Family Hiking in Hawaii

Living on the island of Oahu in Hawaii for the past three years was wonderful.  With a view of the beautiful Pacific ocean out our window we were reminded to live life like everyday was vacation.  Taking care to get the most fun out of every hour.

This series of posts outline our 45 Hawaii YouTube travel and event videos perfect for anyone with kids looking to travel to Oahu and for military families stationed there.  With these videos you can see what you are getting into before you go, to help you hit the ground running.  Lets start with three family hikes complete with videos.

Let’s go for a Hike!

Oahu is a hiker’s paradise.  There are so many trails and many hiking groups.  Here are three of my favorite trails that you can easily do on your own or with your family.

Ka‘ena Point State Park: This video is hiking the Waianae side to the island tip and back, but trail conditions are similar if you are coming from Schofield Barracks and hiking from northern trail entry.  This hike is best when the trail is dry since it is a dirt path.  Depending on the season you can spot whales, various sea birds, and monk seals sunning.  The entire trail is about five miles, but you don’t have to walk the whole thing to enjoy it, go as far as you feel comfortable.  The path follows the coastline, it is a hot and dry hike.  At the very tip of the island (the 1/2 way point) is a bird sanctuary.  Be sure to pack water and a snack, plan to sit on the rocks during your break (no benches on this trail).  Parking is available for free on either side of the park.

• Map to Ka’ena Point
• More Info

Diamond Head: Ready to climb a mountain?  This Honolulu hike takes you to the top of iconic Diamond head along a paved path.  There are stairs, so if your are hiking with kids make sure they are ready to walk up hill or be prepared to carry them.  The views from the top are breathtaking and there is a bunker to explore as well.  At the base of the hike there are bathrooms, a water fountain, and often other food for sale.  Make sure you bring your water to the top, it can get quite hot as you climb.  Parking is in the crater, it is paid and limited.  We always found parking when visiting in the morning.

• Map to Diamond Head
• More Info

Koko Crater and Botanical Garden:  From flowers to cacti and all sorts of trees in between; on this peaceful hike you’ll see so many different plants.  If you are quiet you can also spot many of the island’s birds and may also catch a glimpse of mongoose crossing your path. This hike is inside Koko crater, if you see the stairs on the outside don’t worry, that is another hike.  The garden’s two-mile path is gravel, but it is mostly flat so it is an easy family hike.  The garden is divided into by plant type or home location.  There is a sweet smelling plumeria grove, followed by bright rhododendrons, assorted cacti, a large variety of palm trees, plants of Hawaii, plants of Madagascar, and plants of Africa .  A map is available near the entrance.  Parking is free and there is a port-a-potty on site, make sure you bring water and a snack.

• Map to Koko Crater Botanical Garden
• More Info

These are not all the great family hikes, these are just to get you started,  there are many more to explore.  Feel free to post your favorite family hike in the comments and help others visiting Oahu!

Some other sites with kid-friendly hikes:

• WanderLustStyle’s Best Kid-Friendly Hikes
• Walking Mermaid’s Top 5 Kid Hikes
• Fun Little Ohana’s 10 Awesome Baby Wearing Trails

Coming soon posts about Oahu beaches, attractions, special events, and everything else!  Thanks for stopping by hope you have a great day!

Hirakata Park Osaka Japan

The last day of 2017 was so much fun!  We took a trip just outside of Osaka to Hirakata Park and had a blast.  Never having heard of this park, we didn’t know what to expect, but the price wasn’t bad ( ¥3,000) and our 4 year old had been really good visiting temples and castles so it was her turn for a fun day.  This park delivered non-stop fun.

There are 41 attractions, we rode most rides twice because they were so entertaining and the lines were so small.   There were a few rides that we didn’t try because Cora was too short and it was more fun to stick together as a family.  Only one ride, Crazy Mouse, was closed the day we visited.  Lets go through ride by ride!

Family favorite was the Haunted House.  This house was filled with Yōkai (monsters/spirits from Japanese folklore), you tour in a cart on a guided track.  I’m not sure if this ride is cute or scary, coming from America with different spooks, I found the Yōkai to be cute.  I wanted to record the entire experience, but no cameras are allowed on the ride, so you’ll have to go and check it out yourself.

 

 

After that it is hard to pick the next favorite ride because there were so many that were great, for example Octopus Panic!  This ride is similar to the fast circular spinning ride you’ll find at most carnivals, but the concept is that you’re on a boat in a turbulent ocean while under attack by a giant octopus!   Putting the normal theme-less version to shame.

Athletic “try-it”

Flying Bicycles

Rides we loved:

• Cycle Monorail is a pedal powered ladybug track with a beautiful view of the park and countryside.  Pedal hard the first half and then coast.
• Adventure Journey
• ROWDY is roller coaster.  What makes it special is that kids 4 and up are allowed accompanied making it Cora’s first real roller coaster!  Mom was a little scared.
• Flying Bicycles is a pedal ride, you have to pedal to make your bicycle fly higher as you fly around in a circle, if you stop you glide back down to the base level.
• Burning Fight lets you play firefighter as you shoot real water out a hose at the windows of the burning buildings while rotating.  The person with the highest score gets a prize.  We didn’t know there was a prize before riding and dad got the high score beating out all the kids (he had to ride alone since each firetruck can only hold two people).
• Adventure Safari is hilarious.  I think it was originally just a safari with jerky moving animal statues, not too fun, but now the safari jeeps are armed with guns and mixed in with the animals are aliens to shot at!  We liked this ride because it made no sense.
• Athletic “try-it” is a huge playground adventure course.  We could have spent all day there, if not for the rain.  There is a maze, climbing, balancing, and more!  Check out the linked video for some of the fun.
• Red Falcon this ride was for mom and dad only, it has a 120 cm and taller limit.  It is a good roller coaster, but what makes it special is riding it through the holiday light display.  The entire park is light up in a rainbow of lights and you fly right over, which I had a GoPro strapped on my head for that one.

Rides that were too cute:

Anpanman Happy Sky

• Strawberry Cafe is the spinning teacup ride, but Hello Kitty themed!
• Anpanman Happy Sky is decorated with the cute Anpanman characters, happy music plays while you go around in a slow vertical loop.
• Circuit 2000 is a kid car driving ride.  The cars go up and down on a looped track.  The cars are fabulously detailed and the exterior has cute fairy tale paintings all around.  It was made in France, fancy.  The Merry-Go-Round is equally fancy full of beautiful paintings and horses.

Rides we didn’t care for:

• 4D Movie an Ultraman fight, it really scared Cora, but if your kid is into action

  

  Not feeling this 4D Movie

  fights they would probably love it.  It is in Japanese so we couldn’t follow the story line.  The feature probably changes, so check it out and see if the movie fits your family’s tastes.

• Freezer House is what the titles implies, you are actually inside a freezer van.  The day we visited was cold with on and off drizzle.  We went on this ride to get out of the rain not realizing it was actually a freezer.  This ride is probably amazing on a hot day.  Inside is a bit of a maze through a freezer with giant food.
• Magical Volcano, Little Witches Labyrinth, and GURURIMORI if you don’t speak Japanese the staff will have to help guide you through.   These rides are fun, but you’ll be lost and feel like a child when they basically have to hand-hold you through.  They are all story based with problems to solve.  All three are well themed rides and look really fun, we just couldn’t follow along.

Chocolate Covered Mochi

What about food?  There are several options from the food court, McDonald’s, snack shacks and more.  This was our first visit to McDonald’s this trip, just like home except for the delicious melon soda.  We also sampled the chocolate covered mochi on a stick, caramel corn, and spiral fry.  At night we even found hot spiced wine, just what mom needed.  Outside the park there are more restaurants as well as convenience stores.

The park is between Osaka and Kyoto,  take the Keihan Railway to Hirakatakoen Station.  When  you get off the train just follow the families with kids for a 3 minute walk and you’re there!  The park’s English website has step by step directions with maps.

Hirakata Park Website (English version): http://www.hirakatapark.co.jp/en/
Address: 1-1, 枚方公園町 Hirakata, Osaka Prefecture 573-0054, Japan

How does this park stand up to the more well known parks in Japan?  This park holds its own for families with young kids, I would highly recommend it if you have preschool or elementary age children.   It is not Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea, but it costs a lot less and if your planning a trip to Osaka or Kyoto it is also a lot closer.  I love Japan’s Disney parks and also recommend them.  I liked Hirakata Park a lot better than Universal Studios Japan because the lines were shorter, it was less expensive, and it also felt a lot friendlier.  Hirakata Park has its own set of characters that were unfamiliar to us, but Cora still got a kick out of them (not as much as she loved the Disney and Universal characters, but that is because mom and dad couldn’t figure out their names or tell her their backstories).  There was a mix of familiar rides as well as really unique rides. Entertainment-wise we were constantly doing something and smiling, you can’t ask for more than that!

Meeting Wild Macaques 🐵

Visiting Japanese macaque monkeys atop Mount Arashiyama is a once in a lifetime experience!  Cora and I took an afternoon trip from Kyoto to Arashiyama in hopes of seeing wild macaques at Iwatayama Monkey Park (嵐山モンキーパーク or Arashiyama Monkī Pāku).  After a morning at a very busy Fushimi Inari Taisha, famous for the thousands of vermilion torii gates, we hoped on the train for Kyoto station to catch a bus out to Arashiyama.  Before our hour long ride we stopped at Kyoto station’s Mr. Donut (also known as Misdo) for a delicious frosting filled, pink glazed treat.  The bus hub at Kyoto station is very easy to navigate and signs include route and attraction in both Japanese and English.  We hopped on the bus to Arashiyama and enjoyed a relaxing ride out of Kyoto in a toasty warm bus.

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Inari Station

Misdo!

When we arrived the entire bus emptied, Arashiyama is a popular spot known for its history, river, and forest bathing (basically the therapy of going for a walk in the woods).  The signs for monkey park weren’t visible from the bus stop and wi-fi wasn’t working so we followed the crowd.  Unfortunately the crowd wasn’t there for monkey mountain, but we got a quick view of town before spotting a sign pointing us back towards the bus stop!  Lesson learned: when traveling without phone service make sure you screen shot your maps before they blank out.  Our destination in site, we started up the mountain.  After a few flights of stairs we were at the ticket booth 550 yen for mom and 250 yen for Cora.  This is your last stop for a vending machine drink or a bathroom break before tracking up monkey mountain there are a few picnic tables for a break.  You’ll also start to see warning signs about not eating past that point.  We finished our lemon tea and headed up, up, up the mountain.

As any mom knows, an up mountain hike with a 4 year old can be a challenge, but this hike you’ll have the promise of monkey feeding at the top!  Right before you reach the top there is also a small playground with swings, a slide, and a rope swing.  Unfortunately for us our visit was on a rainy day, so we took a quick swing and continued since we could already see the macaques, they were watching us on the playground!

Enterence to Monkey Park!

Swings after your climb.

Slide down the mountain!

As soon as we were to the top you could easily see 10 to 20 of the macaques just checking out the people there to check them out.  Just as many monkeys were on the outside of the feeding house.  What I love about this park is that the people go into the cage to protect them while they interact with the wild monkeys who are free to roam the mountains.  In the feeding house there is a wood burning stove, so if you visit in the colder months you can warm up.  There is a little store to purchase peanuts or apples for the monkeys (you get about 10 pieces of either).  There is also a monkey stamp, you can stamp your ticket or your trusty travel stamp book.

Cuddling baby, awe!

Feeding the macaques.

At first Cora was hesitant to feed the monkeys until a baby showed up, then it was her turn.  There were plenty of people there feeding the macaques so it was pretty peaceful and the monkeys didn’t compete too much for the treats.  After feeding the monkeys and stamping our book we went back outside to check out the view of Kyoto and see more of the troop.  There are about 120 monkeys that visit this mountain, they are free to come and go as they please.  We saw some kid monkeys playing chase in the trees, a baby monkey cuddling with her mom, and some older monkeys grooming.  I cannot recommend this trip enough, it is so much more intimate than a trip to the zoo.  Cora didn’t even know how similar to people monkeys were with their adorable little hands and she had seen them plenty of times at zoos.  The close up one-on-one experience feeding a macaque was amazing.

 

The walk down took no time and soon after we arrived a the bus stop a bus was there ready to take us back to our hotel for a relaxing evening at the onsen!  Here is the park’s website (you’ll need to used a translator, it’s in Japanese) so you can check open times and current admission costs: http://monkeypark.jp/  Address for mapping: 61 Arashiyama Nakaoshitachō, Nishikyō-ku, Kyōto-shi, Kyōto-fu 616-0004, Japan

Just take the bus from Kyoto Station to Arashiyama Park bus stop, don’t cross the river stay on the same side and walk either up the street or toward the mountain and you should see a sign for the park with happy monkey faces on it.

If you or your child is allergic to peanuts, do not visit!  The shells are littered all over the upper mountain area where the macaques are and everyone is handling them.  Don’t risk it.

 

Universal Studios Japan with a 4 Year Old

What do you need to know if you are going to Universal Studios Japan with a 4 year old?  If you want to ride the roller coasters, do it before the lines get too long.  It is easy for one parent to watch the child in the Wonderland area while the other hits the coasters. Most rides outside of Wonderland have height restrictions, limiting the younger kids.  We enjoyed the snacks more than the meals at the park, you might try eating before you go and snacking while you’re there.  There is the huge Jaws shark and a roaming dinosaur, so if your kid is likely to get scared by either of those talk to them about it first.  We had a fun day, but it would have been better to go on a day with less traffic.

Sesame Street Carousal

Day of visit: Tuesday, December 26, 2017

We arrived right at opening time and the lines weren’t too bad, having never been to a Universal Studios park we didn’t know what to expect.  The park is large and nicely themed.  Near the entrance is Wonderland, an adorable Sesame Street, Hello Kitty, and Peanuts themed section of the park it was so cute that we scrapped our plans and jumped right into the fun.  In Wonderland the lines were very short and every ride was just right for Cora.  She loved it!  We tried every ride once except for Elmo’s Imagination Playland (knowing that once we stepped into a play land we’d be there till it was time to leave).  The rides were similar to Tokyo Disney rides with different characters.  My favorite was Hello Kitty’s Cupcake Dream which was similar to the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party ride at Disneyland.  Cora loved the carousal decked out with Sesame Street characters.

With our spirits high we decided to check out the rest of the park.  Dad needed to make it to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and I needed to check out Jurassic Park (which is silly since some of the filming was done right at home on O’ahu, I could just go for a hike back home).  We found so many fun photo opportunities wandering around the park.  There was also cute food!  A Hello Kitty steamed bun and a Jurassic Park themed kid’s meal, unfortunately the food wasn’t great.  It was good, but not as good as food outside the park and the prices were also a little high.  While eating in Jurassic Park’s Discovery Center a velociraptor stalked though the restaurant!  Yikes!  That was unexpected.  We had planned on taking turns riding the Flying Dinosaur, but the line was at 45 minutes.

Butter Beer

Hello Kitty Bun

Pork Steamed Bun

With our bellies full, it was time to move on to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  We walked through a twisting forest with spooky noises around each corner after the last twist we were finally there.  It was extremely packed.  Cora and I checked a few of the shops while dad got in line for Butter Beer, which was absolutely delicious.  We then took a few more photos, checked out the outside of the castle and then decided the line for the Flight of the Hippogriff was also too long.

Meeting Shrek

Jaws

Hogwarts

Starting to see a patterns with the lines growing longer, we decided to check out the rest of the attractions to see if there was anything we just had to ride.  Everything looked fun but the shortest lines were reaching up to an hour and it was also pretty cold outside with the wind picking up.

While we wandered around we met a few characters: Shrek and Fiona, Minions, Woody and Winnie Woodpeckers, and the Peanuts gang.  The characters were great, but the parades shot confetti into the air which delighted Cora while saddening mom.  The bits of confetti that weren’t swept up were picked up by the wind or into the storm drains, not sure there was a filter for them between us and the nearby ocean.  After meeting a few characters we decided to warm up with a 4D Sesame street movie (in Japanese, but still funny) and then head to the indoor play land that we had skipped earlier.

We spent about an hour and a half in Elmo’s Imagination Playland.  It was a huge hit (and warm).  It was really crowded, but there were so many ways to play that it didn’t matter.  We took a calm ride on the back of Elmo’s goldfish Dorothy, a kid’s boat ride.  Then it was time to explore “Bert and Ernie’s Wonder- the Sea” which was a slide leading into a bubble bath themed ball pit.  There was large block building in “Grover’s Construction Company” a jungle gym looking like an upside down nest in “Big Birds Big Nest” and a bunch of big balls to bounce in “Abby’s Magical Party.”  It was so much fun that we could have spent more time, but everyone was ready for a nap!  Time to head to the train, back to the hotel, take a rest… then relax our muscles at the hotel’s onsen.

 

 

 

Feeding the Bowing Deer of Nara Park Japan 🦌

December 30, 2017

If you visit Kyoto or Osaka be sure to plan a day trip to Nara.  The train ride from either city is about an hour and 15 minutes, but there is enough to see in the town to fill at least one day.  The big draw is of course the bowing deer that are so used to people that they will eat right out of your hand!  We hasn’t properly researched the city and had only planned an afternoon trip.  Our initial reason to visit Nara was a gluten free takoyaki restaurant, which we never even found (if anyone ever finds it please leave a comment with a map).

Deer Souvenirs

Right outside the train station is a visitor’s center with maps in several languages.  Pick up your map and head toward the park and temples.  You’ll pass through town which has plenty of shopping and restaurants.  There are so many cute deer-themed souvenirs, but push on until after you’ve seen the deer so you know which trinket really grabs your heart.  We walked about 2.5 miles in Nara visiting the deer and the shopping district, but if you have more time you will probably walk more.

So what’s in Nara?  Beautiful shrines and temples, a palace, museums, a forest, and of course the deer.  Did you know that Nara was the capital of Japan in 710?  I didn’t, but if I had I would have beefed up on my history and planned a longer visit (again I was in this afternoon trip for the gluten free takoyaki).  We saw the temples and shrines in passing and focused on the deer since our visit was only an afternoon.  There are four UNESCO world heritage sites to see including the world’s largest wooden building and a 15 foot tall Buddha statue.

 

Caution Sign

Deer Cakes

Once you reach the park you’ll start seeing deer cracker stands where you can buy the treats for 150 yen for about 10 cakes.  Be careful, the deer can smell the treats and will follow your around.  Some of the deer can be a little aggressive, especially if they are with their deer friends.  Find yourself a nice calm single deer and share your treats.  Some deer are completely comfortable with people and will even let you pet them, others are timid and will grab the cake while doing a walk by.  They act a bit like dogs; when they cry for a cookie, they even sound like dogs.  There are about 1,200 deer wondering freely for you to interact with, it is an amazing experience.

Kasuga Taisha Shrine

Deer Fountain

Continue walking straight through the park and you’ll reach Tasuga Taisha Shrine with 1,000 brass lanterns.  Getting there is beautiful, you’ll pass hundreds of tōrō,  traditional stone lanterns, many decorated with images of the deer which are believed to be divine messengers.   Before reaching the shrine you’ll find a deer fountain to wash away your impurities.

Since we were visiting close to the New Year’s holiday, it was very busy near the shrine and many were making their visit in preparation for the new year.  It was so lovely to connect with the gentle deer throughout the park.  In the U.S. we had only seen deer from a distance while visiting grandparents at a state park, but as soon as the deer heard us they vanished.  That was not the case in Nara they were at peace with the hundreds of tourists, if you had a deer cake they would come right to take it from your hand.  They will even cutely bow if you bow to them first and then give them a cracker.  Check out the video to see a bowing deer.

After our park tour, we were super hungry so we head back into town for dinner.  We couldn’t find our intended restaurant and settled on an old favorite Coco’s Curry House (you can find these all over Japan and select U.S. markets).  They serve curry from mild to spicy with all variety of add-ins from cheese to eggplant, to deep fried quail eggs.  Luckily for me they also have a gluten free curry.  The kid’s meal comes with jello dessert as well as a prize when you are finished with your meal, our prize was melon flavored candies similar to Smarties, but so much more flavor.  With the evening upon us and a new hotel to check into in Osaka, it was time to head back to the train station, collect our luggage and leave Nara for our next adventure.  If we are lucky enough to return to the area we will surely plan for an overnight trip to Nara to finish our visit and once again say hello to the friendly deer.

Kaiyukan: Osaka Aquarium

Exterior of Osaka Aquarium

Osaka’s Aquarium, Kaiyukan, is amazing!  I had never seen a tank full of squid and sunfish before, now I can say that I have.  If you are planning a trip to the aquarium, plan to spend at least a day in the area, it is right on the water and there are plenty of things to do.  Close to the aquarium there is Tempozan mall.  Inside the mall is a Legoland Discovery Center and an arcade along with shopping and a food court. Right outside the mall there is a Ferris wheel and boating tours.  Getting there by train is easy just hop on the Chuo Subway Line to Osakako Station, then follow the kids (or signs) to the aquarium.  We visited on Christmas day, so there were light displays to see on the way.  You’ll walk about 10 minutes through town which is decked out in sea creatures, passing many restaurants keep heading toward the Ferris wheel and at the end of the road you’ll see Kaiyukan.

Shark Mouth!

We arrived at about 4:30 in the afternoon and spent about 15 minutes in line and two hours viewing the exhibits.  After you enter there is an immediate photo op, we took it and got an adorable photo of us taken with whale sharks in the background.  The aquarium path then winds you around the huge tanks starting at the top so you’ll be able to view all levels of life in each tank.  The top floor or initial view was extremely crowded, it was about five to ten people deep waiting to just see the tank.  Well, that will happen when you got to a hot family spot during winter break.  Luckily as we continued the crowd dwindled and we got plenty of opportunity to view all the animals.  I’m a SCUBA diver studying oceanography, still every time I see ocean life I am in awe.  The aquarium’s largest tank holds two whale sharks, many types of rays, as well as a variety of sharks, and a school of fish.  The rays gracefully glide along allowing you the rare view of their mouths as they swim right past your face (check it out in the video below).

We spent a good 15 minutes watching the dolphins play in their tank.  This was Cora’s favorite animal.  From the middle floor view, the dolphins seemed to race just under your feet.  There are signs in English throughout the aquarium so you can identify the animals and where they come from.  There are also stamps to collect just past each display, so don’t forget your stamp book.

It is a huge facility, you could spend all day, but our bellies were starting to rumble and food choices are limited inside the aquarium.  We quickly hit the gift shop and of course the gumball-machines or capsule toys and opted to pick one of those for our souvenir.

 

As we headed toward the mall for food we admired the huge light-up whale shark swimming up the building.  Tired from our first full day of adventure in Osaka we opted for a Family Mart Christmas dinner.   Corn dog for Cora, sausage on a stick for mom, and fried chicken for dad, eat what you want, we’re on vacation!

Kaiyukan English Website

FamilyMart Christmas Dinner

Osaka Castle and Playground

Our first adventure in Osaka was a visit to the Osaka Castle Playground followed by a visit to Osaka Castle itself.  The playground is impressive!  If you are used to the pre-fab installed everywhere playgrounds that you find everywhere these days, this one will take you back to your childhood.  That said, there are large drops that could be a falling hazard so you’ll have to help your preschool child along until they are confident with what is safe for them.  This is a great place to run out a little energy so that your child will be happy touring the castle and surrounding grounds.  The tunnels are a bit tight for adults, so you’ll have to play along from the ground.  The slide is a roller slide, these are super fun and can be super fast.  Luckily there is a set of stairs right up to the slide (so.. grown-ups can go down too).  It was early and cold when we went so it was empty, but based on the wear to the equipment and ground it probably gets pretty busy on a nice day.  Here is the video!

Where’s Cora?  Oh there she is in the yellow tunnel.  This is a view of half of the playground.

Want to visit the park?  Just head to the castle, the playground is in the southeast corner of the park grounds.  There are public restrooms at the playground, a near by train station as well as several options for food.  Here is the park’s name “Osaka Castle playground equipment Square” or  大阪城遊具広場 and here is a link to Google Maps.

Once your kid is happy and ready for a break stop at on of the at-playground vending machines for a drink, then walk over to Osaka castle.  Depending on your walking speed and the route you take it’s about 10-15 minutes.  There are many trails in the park, our daughter wanted to pretend we were in a maze so we took a few turns we didn’t need to, but had fun walking between the playground and castle.

View from the top of the castle.

The castle charges admission of a few hundred yen, the view from the top floor made it worth while for me.  Inside the castle is very modern and it has been fitted with elevators and several staircases, be sure you follow the arrows on the floor or the route as you navigate through.  A brief history lesson on Osaka castle is helpful before you go, while there are many displays with English descriptions having a little background is needed to string the stories together and know who is who.  There are neat little diorama with hologram actors, artifacts, art, and a gift shop.  If you’ve brought a stamp book there is a stamp to be had at the Castle.  Little Cora was entranced by the hologram actors and watched each show, leaving mom and dad time to read the English descriptions of each scene.  There was also a spot to dress up like a samurai for photos, for an extra fee.   This castle is a must visit, if only to take pictures of the magnificent exterior.

More information on the castle can be found on their website:  osakacastlepark.jp

On to the next adventure Gudetama Cafe & HEP Five Ferris Wheel!

Adventures with our 4 year old in Japan!

Needing some calm after a hectic semester of graduate school, preschool, and work our family decided to take a trip to Japan. The trip was prompted by a promotional ticket offer by Scoot airline, how can you pass up an $80 tickets to Osaka? We flew out December 23rd and returned January 1st visiting Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara. The trip was amazing! The following posts will be detailed accounts of each adventure to help you decide if you want to add them to your next vacation to the Osaka area. Our daughter Cora is four, so we had to make sure that each day had something special for her since touring temples and being quiet all day is rough at that age. Hopefully this blog can help you plan a peaceful family vacation that makes everyone happy. Here are the highlights:

• Osaka Castle and Playground (video)
• Gudetama Cafe & HEP Five Ferris Wheel
• Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
• Lawson Station, Family Mart, 7-11, and vending machines (coming soon)
• Universal Studios Japan (video)
• Kid’s Plaza Osaka (coming soon)
• Yokai (Monster) Street, Kitano Tenman-gū Shrine, and Ninja Kyoto Restaurant (video)
• Kyoto Railway Museum
• Fushimi Inari Taisha and shopping (coming soon)
• Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama
• Kinkaku-ji, shopping, and mochi strawberry (coming soon)
• Feeding the Bowing Deer of Nara
• Hirakata Amusement Park (video)
• Legoland Discovery Center Osaka (video)
• Scoot Airline Review & Osaka KIX Airport (coming soon)

If you choose to travel during the New Year’s holiday, plan for the temples to be very busy and the hours of shops and restaurants to vary from their normal schedule (sometimes even closed for a few days), so always check the exact date when you are making your plans.

If you haven’t traveled to Japan before, don’t worry, it’s easy. If you take the time to learn some customs and do your best to adhere to Japanese manners people will usually be happy to help you out. Head over to your library, grab a travel book and read up.

Waiting for the train.

Pack light, most hotels have laundry machines and detergent on site (some are even included in your stay). Some hotels even provide pajamas. Other reasons to pack light are that there are a million stairs to climb and the trains and buses are often crowded. Don’t even think about driving, public transportation goes everywhere and car rental is expensive not to mention you’ll be driving on the other side of the road.

Don’t worry about staying in touch or finding places, wi-fi is easy to find (but not everywhere). Bring your phone, just leave it on airplane mode with the wi-fi on. Most hotels have it. There is also free wi-fi in Osaka and Kyoto at most of the bus and train stations, but not all so save your maps at your hotel before you leave (just in case). We found it super helpful to have Chrome with auto translate and Google Translate with the Japanese language downloaded. Even off-line you can get decent photo translation when you hold your phone over text.

If you are traveling with kids a super fun thing to do is bring a stamp book. Most of the attractions and train stations will have a stamper for you to use. Some are very beautiful others are super cute. If your kids get tired, just remind them that as soon as they get to the next place they can search for a stamp for their book.

Worried about what to eat? Don’t! The food is delicious and many places will have an English menu. I’m gluten intolerant, my husband doesn’t do sea food, and Cora has typical kid tastes. If you can plan ahead and research your locations, many will have availability of food for your dietary restrictions if you make reservations. I had a friend make me a wheat and potato allergy card which was really helpful. If all else fails there are American fast food options like McDonald’s, KFC, and many other chains. According to my daughter the McNuggets taste the same and she got a neat Japanese Happy Meal toy. If you are only feeling a little adventurous you can try a local offering at a familiar chain. Just remember that not finishing your food is bad manners here, so order small when you are trying something you might not like.

Let’s hit the first destination on our whirlwind adventure, Osaka castle and playground!

 

Osaka Castle

Osaka Castle Playground