Slightly Horrified Voice...."Japan? With kids?"
Who Said Japan Isn't a Family Destination? Think Again.
If you mention taking children to Japan, you'll often get the same reaction — raised eyebrows, a slightly worried "really?" But here's the truth: Japan might genuinely be one of the best family destinations in the world.
It's astonishingly safe. The streets, the trains, the public toilets are spotlessly clean. Family facilities are everywhere. And underneath all that practicality is a country absolutely bursting with wonder for children — deer that eat right out of your hand, bullet trains that feel like something from the future, temples with floors that squeak on purpose to catch intruders, and enough conveyor-belt sushi and convenience store snacks to keep even the fussiest eater happy.
There's also something else going on already, quietly, in a lot of households — so many children are already completely obsessed with Japan without even realising it. Manga, anime, the little cute characters on their stationery and lunchboxes — Japan has a way of reaching children long before they ever set foot there. It felt like exactly the right country to explore properly in a Colour the World book.
How did I get obsessed with Japan
I design travel activity books for children through Colour the World, so when my cousin Sharon asked me to help plan a family trip to Japan, something clicked almost straight away.
Sharon is currently going through breast cancer treatment. Alongside it, she's still caring for her own family and her elderly father — she has been, honestly, remarkably brave through all of it. In the middle of everything she's dealing with, she wanted to take her family to Japan, and she asked me to help plan the trip.
Helping her plan it — researching, learning about the country properly for the first time myself — sparked something in me too. I remember thinking, partway through, that this would make such a beautiful Colour the World book. The Japan book has a genuinely different feel to the rest of the range — same activities at its heart, but the whole look and style is distinctly Japanese, shaped by everything I learned while putting Sharon's itinerary together.
I gave Sharon one of the very first copies. The book is dedicated to her.
Here's what we came up with for her family adventure to Japan.
Tokyo first, gently
Three nights, kept relatively low-key. Shibuya Crossing for the sheer spectacle of it. Harajuku for crepes and quirky fashion. Akihabara for the gamers in the family. And teamLab Planets — genuinely one of the most magical, immersive experiences you can give a child, digital art you walk right through.
Kyoto, Nara and the deer
Two nights in Kyoto for the thousands of torii gates at Fushimi Inari, the otherworldly bamboo grove at Arashiyama, and a castle with floors designed to squeak. Then onto Nara — home to over 1,000 wild deer who wander freely and will happily eat crackers from small hands. I genuinely think this will be the moment most families remember longest.
Osaka's buzz, then Hiroshima's quiet weight
A single night in Osaka for neon lights and street food chaos in Dotonbori. Then three nights in Hiroshima — including the Peace Memorial Park, which is heavy, important, and I believe valuable for older children to experience. Miyajima Island softens it again, with its floating torii gate and even more friendly deer roaming free.
The bit that matters most
Japan isn't just "doable" with children. It might actually be one of the best places you could take them — safe enough that you can relax, and wonderful enough that they'll remember it for the rest of their lives.
If you're planning your own trip, or simply want to bring a little of that wonder home before you go, the Colour the World Japan Activity Book is launching very soon — packed with the same curiosity and colour that made this trip so special.
Curious children become kind adults. 🌍💛