10 Cool Things to Do for Kids in Japan

Travelling with your kids, Japan is a first-rate choice with many kid-friendly attractions. Colorful activities would give you and your kids a cool feeling and many “Wow!” moments. Let’s have a look of the top cool things to do for kids in Japan on the bucket list.

Deer Feeding

1. Play with Deer in Nara Park

Nara Park, as you may know, is famous for the herds of deer in addition to the historical sites and natural landscapes. It seems to stray into a hidden world of deer in the city, surprising to discover such a land. As entering the park, you can purchase some deer food, the special senbei, for your kids; thus, they can feed the deer face to face. On the large green grassland, you and your kids could feed those young and well-tempered deer, and also take photos with them. But do not try to tease the deer with food, which would cause them angry.

2. Visit the Snow Monkeys in Nagano

Have you seen monkeys having a bath like human beings? Come to Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park in the northern Nagano, you will see them soaking in the wild hot spring cozily. The Japanese macaques love to take a hot spring bath, especially they can keep warm during winter, generally from December to March. When snow falls on the macaques as well as the open-air hot spring, they turn to be real snow monkeys worthy of the name. As you hike through the woods, you could take indelible photos of those snow monkeys while they may enjoy their bath with eyes closed.

3. Fall into the Disney Sea World

Tokyo Disney Resort is the must-visit for your family vacation with kids. Your children could wander in the Disneyland with abandon, moreover, you can meet the only DisneySea in the world. Venetian Gondolas will take you into the Renaissance Mediterranean Harbors, and you can get on the small submarines for a journey of 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, or ride on Jasmine’s Flying Carpets to fly over the Arabian Coast. More oceanic areas with exciting rides and games are waiting for you to explore, are you ready for the adventure?

4. Find Yourselves in Wizarding Castle

Coming to Osaka, wandering in the Universal Studios Japan is certainly a cool thing to do for kids. This is a magical world to run across Minions, have a rapid cruise into Jurassic Park full of dinosaurs, experience a 3D breathtaking ride as being saved by the spider man immersively, and get into the wizarding Hogwarts Castle for a forbidden journey. You can take a castle walk while the characters on paintings walking around and candles floating in the air, to adventure into the realistic magic world of Harry Potter. What a stirring day it will be there!

5. Set Free in Ghibli Museum

In the outskirts of Mitaka city, Tokyo, there is an amusement paradise for children, that’s just Ghibli Museum, the cartoon studios of renowned Miyazaki Hayao. You and your kids can learn how the crew makes animations and watch how they work. Also, you can discover the themed areas of Castle in the Sky, Warriors of the Wind, and Spirited Away, and are really “spirited away” at the vivid scenes in the movies. The roofed garden with the spiral staircase surrounded by green plants and Totoro bus are popular to play.

6. Walk into Pacific Ocean at Osaka Aquarium

Osaka Aquarium (Kaiyukan) is home to a great variety of marine life from the Pacific Rim, making it the perfect place to experience the wonders of the ocean. With 30,000 creatures of 620 species from the Great Barrier Reef to the Arctic, Osaka Aquarium makes a true representation of the habitats and undersea ecology. Your kids could observe the whale shark – the biggest marine life known at present closely, and witness seals from the frozen Arctic, rock-hopper penguins of Falkland Islands, etc. Miraculously, you would finish the trip around Pacific Ocean once for all!

Kyoto Railway Museum

7. Meet Thomas Tank Engine in Kyoto

You may feel boring at the first glance of such a name Kyoto Railway Museum, but it will surprise you as well as your kids with many interesting activities. With the real train carriages from the steam locomotive to modern trains including Thomas model, children could learn about the history up close and experience the steam train to and from Ume-koji Park next door. Meanwhile, the simulation driving is allowed to make the kids understand basic principles of the railway and the operation of different trains quickly. It’s completely cool to drive a train, even a Shinkansen bullet train, in the drivers’ uniform.

8. Explore the Legoland in Nagoya

Have you even been an amusement park built with Lego bricks? LEGOLAND Japan in Nagoya will satisfy you. The mini models of the most famous attractions in Japan such as Shibuya crossing, Senso-ji Temple, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Itsukushima Shrine, and Nagoya Castle are displayed. Thus, you, together with your kids, can finish a visit around Japan at a time. Your kids could join in the Splash Battle on boats with a water gun in the Pirate Shores area, and Submarine Adventure is surprising to see the true marine fishes in the submarine of Lego bricks. Building your own Lego buildings or vehicles can’t be missed in the Bricktopia.

9. Samurai and Ninja Experience

Probably your kids are curious about the mysterious samurais and ninjas in ancient time when travelling to Japan. Ninja Museum of Igaryu, in Iga – the hometown of ninjas near Nara, is the best destination to learn how these mystic figures lived and trained. The kids could dress up as a ninja and take a short experience there, isn’t it interesting? Also, Tokyo Samurai Museum and Samurai & Ninja Museum in Kyoto provide such an experience in addition to the displays of their weapons and secret commodities. Your kids could enjoy themselves to the full as a strong samurai or ninja with multi-capabilities, in Japan only.

10. Take a Cooking Class to Make Sushi

To have a memorable family time with your kids, it’s great to have a local cooking class. It must be a very impressive experience on your Japan tour to make sushi with your kids. Under the instruction of a practiced teacher, your children can select the ingredients they like and make sushi, the unique Japanese food popular all over the world. It’s enjoyable and significant for kids to cook by themselves, while learn about Japanese food culture in the process. At last, you can enjoy the self-made sushi with a taste of your own family happiness.