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Kids Travel Japan

ホーム
日本
Osaka, Osaka
Kids Travel Japan

We provide memorable opportunities for foreign tourist families in Japan to socialize and play with local Japanese families.

01/01/2023

Happy New Year everyone🥳 May 2023 be filled with new and fun adventures😄 Japan uses the 12 year Chinese zodiac and this year's zodiac is the rabbit.🐇 My daughter Celina was born in 2011 and that year also fell on Year of the Rabbit. Thus, her Chinese zodiac animal is the rabbit. The zodiac repeats every 12 years so that makes her 12 years old this year. All those born on past zodiac years of the rabbit are referred to this year as “toshi otoko”/"toshi onna" or Man of the Year/Woman of the year. Last year, I was “toshi otoko” as 2022 was Year of the Tiger and 1986, the year when I was born, was also Year of the Tiger. However, this year is supposed to be a year of luck for those like my daughter who were born within year of the Rabbit (recent years are 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, etc). If you're a rabbit man or woman this year, then it could be an awesome year.😎

As today’s New Year’s Day, we’ve ordered “osechi”, traditional Japanese dishes typically only eaten during the first few days of the new year.

Regarding Japan travel, tourism here is starting to rebound so perhaps we'll be able to organize international playdates once again and create unique opportunities for tourist families to mingle with local Japanese families. If you know any families who are heading to Osaka, Japan this year, have them get in touch👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

#2023 #2023年 #卯年 #兎 #新年 #お正月

03/01/2022

Happy New Year🥳 As Japan uses the 12 year Chinese zodiac, the zodiac animal of 2022 is the tiger.🐅I was born in 1986 and that year was also Year of the Tiger. Thus, my Chinese zodiac animal is the tiger. The zodiac repeats every 12 years. So it’s easy to calculate someone’s age if you know their zodiac sign. Because the cycle repeats, my age this year will be 36. And in Japan, men/women like me are called “toshi otoko”/"toshi onna" or Man of the Year/Woman of the year. This year is supposed to be an auspicious year for all those who were born within year of the Tiger (recent years are 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950, etc). Are you a Man or Woman of the year? If so, enjoy an entire year of fortune!🐯😎After all, one can be Man/Woman of the year only once every 12 years.

Switching topics, I haven't posted for a while as travel has taken a hit due to the virus 🦠 and I've had to switch gears and focus my energy towards other projects. Hopefully, this year will see the return of tourist families to Japan. 🇯🇵 Stay happy, healthy, and positive everyone‼️

01/01/2021

Happy 2021🎉🎆 Last year was an ultra wild year for humanity and it'll be very hard for this year to top 2020's craziness. So let's stay positive that this year will be much better👍💪 Towards the end of December every year, it's a tradition for Japanese to exchange traditional new year greeting cards to friends and family. These cards are called 年賀状 or "nengajou." This is our family's new year card (including pets 😺 🐦). Japan uses the 12 year Chinese zodiac so this year, the animal of the year is the ox/cow. Thus, the background of the card is cow🐄. Stay positive and healthy everyone❗

#2021 #2021年 #丑年 #元旦 #牛

07/08/2020

Kids👧👦 grow up fast and in Japan🇯🇵, the growth of children is celebrated at the ages of 3, 5, and 7. This event is called “shichi go san” in Japanese, which means “ seven, five, three.” This celebration has Shinto origins dating back over 1,000 years. Long, long ago, the child mortality rate was far higher than now so parents would take their children to Shinto shrines and pray for their child’s future health and longevity in addition to offering gratitude for the child having made it to such stage in life. This practice carries over to today and these days, parents together with relatives typically visit Shinto shrines on November 15th with the child and pray for the child’s future health. If the child is a boy, he will dress in traditional Japanese male clothing called “haori” and “hakama.” If the child is a girl, she will wear kimono 👘 This is a formal family occasion so the adults will dress in business suits and dresses. During and after the shrine visit, families usually memorialize the event by having pictures taken.

Here are some photos from about 2 years ago when my daughter was 7. We forgot to go to a shrine (oops❗️) but we had our pictures taken at a photo studio. 📸 We’ve had the hard copies for a while but last week, we finally got around to picking up the digital images as they require pickup in person only❗️😤It was me and my daughter’s first time wearing traditional Japanese clothing. If you have any children who are approaching the momentous ages of 3, 5, and 7, it would be a great time to appreciate their growth in life!🎉
#七五三

#七五三着物 #着物 #七五三撮影 #スタジオアリス @ Osaka, Japan

25/07/2020

Japan🇯🇵is not in lockdown due to COVID-19 at the moment but it was for nearly 2 months😰Check out my latest YouTube video to see what the vibes of downtown Osaka were like during this hectic period and learn what a Japanese lockdown was truly like. Link below❗️ Stay safe and positive everyone 💪

https://youtu.be/DYNL_L8NHa8

#新世界 #ビリケン

15/06/2020

All public schools here in Osaka are completely back in business from today❗ Here our daughter is at the subway station on her way to school.🙆 She'll be riding the subway every day. School hours had been limited and staggered these past 2 weeks. Classes were divided into two groups with one group going in the morning and another going in the afternoon. These groups would rotate morning and afternoon. The scheduling caused many headaches for parents but it is what it is. Regarding Tokyo, there's been an uptick in infected, the worst since May 5th with about 47 new infections discovered in one day. It's not as bad compared to my native U.S. but it's not a step forward. We'll have to deal with infection upticks for the foreseeable future. For the time being, life is thankfully getting back to normal. Let's just hope we don't get overwhelmed with any massive second waves. Stay safe and positive💪

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#コロナウイルス #中津駅 #御堂筋線

28/05/2020

Meet Billiken, a symbol of Osaka. This gnome-like creature was interestingly created by an American artist in the early 1900s and soon brought to the Shinsekai district of Osaka to become a mascot of a new amusement park. Billiken’s fame quickly rose thanks in part to its popular merchandise and Osaka residents ultimately accepted Billiken as a god of good fortune. If you rub his left foot, it's said you can get fortune regarding wealth. If you rub his right foot, you'll get fortune regarding love and friendship. In order to commemorate Billiken’s 100th anniversary since living here in Shinsekai, a shrine was built to offer passersby good fortune. He's been wearing his mask since February to avoid catching the coronavirus.🦠😷Which foot of Billiken would you like to rub⁉️
#ビリケン
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#新世界 #大阪

26/05/2020

The octopus is the unofficial mascot of Osaka.🐙Many Osaka restaurants like this one here in the Shinsekai neighborhood of Osaka entice hungry customers by hanging out large flashy octopus displays or displaying cute octopus cartoon characters. Does your city have any creature as a mascot⁉️
#新世界
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#串カツ #大阪 #たこ焼き #タコ

26/05/2020

Great news❗️The nationwide state of emergency here in Japan has been lifted and new infections have substantially decreased. The country was under this unofficial lockdown for nearly 7 long-lasting weeks.😔 Japan is now reporting only a few dozen new infections per day in the entire country. This is a huge relief for businesses and citizens who were anxious about getting infected. There were many Japan naysayers, doomsday cults, and internet trolls who came out of the woodwork by saying things like "Tokyo will become the next COVID-19 epicenter after New York City" or "This is a sign of the end of the world." To them, I say "eat your words!" Obviously, the COVID battle here isn't over yet but Japan has been making great progress despite the lax lockdown that it implemented. I will be adding content this week regarding what life was like here in Osaka during the state of emergency so stay tuned.👍We will get through this. Stay positive and stay safe everyone❗️💪

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#コロナウイルス

25/05/2020

Osaka (and its citizens😆) is known in Japan for being ostentatious, in your face, and over the top.🤪 Here's a perfect example of a typical entrance of a popular Osaka based supermarket. Osaka's flashiness is sure to leave a mark on your memory.😅
#スーパー玉出
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#大阪 #玉出 #新世界 #西成 #釜ヶ崎 #あいりん地区

21/05/2020

In Japan🇯🇵 , it's very common for restaurants to display the menu together with prices on the walls.
#串カツ
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20/05/2020

Please join our IGlive and feel free to pick my brain regarding parenting a bicultural🇯🇵🇺🇸🙆 child in Japan in this crazy year of 2020. ()
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On for our next stop✈🛩🛫, we will be traveling to Osaka, Japan, to talk to Caleb from where we will be talking about parenting in the year 2020!!! Join us May 20, 10 am EST 🇺🇲, 11 pm Japan time🇯🇵!!🙇🏽‍♀️
If you miss our last conversation with we will be uploading it soon on our website and YouTube with subtitles!!!
(I am still trying to upload the video to my IGTV but is not working 😔 )
❤❤❤🔥🔥🔥🔥❤❤❤❤🖤
How are we sharing our values with our children? What does our society support? What does freedom, community, responsibility and autonomy mean for you? *
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06/05/2020

Perhaps the most famous landmark of Osaka is the Glico sign located in the Dotonbori area. Glico is a Japanese snack/sweets company that was born here in Osaka. If you are a fan of Japanese treats, you will surely have heard of Glico.😋🍡🍦🍬🍫
#大阪
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　　 #道頓堀 #グリコ

02/05/2020

Hozenji Temple is a small but quaint Buddhist temple located in Namba, one of the busiest shopping districts in the city. It has a peaceful and magical charm to it that really comes alive at night when it's many lanterns glow. It was built in 1637 and was originally much larger. During World War 2, a brutal air raid burnt the temple to the ground but miraculously, the main temple statue survived. Since then, it's become a symbol of the district and when making a wish, it's a tradition to splash water onto the statue. Because of this, the statue is eternally covered in moss. #法善寺 #法善寺横丁
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01/05/2020

This well fed cat is either this Japanese shrine’s guardian, intruder, or deity😸. This mini shrine is located in Shinsekai, a unique district of Osaka.
#新世界稲荷神社 #新世界
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17/04/2020

Shinsekai, an older part of Osaka which is famous for local Osaka soul food.😋🥢🗾
#新世界
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17/04/2020

This is the closest Japan 🇯🇵 will get to a lockdown. Here's what the main subway line (Midosuji Line) on the Osaka Metro 🚇 looked like at 4PM yesterday. Japan issued a state of emergency 9 days ago but legally, the government cannot penalize citizens or businesses for continuing their daily grind. Because Japan's largest cities rely on transportation by trains 🚞 and subways, this is the result.🤔

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#コロナウイルス　　　　　　　　　　　 #御堂筋線

16/04/2020

Outside our favorite sushi 🍣restaurant, Kurazushi. If your family visits Japan🗾, kids will love this place as sushi is served from the kitchen to your table by conveyor belt. And for each 5 plates of sushi you purchase, you get a chance to win sushi trinkets by playing a lottery game. Nearly all sushi plates cost 100 yen each.👍🇯🇵In this picture, we have 'maguro' or tuna. What's your favorite sushi🍣⁉️
#くら寿司 #回転寿司
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#寿司 #新世界

15/04/2020

It's been 1 week since Japan 🇯🇵 issued a state of emergency due to COVID-19. Legally, the government cannot penalize people from going out nor can it force companies to stop doing business. However, it now can 1) appropriate land/buildings to use as medical facilities without the agreement of the owner 2) force Japanese companies to sell medical equipment/food to the government. Many didn't expect this state of emergency to change much but the government has strongly urged companies and private schools to cooperate by moving online or closing until May 6th. Due to social and political pressure, most companies/private schools have cracked and begun cooperating. Supermarkets, minimarts and other companies that provide essential services will remain open. Trains/buses here in Osaka continue to run as scheduled but there are very few passengers now. Downtown streets are looking quite empty and though there are a few local shops that continue to do business here and there, it's possible that they will soon close as April drags on. Though the number of infected has greatly increased in the last 10 days, mortalities are under 150 at the moment. Hopefully, the country is doing something right to mitigate the damage of this nasty virus. 🇯🇵🌸
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#コロナウイルス

03/04/2020

The academic year and financial year in Japan begin in April. Schools, universities, and companies all across the country start off spring with a bang by holding entrance ceremonies and new employee training sessions. Millions of students and young people entering the work force look forward to a new “year.” Unfortunately, the mood this year is drastically different. Cases of COVID-19 have been increasing, especially in Tokyo. Locals are becoming nervous that a virus wave will strike the country leaving Japan to a similar fate as many Western countries. Thus, Tokyo and Osaka have announced that all public schools be closed until the first week of May. This is now the third time that schools in Japan have been canceled and rescheduled. Other parts of Japan are following suit and extending the start of schools to May. Amusement parks including Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan have extended closures until mid April. A few large restaurant chains have decided to close for 2 weeks until mid April. Though cases of COVID-19 are growing, mortalities remain low in the double digits. There is no lockdown in the county but governors and mayors have been urging citizens to stay at home as much as possible. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to enjoy the lovely cherry blossoms in Japan with friends and family this year. I look forward to welcoming a spring when this pandemic is over.🇯🇵🌸
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#コロナウイルス

26/03/2020

Continuing from my last post, why don’t Japanese parents take their children to a daycare center or a babysitter’s home? Japanese don’t typically do this because:

Japanese are very mindful of responsibility. If their child gets injured under the care of a babysitter, will the babysitter accept full responsibility? Does the babysitter have insurance? Does the child’s play zone properly maintain safety procedures? If there’s a fire or disaster, is there a procedure in place?
There are professional childcare centers and professional nannies here that offer parents peace of mind but this comes at a high price.

Thus, with schools being cancelled, full-time working parents and especially single mothers have been in a bind. Many of them have taken time off work to care for their children but this obviously brings in less family income. Some have sent their children aways to the grandparents' home to stay until this nasty virus blows over. However, the elderly are most at risk so it might be unwise to have children around their grandparents.

Other parents have paid the high rates of childcare centers but because school is out, many of these centers are now overly crowded and this could further increase risk of COVID-19 infection. Lastly, other parents have resorted to paying professional nannies to come over and babysit the children at home but fear of infection by having a non-family member enter the home is on the minds of parents.

At the moment, children in Japan have spring break and are expected to begin the new school year as planned from April 6th. However, because of the ever-changing COVID-19 situation, there's a possibility that school will be closed again thus putting parents in precarious circumstances.
Well, I thought I'd highlight challenges parents in Japan have been facing. If your family were in the same boat, how would your children be taken care of⁉️

25/03/2020

COVID-19 has caused heartache and headaches across the globe. I’d like to discuss the multiple inconveniences it’s caused families recently. Late last month, it was announced that all K-12 schools in Japan were to close for 2 weeks, which eventually became 3 weeks, due to the virus outbreak. With only 4 days of notice, working parents scrambled to find someone to look after their young ones.

Traditionally, grandparents would often live together in the same household in Japan. With 3 generations living under 1 roof, the grandparents could look after children in time of need. These days, however, grandparents live separately from their children and grandchildren.

Why don’t they have a babysitter come to their home then? Well, Japan doesn’t have this custom for the following reasons:
Space in cities is very limited leading to expensive and small apartments.
Most Japanese consider it rude if a homeowner doesn’t tidy up before a guest arrives. Thus, welcoming anyone into one’s home involves pressure to clean up and make the home presentable.

It may be common for Americans to call a local high schooler over to their home to watch the kids but Japanese are much too cautious to do the same and I’ll get into why in my next post.

How do you feel about having a babysitter come into your home to watch over your children? Do you feel pressure to tidy up the home? Who takes care of the kids while you either work at home or work away from home?

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24/03/2020

At Samuraido Dojo in Osaka, there is a plethora of replica weapons from ancient Japan 🗾so your family will have an enjoyable time learning how each weapon/tool was utilized by samurai and ninja.🇯🇵

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#侍 #大阪

23/03/2020

At the moment, many parts of the globe are in a state of lockdown. Sadly, the media is reporting that the health systems may be overwhelmed in many countries and panic has been overwhelming citizens.

In contrast, life in Japan at the moment is quite calm and ordinary. There is no lockdown and nearly all stores are open though some have shortened their hours of operation. In fact, Legoland Japan reopened today after having been closed for 3 weeks. At the moment, Tokyo Disneyland is set to reopen early next month. Some stores are even offering a "corona discount" to attract customers. Yes, there are fewer people at restaurants than usual but companies are doing their best to stay in business.

Spring in Japan is lovely and Japanese have a custom of going out for picnics and watching cherry blossoms. Thus, the warmer weather has drawn people outside.

K-12 schools across the country were closed for 3 weeks but now schools have entered spring break. Schools are scheduled to resume from April 6th and by then, children will have been out of school for over a month.

Hysteria in Japan peaked 25 days ago when government announced all schools nationwide would close. Just after that announcement, there was a panic buy of toilet paper which was soon imitated by Western countries. Thankfully, Japanese are able to remain calm during disasters and this can be seen if you look back at the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. Japanese remained civil and law and order did not crumble despite the severe circumstances.

Some people say Japan is letting its guard down and that a second wave of the virus could strike the country. Despite Japan's close proximity to China, there have only been 1,100 confirmed cases of the virus so far not including the Diamond Princess. Only time will tell whether Japan is doing something right or setting itself up for heartache.

Please be well and remain calm everyone!

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#コロナウイルス

13/03/2020

Master Nagahara, owner of Samuraido Dojo🇯🇵
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#侍 #大阪

12/03/2020

The master and the apprentice.🇯🇵
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#侍 #大阪

11/03/2020

If you and your family have plans to visit 🇯🇵 in the near future, you may be wondering whether to postpone your trip. I can’t make that decision but let me first speak briefly about the pros of visiting Japan anyway once you arrive here.

a) Popular tourist spots across the country are no longer crowded so having temples and shrines to yourselves is now a real possibility b) Hotel/Airbnb prices have significantly dropped due to low demand c) Trains/buses aren’t as crowded because more people are staying home or teleworking d) Due to fewer tourists, restaurants and shops that cater to tourists would gladly welcome your business likely leading to more attentive and exceptional service

Some things you need to be aware of: a) Places of business may have shorter hours than usual b) Most amusement parks are temporarily closed at the moment though they are expected to reopen from next week c) Some places may ask to measure your body temperature with a non-contact thermometer upon entering

Most places of business here have been taking the following measures to prevent the spread of the virus: a) Instead of hand dryers in restrooms, extra tissue and paper towels are offered b) Hand sanitizer at store entrances/exits for patrons c) To prevent stale air, air-purifiers are used or windows/doors are opened

Mass media/social media doesn't always report accurate information on covid-19 but if you follow common sense and personal hygiene, your family will certainly minimize risk if you do decide to move forward with travel plans. Stay safe & healthy everyone❗️
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#コロナウイルス