A family trip to Japan should be fun to both adults and kids. There are thousands of temples and shrines in Japan. Visiting religious facilities like that and must be an interesting experience. But would you like to visit fun places for kids as well? Here are some of my recommendations. I’m sure both you and your kids will love them.
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Itsukushima island
Itsukushima (= Miyajima) is one of the most popular sight seeing spots in Japan. Itsukushima is its official name. Miyajima is another name and has been used since the Edo period (1600).
You need to take a ferry to get to the island from JR Miyajimaguchi station. If you are a foreign tourist with JR railway pass, you could use it. If not, it will cost 180 JPY .
At the entrance of the ferry terminal, there is one of the famous Momiji manjyu shops, Okinado. My mother-in-law is originally from Hiroshima and she loves Momji manjyu from Okinado.
If you need some snacks, make sure you buy them. They could be a good souvenir as well. Momiji Manjyu is made from buckwheat and rice. The typical filling is red bean paste but there are some varieties such as chocolate, cream or cheese.
The ferries to Miyajima are not so big but have enough seats for passengers. It’s just a 20-minute ride.
There are lots of cafes, restaurants, food stands, hotels, inns, and souvenir shops on Miyajima island. There are a lot of dears on the street. When you buy some food at the food stand, you have to watch out for dears. Try to avoid feeding dears as much as possible. And keep your paper money safe. Because they tend to mistake it as food. They are aggressive when they see something on your hand especially food .
Grilled oysters, conger eel and Agemomiji (Fried Momiji manjyu) is a must-eat on the island.
Mt. Misen is the highest mountain on Miyajima island. It takes about a couple of hours to hike to the top. There is a ropeway to help you climb. The scenery is outstanding and I highly recommend it.
| adults | kids between 6-12 yrs old | |
| one way | 1,010 yen | 510 yen |
| both way | 1,840 yen | 920 yen |
Itsukushima Shrine
Isukushima Shrine is a world heritage site. Its vermilion Torii gate looks like it’s floating on the sea. At low tide, you can walk to the Torii gate or at high tide, you can go through the gate by the boat.
“Torii” means a place for birds to stay. Birds are believed to be avatars of gods and godess. That’s why some people believe that Torii gate is a place for them to rest.
Most of the Japaese people think “Torii gates” are gates dividing diety’s world to human world.
The shrine has magestic beauty.
The entrance fee is just 300 JPY for adults, 200 for high school students, and 100 for junior and elementary school students.
However, you should skip the treasure hall if you are with small kids. It could be interesting for adults but not so much for young kids.
| Adress | 1-1 Miyajima-cho, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima 739-0588 |
| Hours | 9:00 -16:00 |
| Phone number | 0829-44-2020 |
Miyajima Aquarium
Miyajima Public Aquarium is a small aquarium which is a nice place to visit with your kids.
Their opening hours is 9:00 – 17:00 and the reception closes at 16:00.
The entrance fee is 1,420 yen for adults, 710 yen for elementary and junior high school students, 400 yen for young children, and free of charge for kids under 4 years old.
Staff members feed penguins, sea lions, and otters. In addition to that, you are allowed to touch some sea animals. You should check their event schedule on their website before you visit. Weekdays, Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays have a slightly different schedule. Please visit their website and click “EVENT” to check the schedule.
It has also a cafeteria inside of the building where you can eat some snacks such as delicious Hamburgers and French fries.
When I was there, I had a combo of the Ramen and seasoned rice. It was only 1,000 JPY.
| Address | 10-3, Miyajima-cho, Hatsukaichi-shi, Hiroshima Japan 739-0534 |
| Hours | 9:00 -17:00 |
| Phone number | +81 829-44-2010 |
Hotel Miyajima Villa
Hotel Miyajima Villa (Miyajima Bessou in Japanese) was built in 2017. It’s sparkling clean and perfect for parents with kids, a small group of friends and families.
There are 3 features to this hotel.
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One of the major features of this hotel is their beds. The bed consists of three matteresses on one big bed frame. The reason for this bed feature is for the safety of the children. Parents can sleep on both ends of the bed while the children or child sleeps in the middle. |
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The second feature is their public hot spring. It has a beautiful view. Its tatami mat flooring is unique. Traditional Japanese baths are very slippery and dangerous for small kids and the eldery, but the tatami mat flooring is not slippery but soft. |
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Lastly,in their restaurant they serve fresh organic vegetables and local seafood. They have baby chairs and some plates for kids. In the morning, they serve freshly baked bread, some fruits and vegetables. I’m sure you can find it nutritious food for your kids’ breakfast. |
Numaji Transportation Museum
If you are traveling with young kids and need to take a rest from major sightseeing spots filled with tourists, this is the right place.
Numaji transportation museum is in Chorakuji, and it is surrounded by beautiful mountains. It’s just a 30-minute train ride from Hiroshima station. It’s in a quiet neighborhood and there are not many restaurants and shops around.
Here you can borrow baby strollers and wheelchairs for free.
| Admission fee for Exhibition (2nd to 4th floor) |
Adult | Youth (15-18 yrs old) | Adult (65 yrs old and over) |
| Individuals | 510 yen | 250 yen | 250 yen |
| Groups of 30 or more | 410 yen | 200 yen | 200 yen |
Every Saturday, on May 5th (Children’s Day) and November 3rd (Cultural Day), younger than 18 are free of charge.
My family and I didn’t have enough time so we skipped the exhibition.
There were some battery powered cars for kids and they cost 100 yen.
My 3-year old son was happy to take it for a spin.
There was a bicycle lane for kids and adults, and a small area for little kids with all kinds of funny-shaped bicycles.
Fun bicycles cost only 100 yen per person for adults and free for kids. We tried as many different bikers as we wanted. My son loved the Panda bike and made me ride it twice.
They had a small library with books for kids as well.
My son and I made a straw railway crossing and it was just ¥50 .
There was a little souvenir shop where you could buy bullet train socks, vehicle print bandages, or train chopsticks and so on.
I wish we could have had more time to see the exhibit but we needed to catch a train. This price was awesome for kids and very reasonable for adults. I recommend it!
| Address | 2-12-2, Chorakuji, Asaminami-ku,Hiroshima 7310143 |
| Hours | 9:00 – 17:00 (closed on Mondays, the day after national holidays, New Year’s Holidays from December 29th to January 3rd) |
| Phone number | ＋81-82-872-6211 |
Hiroshima yaki
I hope this article helps you plan your trip.
