We are back from an I N C R E D I B L E trip to Japan! Well, physically, at least; our minds are still not fully back yet as we continue to research other parts of the country, what it means to live there, and more.
It was our first international trip with two little ones, a 4-year-old and nearly 2-year-old, which I would say are the two hardest ages to be doing this kind of trip with. We lived to tell you all about it (!) and despite the tiredness, the numerous times we had to lecture Emmett from dashing off at the most inopportune time or calm down a tantrumming Nathan, we tell everyone, we’ll do the whole trip again tomorrow if given the chance. I contemplated sharing “tips on traveling with kids,” but honestly, there are plenty of blogs and things out there about that. I am always happy to chat with you if you plan a trip, but I also don’t have a ton of sage advice other than gathering up all the patience you have. :)
Thankfully, it was not our first trip to Japan – and I am very grateful to say that as being able to travel is a big privilege, or we might’ve cried a bit at missing out on certain “must-see’s” (namely, the food part was the most challenging with kids). Prior to having kids, Stephen and I had traveled to various parts of Japan, many of which I recommend, including Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Naoshima (my favorite spot in the world), and Okunoshima for all the bunny lovers! This time around, we were inspired by my friend and his littles to fly to a different island altogether - Kyushu, the southernmost island of Japan. We braved the left-side road driving and roadtripped through with our little rental car, starting from Fukuoka - Okawachiyama - Unzen - Mt. Aso / Kyukamura - Takahachi / Miyazaki - Yufuin - Beppu. It was incredible to see the countryside with peace away from the hustle and bustle of larger cities. Often, we were the only random family of four with two little ones who couldn’t grasp the concept of why we kept trying to shush them (hah!). Driving was also in many ways easier for our kids to adapt to, especially for naps and lugging around food and snacks, luggage, starting and stopping at places as we please.
Other than our big road trip through Kyushu, which took a week, we did spend a few days on the tail-end in Tokyo. Everyday included something for the kids, whether it was the toy or train museum, a food or toy find for Stephen, or a stationery pit stop for me. Even though we were advised that when traveling with kids, keep the itinerary light with just one activity a day, we still managed to squeeze in quite a bit - I was probably the one that nudged it more than any. I didn’t actually spend much time planning out Tokyo, but once I stepped foot there, I was reminded of how much of a city girl I am at heart, and how joyous I felt to just sit on a train, going from here to there.
I can talk for another week about my trip, but I’ll share the highlights of highlights for me. Unzen has now made it on my list of favorite spots in the world. Unzen is located in the center of the Shimabara peninsula neighboring Nagasaki and Kumamoto. It’s most known for the volcanic Mt. Unzen and the numerous hot springs in the area. This was probably the fanciest stay of our trip with our room looking out into the hot springs. Stephen and I took turns taking a bath in the onsen overlooking the mountains and for a small moment, I felt like I actually took a little vacation just for myself. What also drew me to this very specific resort was that they had a lobby area that had tabletop platen presses with a mini workshop on letterpress printing with various hiragana and katakana. I was ecstatic!
The other part I enjoyed were little stationery stops in Tokyo. Kakimori is one of my favorite ones with beautiful paper and writing utensils, but more so, a selection of materials with which you can customize your own notebook. I created one during my last trip almost 8 years ago, and was happy to be able to return again to this spot to make my next book. The ultimate souvenir for myself, which motivated me to actually write down, pen to paper, my travels and other life events.
My little one is asking often now, “when are we going back to Japan?” We all ask the same. But more so, we are bit again by the travel bug. Stephen and I feel empowered to bring our kids along to many adventures in the future. If you have any spots to recommend, we’d love to hear about it!
