I hope that a lot of people are planning to visit Japan after the corona virus pandemic is over.
I would love to introduce these three attractions and one accommodation, Tore Tore Market, Adventure World, Shirarahama beach, and Yukai Resort Shirahama Saichoraku to parents with toddlers.
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Tore Tore Market
Tore Tore Ichiba (Tore Tore Market) is a fisherman’s market in Tore Tore park. Tore Tore park is an entertainment complex that includes a hot spring, accommodations, a food court, restaurants, a pharmacy and a fishing pond.
The market is spacious, lively and exciting. It is full of tourists but is still worth visiting. You can buy many kinds of fish, seafood and watch a tuna cutting show in the market.
My family and I bought five packages of sushi from the market and red miso soup from the food court which we ate there. It cost about 4,000 yen.
In the market, they sold a large size portion of rice for 370 yen and we bought two portions of negitoro, for 500 yen. It was supposed to be Japanese leek and tuna, but this one was only tuna. It was fresh, delicious and super sized.
My husband tried the mikan (mandarin orange) soft-served ice cream and he let me taste it. It was very delicious. I highly recommend it.
We didn’t buy food at the food court but visitors can eat sushi, sashimi bowls, and noodles at the food court. The average price is 1,000 yen or more.
There was also an all-you-can eat option available at the restaurant, ToreTore tei.
| Time | Price | |
| Breakfast | 8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. | 1,120 yen (Adults) 600 yen (3-5 years old) |
| Lunch | 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. | 1,320 yen (Adults) 920 yen (6-12 years old) 600 yen (3-5 years old) |
| Dinner | 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. | 2,750 yen (Adults) 1,320 yen (6-12 years old) 600 yen (3-5 years old) |
You can also stay at ToreTore village, go fishing in the fishing zone and take a bath at ToreTore Hot Springs.
Shirahama Adventure World
You can visit a zoo, an aquarium, a safari, a game arcade and small theme park rides with kids at Adventure World.
The park ground is about 800,000 kilometers long. From my personal experience, the good seasons to visit Adventure World are spring, autumn, and winter because the park doesn’t have many trees or buildings to shade us from the sun.
When you go there in the summer, you should see the safari in the morning or in the evening. Animals in the safari are usually active at those times. Also, it’s relatively cooler than the day time.
The easiest way to see the safari is taking the free bus called “Kenya” . It goes to both its herbivorous and carnivorous areas.
The most exciting way to see the safari is either by bicycle or by golf cart. Renting a bicycle is 1,200 yen for adults and 700 yen for 6-year-old children and over for a period of 60 minutes. Renting a golf cart is 5,000 yen for a period of 60 minutes. It accommodates 5 people at maximum.
Wanderers, bicycles and golf carts are not allowed to enter the carnivorous zone. But you can stop, take a look at any animals you like and take pictures of them. On top of that, you can feed giraffes and emus.
Giant pandas are the biggest feature of Adventure world. They are must-see animals. The facility is a nice home for them because they have outdoor bathes and about 10 air-conditioners inside the building.
They also have live shows performed by dolphins and sea lions. It’s worth seeing them.
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To be honest, other animals, specially sea creatures, are not treated as well as giant pandas. Their cages are not big enough and well-equipped.
Kids would definitely love feeding, touching and seeing up close animals like ducks, capybaras, penguins and so on.
Shirarahama beach
The picture of Shirarahama beach was taken in the winter and the water was not so clear.
When you go there in the summer, the sea is more beautiful and the beach is full of tourists.
The sand of the beach is white and soft. It feels so nice to walk barefoot on it.
Shirasuna onsen (hot spring) is located just next to the beach. You can go directly into the hot spring with your swim suits on after playing at the beach. It’s very convenient and a nice touch for your weary bodies.
Shirarahama beach is equipped with showers , changing rooms and lockers. There are some shops where you can buy drinks and food near the beach.
Yukai Resort Shirahama Saichoraku
If you would like to travel to Shirahama with your kids, Yukai Resort Shirahama Saichoraku is the hotel for you.
The lobby is spacious and clean. They welcome us with plum, and mandarin juice.
You can choose your own yukata from their Yukata corner, right next to the front desk.
This ball pool next to the front desk is one of the best features for kids. It was my son’s favorite place.
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The room where we stayed was clean and big enough for the four of us. It also had a balcony. The mattress under the futon would be nice for foreign guests who are not accustomed to sleeping on a futon. The room did not have a shower room or a bathtub but it had a toilet, an empty fridge, and a basin to wash our hands and faces.
The buffet restaurant is spacious and sparkling clean.
DSC_2479We tried various kinds of food like sushi, sashimi, and tempura. Everything was tasty. They had a Tuna cutting show that my 3-year-old son really liked.
The baby food stand and the kids play area are really helpful for parents who dine there.
My husband and I liked eating at buffet restaurants and this was my first time seeing a restaurant that served baby food for different age groups of babies (7 , 9 and 12 months).
Of course, they have cutlery and chairs for babies and kids.
The hot spring is huge and relaxing. The hot water quality is pretty good.
My husband and my sons have dry skin and they can’t live without moisturizers after taking a bath. The hot water there kept our skin moist and they were okay without moisturizers.
There are baby beds in the dressing room and baby chairs in the bathrooms, which are very helpful for parents.
The hotel is definitely a great place for parents and kids to stay in. I Highly recommend it.
Access
You can travel to Shirahama by air, train, bus, and car.
The name of the airport is Nanki-shirahama airport.
If you travel by train, you can use JR train.
You can also travel by Meiko bus from Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto to Shirahama.
When you travel by car, you should stop by Michinoeki and Service area (Rest area). There are convenience stores, cafeterias and gift shops. You can also buy some local food there.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope you have a wonderful trip in Shirahama.
