting local fish. We went back several times including our last lunch in Toyama. 

Weekends took us to the Toyama Prefectural Museum of Art and Design, which had engaging activations and free Onomatopoeia rooftop play area, designed by Taku Satoh, Toyama Castle and its grounds, and the historic village of Iwase. Iwase sits right on the water, so you can hit the local beach, have lunch at Kobo Brew Pub, housed in an old storehouse, or taste local sake at Saseki Sake Bar.

Alan and I went back multiple times to Greero, a record and vintage store. It was full of treasures and they were able to help us source a record from a Japanese artist we’d discovered on the trip. 

One weekend, the whole family took a daytrip up the Noto Peninsula, known for wild landscapes and good food. Though badly hit by the 2024 earthquake, it was a breathtaking drive. We took the Chirihama Nagisa Driveway, a 5-mile sand road that left Lake speechless, had lunch at the Nanao market, then a soak at Wakura Onsen. The historic onsen, with its indoor and outdoor pools, was beautiful and adults only, so we took turns, one in the water and one entertaining Lake.

One of Lake’s favourite weekend activities, unexpectedly, was grocery shopping. She loved looking at the different items, and we’d let her pick one or two treats to try at home. Give her a say in what’s new, and she’ll try almost anything!

OSAKA

Our month in Toyama flew by. By the time we’d settled in and found our favorite things, it was time to leave. Spring was coming, so we packed up our winter gear and shipped the souvenirs via Black Cat to Haneda Airport to meet us for the flight home.

From Toyama, we took the train to Osaka. We’d booked an Airbnb in the city based on how child-friendly it was, and it didn’t disappoint. Azusa’s home was filled with thoughtful touches including everything we needed for Lake. Azusa checked in on us through the stay and sent a map of local suggestions. The neighborhood sat right by several subway stations, surrounded by restaurants and shops we worked our way through over our three days there.

Being in a big city after a quiet month in Toyama took some adjusting, but we all had a great time. Osaka feels different from Tokyo in the way Chicago feels different from New York. We loved wandering the canal district Dotonbori. We marvelled at the skyscrapers, huge robotic signs on the buildings and lined up for local favourites like takoyaki. The trick was going early; by 11am, we could barely push Lake’s stroller through the crowds. That’s when we ducked into an arcade so she could finally try the claw games she’d been eyeing. We walked out with a Hello Kitty stuffy that is still a favourite. 

One memorable morning was at Osaka Castle, walking the grounds and catching some early cherry blossoms, and admiring the restored castle. At the main entrance there is a small Lawson conbini where we got Lake some bubbles. This kept her entertained the whole time!

Lake’s Osaka highlight was Kids Plaza Osaka, a children’s science museum built around learning through play. It feels less like a museum and more like an imaginative civic playground. The centrepiece is a two-story playhouse with slides between floors designed by Hundertwasser in 1996. This is surrounded by a pretend post office, a food market, and more. Tickets give you full-day access, so we started there right when it opened, left for lunch, and went back before dinner.

The Osaka Aquarium was less of a hit. It was one of my “must visits”: a world-class aquarium whose spiral design winds around a central tank of whale sharks. I had been looking forward to it for weeks. Lake had not. It was busy and dark, and somewhere between the rays and the jellyfish she started asking “where is the exit,” before landing the final blow: “why did we come here.” Both hilarious and tragic, and a classic parenting moment: hype an experience for weeks, then watch your child find it overwhelming. By the end she’d come around, mostly for the seals. I’d go back tomorrow.

The best meal we ate in Osaka was okonomiyaki, a local specialty, at Chigusa in our neighborhood. We were the only tourists in the room, which is my favourite kind of travel meal. Our closest coffee shop was a local roaster, Sanwa Coffee, which also made a very good matcha.

KYOTO

Our final stop was Kyoto, and we’d timed it, deliberately, for cherry blossoms: which put us in one of Japan’s most visited cities at peak season. Knowing the city would be busy, we opted for a lovely and spacious Airbnb near Nijo Castle, a 20-30 minute walk from the heart of the city. 

We spent most of our time just looking at the blossoms. No matter how many times you’ve seen them, the delicate pink flowers still catch you off guard. The beautiful trees line the famed Philosopher’s Path and the Takase River, and turn up all over the city in unexpected places. We found one especially large tree at the playground in Chikkan Park, around the corner from one of Kyoto’s most popular coffee shops, Kurasu. The morning we spent there, drinking coffee while Lake played with the local kids, is one of my clearest memories of Kyoto. Nijo Castle and its gardens, which date to the early 1600s, were steps from our Airbnb, so we went back for its spectacular blossoms several times.

Kyoto has struggled with overtourism in recent years, and we felt it. Expect selfie sticks and tripods at the famous spots, like the Arashiyama bamboo forest and the Fushimi Inari hike. We got to every site as early as possible to try to beat the crowds. We usually spent mornings sightseeing and afternoons found a playground or did hanami, the practice of picnicking under the blooming cherry blossom trees. Our best hanami experience was in the Kyoto Gyoen National Park. This enormous park is also the site of the Kyoto Imperial Palace and has endless pockets to explore.

On a rainy day, we made a trip to the Kyoto Railway museum. This was a great way to spend a rainy morning. It is full of decommissioned rail cars that you can go inside, including a high speed Shinkansen, and has a children’s play area upstairs. Highly recommend if your little ones are into trains at all.

My Kyoto favorites: a glass of wine from a vending machine at Sumi Wine Coffee, pastries from Slo, ramen and tofu at Men-ya Inoichi, and poking around Sou Sou, a local fabric shop with prints for every taste. I also loved our visit to the Robert Yellin Yakimono Gallery. Robert Yellin has lived in Kyoto since 1984 and is one of the foremost experts on Japanese pottery working today. Listening to him talk about his artist friends and the pieces in his gallery was one of those small, unrepeatable travel moments.

TOKYO AGAIN

From Kyoto we went back to Tokyo for a few days, where we stayed in an Airbnb in a less touristy part of Shibuya. At this point we were experts and the city felt familiar. Lake had become obsessed with Hello Kitty during our trip and we surprised her with a day at Sanrio Puroland, the amusement park dedicated to Hello Kitty and all her friends. She was thrilled. While not exactly an ideal way for Alan and me to spend a day, watching Lake explore this amusement park and meet Hello Kitty herself was heart-warming. 

Logistically, we purchased admission tickets in advance, and took the subway there to arrive before opening. Your ticket gives you access to all the attractions and shows, including the two rides, but you can purchase what they call a “Puropass” to skip the line from a cash-only vending machine at each attraction. With a small child who has limited patience, this made our life much easier. The Sanrio character boat ride was a highlight of the day!

As our time in Japan wound down, we let the days go unplanned—a favorite meal here, a coffee there, mostly just walking, soaking in a city we’d come to love. The trip introduced our family to new music, new food, new ways of noticing things. We hope to bring Lake back one day and show her everywhere we went when she was small. She may not remember it. But your first lessons don’t work that way. They stay, whether you remember learning them or not.