Why Japan is a great choice. After our 1st family trip to Japan (for three weeks) – I asked my boys (then 11 & 12 years) for their top five reasons why they rated it as one of the best places for family holidays
The Proximity
For Australian families, Japan is only a ten-hour flight away from a completely different culture. Depending on your time of departure, after a few hours of shut-eye, you could be enjoying breakfast in Tokyo. A big thumbs up from the boys…
The people
You would expect a country of 127 million to have a diverse mix of people (we certainly saw some sights…) – however, the boys loved the polite and welcoming nature of everyone we encountered, without exception. Whilst language was a barrier (even armed with our lovely new Lonely Planet, Japanese ‘phrase guide’ – our efforts were rudimentary at best…); everyone was patient with our requests for directions and questions. “The Japanese are so polite”, the youngest wanted me to mention, and I agree…
The Snow
Our end of year holidays generally involves some skiing. I will be honest and say that when The Husband suggested the Japanese Alps, I wasn’t a fan. To visit the country, yes I couldn’t wait, however, I had heard that the Apres Ski scene was virtually non-existant…call me a lush, but a skiing holiday requires a hot toddy and cosy fire at the end of a cold day on the slopes. I am pleased to report we found both, and fabulous powder, scenery, culture in Hakuba (near Nagano). Pre-trip I had difficulty finding detailed information on Hakuba Tourism for families – I will detail everything you should know in future posts…
The Food
I had assumed we were in for a culinary treat in Japan. We all enjoyed regular Japanese meals in Australia. Every traditional meal we sampled was superb (and fresh and beautifully presented…) – we also found truly the largest selection of magnificent pastries and cakes and other goodies we have ever encountered. The highlight for the boys was a cooking class in Kyoto at the home of lovely Taro, Yoshiko and their two sweet girls…
The Culture
The perfect blend of old and new, tech and traditional kept the boys enthralled and educated. A ‘not to be missed’ experience was the walking tour we did with Samurai Joe Okada (85 years young, a wealth of fabulous snippets -so interesting the boys happily followed his stories and tour for hours, not so much of a whimper of being tired or cold…) – and the sword training!!!!! Another day we visited a ‘cat cafe’ – yes really – cute cats, but probably a one-off excursion…
So much more to see and experience – we will visit again…
Monique’s Favourite Part…
Spending time with the family – relaxing and just having fun in one of the best family holiday destinations in Asia.
I hope this post helps you in planning – What to do on a Family Trip to Japan.
