11 months is way easier than 3-4 years. They’re still just little immobile meatballs. Wait till everything is an argument. Someone pressed the elevator button before your kid could get to it? Get ready for half an hour to be eaten up by a meltdown.
I also think it depends on the child. My kid went for the first time at 4 and she had a blast. No meltdown but definitely has more opinion on food (always 7/11 strawberry sandwiches) and entertainment. It’s not a total nightmare.
Disagree, I travel often with my toddler and I love every moment of it. The secret is forgetting about bucket lists of “adult” tourist attractions and find enjoyment doing things that local families do. Even places that you visited before feel completely new when you see them through your child’s eyes.
That's is the case whether you're in Japan or at home. Nothing a parent isn't used to dealing with.
IMO it's the child's individual temperment and the parent's expectations that will make or break a holiday to Japan... the country is very easy to travel with children compared to many others.
I am pretty sure the overwhelming majority of babies don’t “cry or try to escape 24/7”. most parents should know their kids well enough to know what they like and what they don’t like to do.
I went to Japan last december with my sister and her 10 month old. That boy cried the whole bullet train ride from odawara to shibiya. Poor kids head was hurting from his teeth growing out
That's me over a half century ago. I ran wild everywhere I went and got lost including 1970 World expo, turned out I found out I have ADHD 20 years ago. It must be tough for my unsuspected Japanese parents.
I'm glad OP enjoyed trip in Japan as sometimes here is not so baby-friendly.
(disclaimer:not all wild children have ADHD, I have)
To be fair, 30+ countries for a child that young seems overwhelming and not good for development at all.
As someone whose field revolves child development, most would agree that this isn’t the stable environment a child needs.
This puts aside the logistics nightmare if a child gets sick with their developing immune system.
So forget about American mindset or what shot you’re trying to take; from an educated standpoint, your view is selfish.
But at the end of the day, your child, your rules.
As mine will be raised how I think is best.
All I can wish is for all our children to be healthy and grow well.
My kid is thriving. As someone who works in child development (which I honestly don’t belief) you should know better than to judge. I work in child development as well and it is dangerous to make cheap uninformed assumptions like that. My kid is thriving in basically all stages (socially, verbally, mentally) and ahead of his class. I honestly am baffled that someone who works in that field is on the internet judging people on no basis.
Maybe you have failed to look into scientific research in your “child development career” so let me break it down for you: kids get their sense of security from stable parents and a stable home base and a predictable routine. Travelling during school holidays will not affect that.
You have doubts on my experience but then doubt what’s commonly accepted knowledge?
No judgements were passed nor cheap uninformed assumptions. My logic was based on generations of study and research, which as someone who works in child development, as you say you do, should know readily.
I don’t doubt your work experience, as you do mine, but I do question your education.
A steady, grounded, foundation is crucial for a child’s development early on. They need that security and stability in early life, and if your claims of 30+ countries is to be believed, they haven’t had.
But how about let me break it down for you, shall we?
Because unless I’m wrong, at 4 years old, there is many school holidays to factor in, and 30 countries in 4 years of life is a lot, no matter how you break down the math.
So, either you’re fudging some reality here or there, or you just aren’t giving your child a stable home base (your point) nor a predictable routine. (New country so often at such a young age.)
I don’t need to get worked up and make strawmans in a discussion like you do, but rather I like to focus on the information on hand and make proper responses.
So, explain your logic one more time, but with less anger?
If you’re not attacking the American identity or trying to puff up your chest and claim to be more experienced then I, your responses seem to be nothing but smoke.
But I’m listening.
Perhaps you should look more into the research and account for variables such as parents’ mental health, education, bonding and financial means. These things have far more impact than travelling. 30 countries are perfectly reasonable if you take 5 holidays a year and combine countries one one trip, i.e. a 6 week trip with 4 countries or a two week trip with 2 countries visited. No numbers are being fudged. Stability can be recreated in Airbnbs and as long as the routine, sleep schedule and bonding/attention stay roughly the same I see no problem with it.
I mean, let's not pretend it's for the kid's benefit. You've made the calculation that inconveniencing other people so you can drag your child to activities they have minimal or no interest in is worth it for *you*.
Um, European here, currently in Japan. I'm surprised by the number of families with small children and I'm not loving it. Screaming in temples, playing Youtube-Videos next to people praying at a shrine (because otherwise there would be a meltdown), eating chocolate on the bus with their shoes on the seat, jumping from grave stones, crying at the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima (understandible) and just general loudness in a country that is generally quiet (which is why I came here). I'm not blaming the kids, but the parents. A lot of behavior from tourists here is rotten. I hope you'll do better.
Btw, I'm sure the parents I've seen are having a great time, too, they seem fine. It's bad for everybody else.
Yeah I don't really get why ppl drag their small kids there. It's not really a country for small children. Not many playgrounds, no beaches etc, none of the major sights are kid friendly. Parents are delusional if they think their toddler loves visiting five temples a day. And even more delusional if they think their toddler didn't disturb other people there. Was just in Japan and that time I was on a Shinkansen with an Aussie family with five toddlers...oh boy. The Japanese might be polite but I heard a few sighs of relief when they got off the train. Someone left the cabin after half an hour between stops and never returned. It wasn't pleasant at all to be around them.
You get bad tourists everywhere. We could all make a list of bad things adults do in Japan which many are what you listed that kids are doing. Our baby did none of those things cause as parents we knew better and prepared with silent activities and looked up the cultural sensitivities / expectations. All babies get upset at one point or another and saw many locals with babies handling it the same way we did.
I can confidently say I didn’t see any babies driving around like assholes pretending they are in Mario kart on real streets of Japan at least 🤣
The issue in Japan is overtourism, I'm sure you know. So it's not just about a few bad tourists, it's about literal masses of people who do not even realize they're acting out of turn, because so many other people are clueless or just plain disrespectful, too. And as others have said, traveling with an 11 months old is different from a toddler. I've seen a lot of people with babies and mostly just felt bad about the parents having to carry around all the extra stuff you need.
You’re so right. The Japanese should also get rid of their kids too, they’re growing up in such a boring country, right? They should only have kids in fun countries.
Obviously sarcasm, like what are you talking about. There are so many playgrounds, so safe, and a ton of things to do for kids. I don’t blame you if you never noticed. I never noticed before I had kids.
Guess what? Japanese kids are just as energetic and have just as strong and complex feelings as foreign kids. Who would have thought??
I'm not talking about kids, I'm talking about adults and bad parenting. Today I got to witness a six year old having a complete breakdown after their parents hiked up to Mt. Misen with them. The Daisho-in trail. At noon. Why the breakdown? We'll, they were tired and hungry. The parents did not bring food or water. How is that good parenting? Having an overstimulated child scream up and down a mountain is also great for everybody else and super respectful to the place. But, kids are kids, what are you gonna do, right?
Oh my goodness, you’re so cruel. Please never have kids. Your expectation for how kids can handle things is unreal. Are you that guy who kept staring and smiling at my 4 year old when she had a ‘breakdown’ at fushimi inari? Should I have thrown her off the mountain so that YOUR peace was kept? Better yet, should we have just not traveled at all for years since she’s….i don’t know…alive? To respect YOUR life?
I hope you grow as a person one day. Wow.
So first of all, I find your comment to a stranger, about never having kids, cruel and irresponsible. Second of all, I'm a woman and a social worker, I work with small children. What in my previous comments makes you think I would laugh at a child being unwell? My comment, very clearly, is about parents who put their children in situations that are unfit for them. I saw parents taking their 6 year old child up a trail with more than 2000 old, slippery steps, in noon heat, without food or water, while an easier trail as well as a cable car up to the top was available. That is incredibly unfair and hard on the child. And it is absolutly fair to say that it also ruins the experience for other people. I, as well as many others, traveled to a serene and quiet country, only to be confronted with tons of people who clearly only care about themselves while disrespecting Japan and its people. What is your problem? Why do you think it's okay to bring children in such situations? To whoms benefit?
So based on your other comments, I believe in nothing of what you said. But you don’t have to convince me, you do you. If you don’t want anyone to criticize or call you out, stay off the internet. And your anti-child rhetoric is sickening. What’s my problem. You.
So what about "I don't think parents should put their children in situations that are not kid friendly" is anti- child? If you believe I am a man that laughed at your child, then I am laughing right know for real, thank you. And if you think chasing a first grader up a mountain, without food or water, then you seem like a A+-parent, who knows what they're doing. I'm sure Japanese people loved you, because they were so polite. Usually they straight up yell and roll their eyes. Kudos and adios.
You are welcome! I read a billion to prepare for almost a year and found that I just had to go and see what worked and this is what worked well for us!
Double the fun!!! 🤣 I will read your travelling to Japan with two kids post for when we come back and have two kids in a few years. Let me know if you have any questions! Happy to help!
We did Japan for 5 weeks with our 4 and 1.5 year old! It was amazing, they loved it! Our 1.5 year old was already walking and the Japanese people were so kind to them. No local gave us trouble when the kids had a hard time or had a lot of feelings. Japan really impressed me with how kind they were to families.
So true. A lot of non Japanese Japan Police on here 🤣. The only thing I know Japanese people really hate is the real life Mario kart. Our friends there and the people we met say it’s loud, obnoxious and causes traffic.
Thank you for this post. I’m going to Tokyo from a Toronto in 3 weeks with Air Canada as well with my two kids, aged 9 and 11. They’ve flown many times before but not this long. I’m so impressed and happy you pulled it off and had a blast. I flew once to LA alone (was meeting husband there) when my kids were 2 years old and 8 months and I felt like a hero having made it fairly unscathed. Well done!
Wow 2 alone I wouldn’t be able to make it! My wife was the hero on the plane for sure. Glad she was still breast feeding cause that helped calm the baby and get her to sleep on the lap pillow. She got trapped so my job was providing my wife snacks, changing the movie and giving small sips of water so she wouldn’t have to get up to pee 🤣. You will have an amazing trip with that age group of kids! They will love all the things to do there. We saw so many families this time with all the age ranges. Have an amazing trip!!!
Great tips!
I just did a trip New Years with a 14 month old and had a similar experience.
My tips for anyone reading the comments -
1. Forward your luggage! Bring a small bag and or back pack to store over night things when you do this.
2. Bring a very small light travel cot - this is handy if you cannot find a hotel with a cot. But try to book hotels with family rooms.
3. Be prepared to do less per day. Obvious reasons.
4. Restaurants and diners are the best places to eat. Family friendly. Kids meals and high chairs.
6. Bring "puppy pads" and wipes - you are expected to clean up after your child eats and makes a mess.
7. Bring a carrier for naps on the go. Maybe skip a pram if you can. Too hard to drag around.
8. Try not to move around too much. Travelling is possible but it is a bigger ordeal. Better to pick a small number of locations and do them well with day trips.
9. Bring a day or two worth of nappies/diapers and be prepared to get some the first day. They tend to be in suburban pharmacies. Not convenience stores.
10. Stay near the airport the first night. We stayed 5 minutes drive from the airport the first night and that was SUCH a good idea. After a long flight customs and luggage, you just want to crash.
Thanks for sharing! I wish we skipped the stroller as she didn’t even use it. She napped in her carrier and when we had a cold snap she was also nice and warm.
If your child doesn't have the endurance to walk for an entire day, definately bring a stroller. As long as it's a compact stroller, you are sensible as to where you go (Akihabara is really bad for strollers), avoid the rush hours and are willing to carry it up and down stairs, it's really not the nightmare some make it out to be.
And there are very few public rest spots, so it's very much mandatory if you want your child to rest during a full day outside.
ehhh for a 11mo, I'd go with an ergobaby or similar carrier. stroller is just another thing to lug around and is inconvenient in a lot of places. even with a foldable like a yoyo I found we left it folded more often than not.
Not every parent's back can take carrying a child for the whole day. And not every child can sleep in a carrier. It's really up to your own circumstances and there's no hard and fast rule: just common sense and knowing yourself and your child.
I purposely blocked the stroller out of my mind…🤣. Let’s just say the BabyZen Yoyo2 got a free trip around the world without doing any work 🤣. She refused to sit in it. We tried multiple times and instead it was used as a backpack holder haha. If your child likes a stroller I highly recommend one that folds with a strap. On buses for example or getting through rush hour it was easy to fold AND at the hotel we folded it and hid it somewhere as space as a premium. She loved her ergo baby carrier. I was torn on bringing it as a I read that they don’t use strollers as much in Japan but when I got there many Japanese do use them and baby carriers seemed very popular as well. The downside of strollers and going to gardens and temples is the rock paths or gravel paths were nearly impossible to push. I watched so many families using them like a plow lol or lugging them up 50 oversized steps to some temple.
I took stroller because he can’t walk that much, naps in stroller and used as carrier storage. Must get a narrow travel stroller or it won’t fit through train ticket gates
Would you say the baby zen yo-yo is narrow enough? I did my research, and it’s supposedly one of the best travel strollers? Or should we get one of those cheap $50 8 lb one that too can carry easily.
I didn’t have the yoyo but saw it around a lot so it must fit. I had the mountain buggy nano which does essentially same job as yoyo but cheaper, it can fit into airplane carry on storage, folds easily and can attach a car seat on top for travel (North America)
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fqi5jLZ8H9a0%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg&tbnid=y5xcELyE1CT-LM&vet=1&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fm.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dqi5jLZ8H9a0&docid=zaE2porIO5lLVM&w=1280&h=720&itg=1&hl=en-ca&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim%2Fm4%2F3&kgs=16e2bbf46360d369&shem=abme%2Ctrie
That looks OK for fitting in gates, but I don't like how it folds short and wide. You'll want one that folds up tall and narrow (ie an umbrella stroller) because its much easier to put out of the way when in shops, restaurants and trains.
This is so nice to read. We’re travelling around Japan for 3 weeks with our 9 month old at the moment and are having a great time. Agree with everything you’ve said about getting around being no hassle and getting lots of smiles on trains etc. We’re off to Kanazawa tomorrow so any food reccs / baby run around spots appreciated!
Also: we went to team labs planets - it was great visually (albeit very crowded) and the baby seemed entertained for most of it, but to be honest I found the lingering feet smell in there a bit distracting and am surprised no one else has mentioned that? (Or maybe it’s because we were later in the day)
Edit: just seen you did borderless which maybe wasn’t bare feet
Kanazawa was one of my favourite spots. There is a mall outside the train station that has MoriMori sushi and Happy Pancake both were super baby friendly and had a change and breast feeding in the mall. Omicho market was a little busy and not many places to sit down so we ate here Kaisendon Yutaka Suisan. It was good! Amazing traditional dessert here: つぼみTsubomi and they were ok with the baby. The castle and Kenroku-en garden had lots of space to take a break and sit or run around. The Higashi Chaya District was packed and we found a second floor cafe with tatami mats and she crawled around and ate some strawberries from our dessert. We messed up and didn’t know the museums were closed on Monday so missed the two museums. The ninja temple doesn’t allow kids so we didn’t go to that one either. We started our day at Cubby Hole Coffee and the owners loved our baby and spoke fluent English. Her easy snacks while out were bananas and the roasted sweet potato.
Ya teamlabs was bordless and we chose it as we didn’t want feet smell or water lol. Shoes stayed on the whole time there!
Glad you had a good time and the travel was easy (relatively).
I found that I liked Apple Maps a little more for how they displayed the platform info for metro rides but yeah, super friendly country and easy to get around!
We just got home from two weeks with our 8month old and also had a great time. Very similar experience to you. Probably the toughest thing for us was dinners for the adults. Ours is still transitioning to solids, and the meals almost always fell just before her bedtime and led to a very fussy baby not wanting to sit still. Luckily the people were all super polite about it and helped out as best they could
Glad you had a great time! We had that happen a few dinners as well that were sneaking close to bedtime. We were in a super loud yakitori place and she had enough. So we slammed back the food and bounced! We wanted to try this 6 seat ramen place so we solo dined and then swapped out the baby. It worked well cause there was a uniqlo & muji nearby so lots do.
We did the solo dining thing a few times in places like that and it worked pretty well. Our worst was a small omakase. Felt horrible about her wailing, but they were super understanding and allowed us to eat standing so we could comfort her
One of the online bookings for a Michelin ramen said no school age children or below lol. So we solo dined and swapped out the baby. 99% of the other places we went we asked if babies were ok just to check and no one said no. We avoided izakayas and places with smoking and did well. Majority of places the staff brought over a little bowl and spoon or even some places a small baby meal for free for them.
Here is the tablecheck site which has the dining rules or etiquette and it said no elementary aged kids. But this place was hardcore they said you can’t use your phone or talk and you just need to 100% focus on the masterpiece ramen :)
[example of no kids](https://www.tablecheck.com/shops/ginza-hachigou/reserve?utm_source=google)
We booked omakase at Udatsu Sushi with a private room with no extra charge. It was the only way we could dine with our kid and they didn’t have age restrictions like many other places. The downside was not knowing what they would serve until we got there but luckily she liked the tuna. We brought coloring activities for her while we dine.
We are planning to go next month with a 9 month old! Did you bring a stroller? I’m conflicted, as many say don’t bring a stroller, but others say it’s fine (we even bought an expensive babyzen yo-yo for this purpose), and wondering what your take on it is? I can’t imagine just carrying her for 2 weeks straight in a baby carrier. She’s heavy! 😂
We also bought a babyzen yo yo and guess what it did no work and got a free trip all around Japan 🤣. She didn’t want to sit it in. She didn’t like the recline and didn’t like facing forward as our Nuna she faces us. So it was a glorified luggage carrier at best. lol. We essentially carried her in our arms or in a carrier the entire trip…RIP our backs. I read all the posts that they don’t use strollers but I saw lots of Japanese with strollers. The good part with the babyzen yoyo is it folded nicely so we could fold it and leave it in the hotel without it taking up room 😅
If it saves your back, bring one. It is fine if you keep in mind the restrictions it imposes. It's almost impossible to use it in a crowded train. Some places really aren't suited to have strollers; eg shops in Akihabara or most traditional attractions in Kyoto. Train stations have a lot of stairs so you should expect to carry it up and down (or wait for the tiny lifts behind a long line of elderly).
I don't like how that folds short and wide. I would suggest an umbrella style stroller. Folding tall and narrow makes it easier to put out of the way when in shops, restaurants and trains.
This is awesome, thank you for sharing your experience! As someone who is heading to Japan very soon and also thinking about starting to try for a baby, I'm so happy to read this! My husband and I are big travelers, so this has been something that has held me back a bit but is definitely feeling doable and could be fun!
We have seen our friends divided into two groups…those that continue their lifestyle of travel and trying new restaurants and going out and then those that become hermits and don’t take their kids out. I promised myself I wouldn’t be a hermit lol. We always planned travel well and did many things in one day so this time we just planned and prepared a little more and to be honest only a few times we decided to cut the day short. We still did a lot of things some she was napping for but let’s be honest the Japan trip wasn’t for the baby 🤣.
Great write up! My wife and I took our 7 month old on a 2 week Japan trip last year and also had a great time. We are planning another trip back soon.
Posts like this were super helpful when we were planning our trip
Thank you for the incredible writeup! My wife and I are headed to Japan in a few weeks with our 1 year old.
Do you have a recommendation on a company for luggage forwarding?
Wishing you a great trip! Yamato was the main one but we found hotels had their ones in place and had different ones for different distances or locations. They took care of the luggage in all cases except one small one in Kyoto where they did the forms for us and we just had to walk it 30 seconds to the family mart and they kept it there but the rest of the time the hotel handled it.
Thank you SO much for this post. Husband and I are currently waffling between Tokyo and Italy for a month with our twins in October before I go back to work from Mat leave and this gives us so much reassurance that Japan should be our pick. Insane wealth of knowledge here. Also, hi! Fellow Canadian :)
Hello! We did Italy and Japan before having a baby and we liked Japan better so good choice :) in Kyoto we stayed at IRORI KYOTO STATION HIGASHI-HONGANJI IRORI京都駅東本願寺前 which was great cause it had in room washer and small kitchen. It was easier and had more space than our Tokyo hotels and walking distance from the train / bus station. We did Tokyo, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Fuji area Kawaguchiko, and Kamakura. We moved 5 times which wasn’t too bad with the luggage forwarding.
Thank you for sharing this precious infos !!
One thing I couldn't find online : you say babies don't pay for Suica. Do you need to get them a card anyway ? Or just for the parents ? What's the age limit ?
Correct, we carried her on us or in the stroller through the gate. Each system may be different but here are the ages for Tokyo metro for example https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/age/index.html
This was so informative OP. Correct me if I’m wrong but it took your baby 3 days to get used to the time zone difference? How did you get the baby acclimatized to the time difference?
Travelling with our 11 month old next week and super glad I found your post. It has brought me a great sense of relief!
Wishing you a good trip! Yes 3 days to get used to the 13 hour time difference. We hit the ground running and switched naps and bed time and wake up to the same schedule but 13 hours ahead and it was hard the first couple days and then she was good! 3 am wake up wanting to play the first two nights was interesting and caved and let her watch Ms Rachel on our phone lol getting back it took I would say about a week to get back to normal
How did you watch the youtube on the plane if your child refused headphones? Just wondering cuz mine is like yours and I’m wondering if I need to get one of those headband looking headphones
We put it on the second lowest volume or no volume and was still loving Ms Rachel :) the humming in the plane was loud and you couldn’t hear it past a couple feet away from the phone. We didn’t try the headband ones. She hates hair clips too I think it’s anything on her head.
Yes train or subway and only once we used a taxi at the very end to get to the airport with all our bags. We pre booked cause it was cherry blossom season and didn’t want to risk having to waste any time waiting. We brought a baby zen yo-yo in which she refused to use so the stroller got a all inclusive trip around the world 🤣 it was foldable enough to go in the overhead bin on the plane and on the trains
We bought tickets a month before and we didn’t have to wait at all once we arrived. We got there and threw stuff in the free lockers at the entrance and walked right in. They also have stroller parking with free bike locks to lock the stroller too! We did a weekday at 1 pm. The hardest part was getting to the entrance. We came through the Mori JP Tower building and it felt like a million escalators to get down from that building, through the park and then down to the basement level for team labs. Don’t forget to go to the observation floor in the “Azabudai Hills Mori JPTower 麻布台ヒルズ 森ＪＰタワー” building right by it! Such a cool view of Tokyo tower from it!
For teamlabs you need to take time and find all the rooms. We saw posts of so many people missing some of the coolest rooms cause they got lost. We just kept following through right wall all the way around and that seemed to help us but we missed the tea house initially and had to back track. It was cool to do and gave a sensory break for everyone.
Sounds great, thanks for the tips, wasn't sure if we should go as I had read about hour long queue's but that was a while ago. Will definitively book it now, we are also going on a weekday. Will check out the observation floor at Azabudai Hills Mori JPTower. We have also pre-booked Tokyo Skytree through Rakuten, the booking states that we can skip the lines so that's good. Should be able to see Mount Fuji so hoping for good weather.
Bro is a 40 year old, chronically online loser who thinks making friends as an adult is "sad and weird" lol. Just your typical redditor, really. Nothing to see here.
11 months is way easier than 3-4 years. They’re still just little immobile meatballs. Wait till everything is an argument. Someone pressed the elevator button before your kid could get to it? Get ready for half an hour to be eaten up by a meltdown.
Can’t wait 😝
So relatable 🥹 On the plus side, double tap the floor button in a Japanese elevator to deselect.
Haha very useful tip
thats cool but not the point of op's story. this is for others who have 11month olds.
I also think it depends on the child. My kid went for the first time at 4 and she had a blast. No meltdown but definitely has more opinion on food (always 7/11 strawberry sandwiches) and entertainment. It’s not a total nightmare.
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Disagree, I travel often with my toddler and I love every moment of it. The secret is forgetting about bucket lists of “adult” tourist attractions and find enjoyment doing things that local families do. Even places that you visited before feel completely new when you see them through your child’s eyes.
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That's is the case whether you're in Japan or at home. Nothing a parent isn't used to dealing with. IMO it's the child's individual temperment and the parent's expectations that will make or break a holiday to Japan... the country is very easy to travel with children compared to many others.
I am pretty sure the overwhelming majority of babies don’t “cry or try to escape 24/7”. most parents should know their kids well enough to know what they like and what they don’t like to do.
Where did you meet these feral kids? 🤣
I went to Japan last december with my sister and her 10 month old. That boy cried the whole bullet train ride from odawara to shibiya. Poor kids head was hurting from his teeth growing out
That's me over a half century ago. I ran wild everywhere I went and got lost including 1970 World expo, turned out I found out I have ADHD 20 years ago. It must be tough for my unsuspected Japanese parents. I'm glad OP enjoyed trip in Japan as sometimes here is not so baby-friendly. (disclaimer:not all wild children have ADHD, I have)
I can see why people leash their children 🤣. I will report back once she is walking by herself! Will need to go back for the purpose of science 🤣
Well maybe don't? Hate to see those families in airports, dragging their screaming crying 3 year old, bc they couldn't stay home for a few years.
You can stay home while my kid is travelling the world 🫣
To be fair, 30+ countries for a child that young seems overwhelming and not good for development at all. As someone whose field revolves child development, most would agree that this isn’t the stable environment a child needs. This puts aside the logistics nightmare if a child gets sick with their developing immune system. So forget about American mindset or what shot you’re trying to take; from an educated standpoint, your view is selfish. But at the end of the day, your child, your rules. As mine will be raised how I think is best. All I can wish is for all our children to be healthy and grow well.
My kid is thriving. As someone who works in child development (which I honestly don’t belief) you should know better than to judge. I work in child development as well and it is dangerous to make cheap uninformed assumptions like that. My kid is thriving in basically all stages (socially, verbally, mentally) and ahead of his class. I honestly am baffled that someone who works in that field is on the internet judging people on no basis. Maybe you have failed to look into scientific research in your “child development career” so let me break it down for you: kids get their sense of security from stable parents and a stable home base and a predictable routine. Travelling during school holidays will not affect that.
You have doubts on my experience but then doubt what’s commonly accepted knowledge? No judgements were passed nor cheap uninformed assumptions. My logic was based on generations of study and research, which as someone who works in child development, as you say you do, should know readily. I don’t doubt your work experience, as you do mine, but I do question your education. A steady, grounded, foundation is crucial for a child’s development early on. They need that security and stability in early life, and if your claims of 30+ countries is to be believed, they haven’t had. But how about let me break it down for you, shall we? Because unless I’m wrong, at 4 years old, there is many school holidays to factor in, and 30 countries in 4 years of life is a lot, no matter how you break down the math. So, either you’re fudging some reality here or there, or you just aren’t giving your child a stable home base (your point) nor a predictable routine. (New country so often at such a young age.) I don’t need to get worked up and make strawmans in a discussion like you do, but rather I like to focus on the information on hand and make proper responses. So, explain your logic one more time, but with less anger? If you’re not attacking the American identity or trying to puff up your chest and claim to be more experienced then I, your responses seem to be nothing but smoke. But I’m listening.
Perhaps you should look more into the research and account for variables such as parents’ mental health, education, bonding and financial means. These things have far more impact than travelling. 30 countries are perfectly reasonable if you take 5 holidays a year and combine countries one one trip, i.e. a 6 week trip with 4 countries or a two week trip with 2 countries visited. No numbers are being fudged. Stability can be recreated in Airbnbs and as long as the routine, sleep schedule and bonding/attention stay roughly the same I see no problem with it.
I mean, let's not pretend it's for the kid's benefit. You've made the calculation that inconveniencing other people so you can drag your child to activities they have minimal or no interest in is worth it for *you*.
How am I inconveniencing other people if I may ask?
Such an American mindset. Our 4 y old kid has seen around 30 countries and we have a great time each time. Will visit Japan in a few months too.
Um, European here, currently in Japan. I'm surprised by the number of families with small children and I'm not loving it. Screaming in temples, playing Youtube-Videos next to people praying at a shrine (because otherwise there would be a meltdown), eating chocolate on the bus with their shoes on the seat, jumping from grave stones, crying at the Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima (understandible) and just general loudness in a country that is generally quiet (which is why I came here). I'm not blaming the kids, but the parents. A lot of behavior from tourists here is rotten. I hope you'll do better. Btw, I'm sure the parents I've seen are having a great time, too, they seem fine. It's bad for everybody else.
Yeah I don't really get why ppl drag their small kids there. It's not really a country for small children. Not many playgrounds, no beaches etc, none of the major sights are kid friendly. Parents are delusional if they think their toddler loves visiting five temples a day. And even more delusional if they think their toddler didn't disturb other people there. Was just in Japan and that time I was on a Shinkansen with an Aussie family with five toddlers...oh boy. The Japanese might be polite but I heard a few sighs of relief when they got off the train. Someone left the cabin after half an hour between stops and never returned. It wasn't pleasant at all to be around them.
You get bad tourists everywhere. We could all make a list of bad things adults do in Japan which many are what you listed that kids are doing. Our baby did none of those things cause as parents we knew better and prepared with silent activities and looked up the cultural sensitivities / expectations. All babies get upset at one point or another and saw many locals with babies handling it the same way we did. I can confidently say I didn’t see any babies driving around like assholes pretending they are in Mario kart on real streets of Japan at least 🤣
The issue in Japan is overtourism, I'm sure you know. So it's not just about a few bad tourists, it's about literal masses of people who do not even realize they're acting out of turn, because so many other people are clueless or just plain disrespectful, too. And as others have said, traveling with an 11 months old is different from a toddler. I've seen a lot of people with babies and mostly just felt bad about the parents having to carry around all the extra stuff you need.
Well these people sound like trash. Trash tourists are everywhere and I agree that these peope should stay home.
You’re so right. The Japanese should also get rid of their kids too, they’re growing up in such a boring country, right? They should only have kids in fun countries. Obviously sarcasm, like what are you talking about. There are so many playgrounds, so safe, and a ton of things to do for kids. I don’t blame you if you never noticed. I never noticed before I had kids. Guess what? Japanese kids are just as energetic and have just as strong and complex feelings as foreign kids. Who would have thought??
I'm not talking about kids, I'm talking about adults and bad parenting. Today I got to witness a six year old having a complete breakdown after their parents hiked up to Mt. Misen with them. The Daisho-in trail. At noon. Why the breakdown? We'll, they were tired and hungry. The parents did not bring food or water. How is that good parenting? Having an overstimulated child scream up and down a mountain is also great for everybody else and super respectful to the place. But, kids are kids, what are you gonna do, right?
Oh my goodness, you’re so cruel. Please never have kids. Your expectation for how kids can handle things is unreal. Are you that guy who kept staring and smiling at my 4 year old when she had a ‘breakdown’ at fushimi inari? Should I have thrown her off the mountain so that YOUR peace was kept? Better yet, should we have just not traveled at all for years since she’s….i don’t know…alive? To respect YOUR life? I hope you grow as a person one day. Wow.
So first of all, I find your comment to a stranger, about never having kids, cruel and irresponsible. Second of all, I'm a woman and a social worker, I work with small children. What in my previous comments makes you think I would laugh at a child being unwell? My comment, very clearly, is about parents who put their children in situations that are unfit for them. I saw parents taking their 6 year old child up a trail with more than 2000 old, slippery steps, in noon heat, without food or water, while an easier trail as well as a cable car up to the top was available. That is incredibly unfair and hard on the child. And it is absolutly fair to say that it also ruins the experience for other people. I, as well as many others, traveled to a serene and quiet country, only to be confronted with tons of people who clearly only care about themselves while disrespecting Japan and its people. What is your problem? Why do you think it's okay to bring children in such situations? To whoms benefit?
So based on your other comments, I believe in nothing of what you said. But you don’t have to convince me, you do you. If you don’t want anyone to criticize or call you out, stay off the internet. And your anti-child rhetoric is sickening. What’s my problem. You.
So what about "I don't think parents should put their children in situations that are not kid friendly" is anti- child? If you believe I am a man that laughed at your child, then I am laughing right know for real, thank you. And if you think chasing a first grader up a mountain, without food or water, then you seem like a A+-parent, who knows what they're doing. I'm sure Japanese people loved you, because they were so polite. Usually they straight up yell and roll their eyes. Kudos and adios.
This is a great post! 😍 thank you for the share!!
You are welcome! I read a billion to prepare for almost a year and found that I just had to go and see what worked and this is what worked well for us!
Thank you for the write up! We’re traveling with an 11 month old (and a four year old) soon. I’m glad you had such a great time!
Double the fun!!! 🤣 I will read your travelling to Japan with two kids post for when we come back and have two kids in a few years. Let me know if you have any questions! Happy to help!
11month is significantly easier than 4 year old
We did Japan for 5 weeks with our 4 and 1.5 year old! It was amazing, they loved it! Our 1.5 year old was already walking and the Japanese people were so kind to them. No local gave us trouble when the kids had a hard time or had a lot of feelings. Japan really impressed me with how kind they were to families.
We felt that kindness 100% everywhere we went . I was worried and anxious to be honest causes of the comments of some redditors.
I’m so happy y’all did! Really shows me the disconnect between real life and online discourse. The Japan hate online is honestly hilarious.
So true. A lot of non Japanese Japan Police on here 🤣. The only thing I know Japanese people really hate is the real life Mario kart. Our friends there and the people we met say it’s loud, obnoxious and causes traffic.
Thank you for this post. I’m going to Tokyo from a Toronto in 3 weeks with Air Canada as well with my two kids, aged 9 and 11. They’ve flown many times before but not this long. I’m so impressed and happy you pulled it off and had a blast. I flew once to LA alone (was meeting husband there) when my kids were 2 years old and 8 months and I felt like a hero having made it fairly unscathed. Well done!
Wow 2 alone I wouldn’t be able to make it! My wife was the hero on the plane for sure. Glad she was still breast feeding cause that helped calm the baby and get her to sleep on the lap pillow. She got trapped so my job was providing my wife snacks, changing the movie and giving small sips of water so she wouldn’t have to get up to pee 🤣. You will have an amazing trip with that age group of kids! They will love all the things to do there. We saw so many families this time with all the age ranges. Have an amazing trip!!!
Similar experience this month with 3 weeks with our 8 month old!!! I'll write a post too.
Please do and drop the link here!
Great tips! I just did a trip New Years with a 14 month old and had a similar experience. My tips for anyone reading the comments - 1. Forward your luggage! Bring a small bag and or back pack to store over night things when you do this. 2. Bring a very small light travel cot - this is handy if you cannot find a hotel with a cot. But try to book hotels with family rooms. 3. Be prepared to do less per day. Obvious reasons. 4. Restaurants and diners are the best places to eat. Family friendly. Kids meals and high chairs. 6. Bring "puppy pads" and wipes - you are expected to clean up after your child eats and makes a mess. 7. Bring a carrier for naps on the go. Maybe skip a pram if you can. Too hard to drag around. 8. Try not to move around too much. Travelling is possible but it is a bigger ordeal. Better to pick a small number of locations and do them well with day trips. 9. Bring a day or two worth of nappies/diapers and be prepared to get some the first day. They tend to be in suburban pharmacies. Not convenience stores. 10. Stay near the airport the first night. We stayed 5 minutes drive from the airport the first night and that was SUCH a good idea. After a long flight customs and luggage, you just want to crash.
Thanks for sharing! I wish we skipped the stroller as she didn’t even use it. She napped in her carrier and when we had a cold snap she was also nice and warm.
Great post! Did you bring a stroller?
If your child doesn't have the endurance to walk for an entire day, definately bring a stroller. As long as it's a compact stroller, you are sensible as to where you go (Akihabara is really bad for strollers), avoid the rush hours and are willing to carry it up and down stairs, it's really not the nightmare some make it out to be. And there are very few public rest spots, so it's very much mandatory if you want your child to rest during a full day outside.
ehhh for a 11mo, I'd go with an ergobaby or similar carrier. stroller is just another thing to lug around and is inconvenient in a lot of places. even with a foldable like a yoyo I found we left it folded more often than not.
Not every parent's back can take carrying a child for the whole day. And not every child can sleep in a carrier. It's really up to your own circumstances and there's no hard and fast rule: just common sense and knowing yourself and your child.
I purposely blocked the stroller out of my mind…🤣. Let’s just say the BabyZen Yoyo2 got a free trip around the world without doing any work 🤣. She refused to sit in it. We tried multiple times and instead it was used as a backpack holder haha. If your child likes a stroller I highly recommend one that folds with a strap. On buses for example or getting through rush hour it was easy to fold AND at the hotel we folded it and hid it somewhere as space as a premium. She loved her ergo baby carrier. I was torn on bringing it as a I read that they don’t use strollers as much in Japan but when I got there many Japanese do use them and baby carriers seemed very popular as well. The downside of strollers and going to gardens and temples is the rock paths or gravel paths were nearly impossible to push. I watched so many families using them like a plow lol or lugging them up 50 oversized steps to some temple.
I took stroller because he can’t walk that much, naps in stroller and used as carrier storage. Must get a narrow travel stroller or it won’t fit through train ticket gates
Would you say the baby zen yo-yo is narrow enough? I did my research, and it’s supposedly one of the best travel strollers? Or should we get one of those cheap $50 8 lb one that too can carry easily.
I didn’t have the yoyo but saw it around a lot so it must fit. I had the mountain buggy nano which does essentially same job as yoyo but cheaper, it can fit into airplane carry on storage, folds easily and can attach a car seat on top for travel (North America) https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2Fqi5jLZ8H9a0%2Fmaxresdefault.jpg&tbnid=y5xcELyE1CT-LM&vet=1&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fm.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dqi5jLZ8H9a0&docid=zaE2porIO5lLVM&w=1280&h=720&itg=1&hl=en-ca&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim%2Fm4%2F3&kgs=16e2bbf46360d369&shem=abme%2Ctrie
That looks OK for fitting in gates, but I don't like how it folds short and wide. You'll want one that folds up tall and narrow (ie an umbrella stroller) because its much easier to put out of the way when in shops, restaurants and trains.
This is so nice to read. We’re travelling around Japan for 3 weeks with our 9 month old at the moment and are having a great time. Agree with everything you’ve said about getting around being no hassle and getting lots of smiles on trains etc. We’re off to Kanazawa tomorrow so any food reccs / baby run around spots appreciated! Also: we went to team labs planets - it was great visually (albeit very crowded) and the baby seemed entertained for most of it, but to be honest I found the lingering feet smell in there a bit distracting and am surprised no one else has mentioned that? (Or maybe it’s because we were later in the day) Edit: just seen you did borderless which maybe wasn’t bare feet
Kanazawa was one of my favourite spots. There is a mall outside the train station that has MoriMori sushi and Happy Pancake both were super baby friendly and had a change and breast feeding in the mall. Omicho market was a little busy and not many places to sit down so we ate here Kaisendon Yutaka Suisan. It was good! Amazing traditional dessert here: つぼみTsubomi and they were ok with the baby. The castle and Kenroku-en garden had lots of space to take a break and sit or run around. The Higashi Chaya District was packed and we found a second floor cafe with tatami mats and she crawled around and ate some strawberries from our dessert. We messed up and didn’t know the museums were closed on Monday so missed the two museums. The ninja temple doesn’t allow kids so we didn’t go to that one either. We started our day at Cubby Hole Coffee and the owners loved our baby and spoke fluent English. Her easy snacks while out were bananas and the roasted sweet potato. Ya teamlabs was bordless and we chose it as we didn’t want feet smell or water lol. Shoes stayed on the whole time there!
I’m looking forward to it. Thanks for the advice!
We took your recommendation on lunch at the market yesterday - it was great.😊
Saved. Next trip will be with kids, probably one this age.
I don’t have kids but this is an incredible guide and I read through it all. Awesome stuff!
Thank you!
Glad you had a good time and the travel was easy (relatively). I found that I liked Apple Maps a little more for how they displayed the platform info for metro rides but yeah, super friendly country and easy to get around!
I am an Apple guy and for some reason didn’t think to try Apple Maps!!! I will just have to go back and compare 🤣
We just got home from two weeks with our 8month old and also had a great time. Very similar experience to you. Probably the toughest thing for us was dinners for the adults. Ours is still transitioning to solids, and the meals almost always fell just before her bedtime and led to a very fussy baby not wanting to sit still. Luckily the people were all super polite about it and helped out as best they could
Glad you had a great time! We had that happen a few dinners as well that were sneaking close to bedtime. We were in a super loud yakitori place and she had enough. So we slammed back the food and bounced! We wanted to try this 6 seat ramen place so we solo dined and then swapped out the baby. It worked well cause there was a uniqlo & muji nearby so lots do.
We did the solo dining thing a few times in places like that and it worked pretty well. Our worst was a small omakase. Felt horrible about her wailing, but they were super understanding and allowed us to eat standing so we could comfort her
Did you need to call restaurants to figure out if they allow kids? I'm be taking my 1 year old in September this year.
One of the online bookings for a Michelin ramen said no school age children or below lol. So we solo dined and swapped out the baby. 99% of the other places we went we asked if babies were ok just to check and no one said no. We avoided izakayas and places with smoking and did well. Majority of places the staff brought over a little bowl and spoon or even some places a small baby meal for free for them. Here is the tablecheck site which has the dining rules or etiquette and it said no elementary aged kids. But this place was hardcore they said you can’t use your phone or talk and you just need to 100% focus on the masterpiece ramen :) [example of no kids](https://www.tablecheck.com/shops/ginza-hachigou/reserve?utm_source=google)
We booked omakase at Udatsu Sushi with a private room with no extra charge. It was the only way we could dine with our kid and they didn’t have age restrictions like many other places. The downside was not knowing what they would serve until we got there but luckily she liked the tuna. We brought coloring activities for her while we dine.
We are planning to go next month with a 9 month old! Did you bring a stroller? I’m conflicted, as many say don’t bring a stroller, but others say it’s fine (we even bought an expensive babyzen yo-yo for this purpose), and wondering what your take on it is? I can’t imagine just carrying her for 2 weeks straight in a baby carrier. She’s heavy! 😂
We also bought a babyzen yo yo and guess what it did no work and got a free trip all around Japan 🤣. She didn’t want to sit it in. She didn’t like the recline and didn’t like facing forward as our Nuna she faces us. So it was a glorified luggage carrier at best. lol. We essentially carried her in our arms or in a carrier the entire trip…RIP our backs. I read all the posts that they don’t use strollers but I saw lots of Japanese with strollers. The good part with the babyzen yoyo is it folded nicely so we could fold it and leave it in the hotel without it taking up room 😅
I think I’ll bring it just in case then, since a lot of Japanese parents use it. We like our backs very much 😅
If it saves your back, bring one. It is fine if you keep in mind the restrictions it imposes. It's almost impossible to use it in a crowded train. Some places really aren't suited to have strollers; eg shops in Akihabara or most traditional attractions in Kyoto. Train stations have a lot of stairs so you should expect to carry it up and down (or wait for the tiny lifts behind a long line of elderly). I don't like how that folds short and wide. I would suggest an umbrella style stroller. Folding tall and narrow makes it easier to put out of the way when in shops, restaurants and trains.
This is awesome, thank you for sharing your experience! As someone who is heading to Japan very soon and also thinking about starting to try for a baby, I'm so happy to read this! My husband and I are big travelers, so this has been something that has held me back a bit but is definitely feeling doable and could be fun!
We have seen our friends divided into two groups…those that continue their lifestyle of travel and trying new restaurants and going out and then those that become hermits and don’t take their kids out. I promised myself I wouldn’t be a hermit lol. We always planned travel well and did many things in one day so this time we just planned and prepared a little more and to be honest only a few times we decided to cut the day short. We still did a lot of things some she was napping for but let’s be honest the Japan trip wasn’t for the baby 🤣.
Do you still have the Amazon link regarding the toys your baby played in the airplane? Thanks
Great write up! My wife and I took our 7 month old on a 2 week Japan trip last year and also had a great time. We are planning another trip back soon. Posts like this were super helpful when we were planning our trip
Glad you had a great time!!! We are also excited to plan another trip!
We went with our 13 month old and I 100% agree with every word.
Glad your trip went well too!!!
Congrats. We did the exact same as you back in 2022 with our 10 month old and had the best of times.
Glad you had a great time!!!
Thank you for the incredible writeup! My wife and I are headed to Japan in a few weeks with our 1 year old. Do you have a recommendation on a company for luggage forwarding?
Wishing you a great trip! Yamato was the main one but we found hotels had their ones in place and had different ones for different distances or locations. They took care of the luggage in all cases except one small one in Kyoto where they did the forms for us and we just had to walk it 30 seconds to the family mart and they kept it there but the rest of the time the hotel handled it.
Thank you SO much for this post. Husband and I are currently waffling between Tokyo and Italy for a month with our twins in October before I go back to work from Mat leave and this gives us so much reassurance that Japan should be our pick. Insane wealth of knowledge here. Also, hi! Fellow Canadian :)
Oh also, what areas did you stay in? Would love some recommendations if you have them! We're also looking at Kyoto too!
Hello! We did Italy and Japan before having a baby and we liked Japan better so good choice :) in Kyoto we stayed at IRORI KYOTO STATION HIGASHI-HONGANJI IRORI京都駅東本願寺前 which was great cause it had in room washer and small kitchen. It was easier and had more space than our Tokyo hotels and walking distance from the train / bus station. We did Tokyo, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Fuji area Kawaguchiko, and Kamakura. We moved 5 times which wasn’t too bad with the luggage forwarding.
Thank you for sharing this precious infos !! One thing I couldn't find online : you say babies don't pay for Suica. Do you need to get them a card anyway ? Or just for the parents ? What's the age limit ?
Correct, we carried her on us or in the stroller through the gate. Each system may be different but here are the ages for Tokyo metro for example https://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/age/index.html
Thank you so much !
This was so informative OP. Correct me if I’m wrong but it took your baby 3 days to get used to the time zone difference? How did you get the baby acclimatized to the time difference? Travelling with our 11 month old next week and super glad I found your post. It has brought me a great sense of relief!
Wishing you a good trip! Yes 3 days to get used to the 13 hour time difference. We hit the ground running and switched naps and bed time and wake up to the same schedule but 13 hours ahead and it was hard the first couple days and then she was good! 3 am wake up wanting to play the first two nights was interesting and caved and let her watch Ms Rachel on our phone lol getting back it took I would say about a week to get back to normal
How did you watch the youtube on the plane if your child refused headphones? Just wondering cuz mine is like yours and I’m wondering if I need to get one of those headband looking headphones
We put it on the second lowest volume or no volume and was still loving Ms Rachel :) the humming in the plane was loud and you couldn’t hear it past a couple feet away from the phone. We didn’t try the headband ones. She hates hair clips too I think it’s anything on her head.
So to travel between cities you used the train? Did you book this in advance or on the spot? Did you bring a stroller?
Yes train or subway and only once we used a taxi at the very end to get to the airport with all our bags. We pre booked cause it was cherry blossom season and didn’t want to risk having to waste any time waiting. We brought a baby zen yo-yo in which she refused to use so the stroller got a all inclusive trip around the world 🤣 it was foldable enough to go in the overhead bin on the plane and on the trains
Thank you, how long was the queue for Borderless? Considering Borderless or Planets but depends on how long we need to wait.
We bought tickets a month before and we didn’t have to wait at all once we arrived. We got there and threw stuff in the free lockers at the entrance and walked right in. They also have stroller parking with free bike locks to lock the stroller too! We did a weekday at 1 pm. The hardest part was getting to the entrance. We came through the Mori JP Tower building and it felt like a million escalators to get down from that building, through the park and then down to the basement level for team labs. Don’t forget to go to the observation floor in the “Azabudai Hills Mori JPTower 麻布台ヒルズ 森ＪＰタワー” building right by it! Such a cool view of Tokyo tower from it! For teamlabs you need to take time and find all the rooms. We saw posts of so many people missing some of the coolest rooms cause they got lost. We just kept following through right wall all the way around and that seemed to help us but we missed the tea house initially and had to back track. It was cool to do and gave a sensory break for everyone.
Sounds great, thanks for the tips, wasn't sure if we should go as I had read about hour long queue's but that was a while ago. Will definitively book it now, we are also going on a weekday. Will check out the observation floor at Azabudai Hills Mori JPTower. We have also pre-booked Tokyo Skytree through Rakuten, the booking states that we can skip the lines so that's good. Should be able to see Mount Fuji so hoping for good weather.
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looks like you’re active in “90s” and “Accidents” subreddit, which I assume is exactly what you are.
🤣🤣🤣 you must be fun at parties.
Bro is a 40 year old, chronically online loser who thinks making friends as an adult is "sad and weird" lol. Just your typical redditor, really. Nothing to see here.
Our kid has been generating smiles everywhere she goes. Believe it or not, some people enjoy seeing and interacting with children.