There are reasons why people revisit Japan so often:
Payments — All forms, like cash, credit cards (physical or phone) and even a local card called IC that you can pick up easily, works in every little shop.
Instructions — You can easily find instructions in English in every mall or train station, getting lost will in itself be an art.
Helpfulness — And if you do get lost, Japanese people will go out of their way to help you, following you all the way till the place you need to go. Never seen this much helpfulness in any other country.
Food — There is something for everyone. Even if you choose Italian veg, which we ended up doing once too often, it is not just great tasting food, but an interesting fusion like pasta with seaweed, making it a truly local experience irrespective of your cuisine choice or restrictions.
So much to do — For a small country, the list of things to do are endless, making this the last and most important reason why people revisit Japan so often.
Things to do at Tokyo:
Disney Sea — This is an amazing experience, far better than Hong Kong or LA that I’ve been to. Despite the crowd, you can do as many rides or shows as your energy and time permits by planning through the app. The highlight is the end of day spectacle in the water — what a show!
Ueno Zoo — High ROI Zoo, where you can watch so many animals in just a few steps, with the highlight being Lei Lei and Rhi Rhi, the 2 pandas that put on a show for you.
Odaiba — A commercial coastal region of Tokyo for some sights like a mini Statue of Liberty and great shopping. There are activities like Legoland and Trick parks for kids here.
Sensoji Temple — One of many temples in Tokyo, but this one is right next to a market where you can sample loads of Japanese desserts.
Team Lab Planets — There are two versions of Team Lab currently in Tokyo and this one is a temporary installation running until end of 2027. We chose this over the other one because of the temporary nature and because we read it may be more enjoyable for a toddler. The experience was really fantastic. There is one section with a digital forest which in itself you could spend a few hours — it was all about capturing animals you see on the screen onto your phone, reading about them, and then releasing them back to the forest. Absolutely amazing concept. Many of the other installations we had seen elsewhere — Manila, the new Paradox in Hyderabad — so the novelty factor was lesser, but the installations are still fabulous and you could really spend quite a lot of time here. The average time spent is about two hours, which is what we did, though we went quite late and could have spent three to four hours easily. One section is based on a water theme where you take off your shoes and socks and wade through water — do this first, it is the best part of the entire experience.
Kidzania — Located on the top floor of Lala Port mall, this is one of the most efficiently designed kids’ spaces I have ever seen. Almost every profession a kid might want to role-play is available in one compact area. Neo tried being a veterinarian, electrician, car mechanic, firefighter and even a subway driver, and had an absolute blast learning the techniques of each and dressing up accordingly. The day is divided into two slots — six hours in the morning and four hours in the afternoon. We went in the afternoon and spent more than three hours, but felt like it could easily have been six. Highly recommended for anyone with kids.
St Luke’s International Hospital — Not the place you would want to visit, but worth knowing about in case of any emergency — as I discovered firsthand with a bad bout of stomach pain. Good English, full facilities including CT scan and ultrasound, and very efficient. We first went to a nearby hospital but the language barrier made it impossible to navigate — St Luke’s is the one to head to without hesitation.
Things to do at Kyoto/Osaka:
Fushimi Inari Shrine — This is the insta-famous Tori gate endless path temple. It is in Kyoto and there are other Tori gate temples across Japan, including a smaller version in the Nezu Shrine near Tokyo for those who don’t visit Kyoto, but this one in Kyoto is by far the best.
Cherry Blossom — Depending on the season, you are said to get some of the best views, which we unfortunately were too late in the season to catch it. 
Things to do at Hakone:
A very well organised loop from Tokyo that takes you through some of the most scenic parts of Japan. The journey itself is part of the experience — travelling by Tozan train into Gora, cable car up to Sounzan, ropeway across to Owakudani and then down to Togendai, before crossing Lake Ashi on a pirate ship to Moto-Hakone.
The best part is actually the different stops along the way, each with something small and quirky and enjoyable.
At Gora we had candyfloss that was designed to look exactly like the clouds you could see outside the window.
At Owakudani, the sulphur boiled eggs are a concept in themselves and we had quite a few of them as part of a light lunch.
But the absolute highlight was the Bakery and Table restaurant at Lake Ashi, where I had the best cream bun I have ever had, sitting and watching the lake.
The main draw of the loop for most people is Shrine at Lake Ashi — the irony for us was that by the time we got there, we were exhausted, the weather had turned rainy, and having already visited Fushimi Inari Shrine, what I consider the best shrine in Japan, we were happy to skip it and spend that time at the bakery instead.
Things to do in other places:
Mt Fuji — This one comes en route Tokyo to Osaka and viewing is weather dependent. On one way we got a clear viewing, but the other way, when we decided to spend time in Shin-Fuji which was the only place we managed to catch the Cherry Blossoms given the season was almost ending by time of our visit, it was cloudy and couldn’t even tell there was a mountain in our midst.
Nara Deer Park — Fascinating to interact with deer up close this way. Some get crazy, but the tourists deserve that for offering food needlessly. If you let them be, they are happy to pose for as many photos you want.
Old Towns — There are places like Gion right in the middle of a bustling city like Kyoto that seem stuck in a past centuries ago. Requires booking months in advance to watch a Geisha or dine in one of these places, but just walking around is mesmerizing.
Shopping:
Ginza — Premium izakaya dining options and loads of high fashion brands like Chanel, LV and the concept Onitsuka Tiger store. The last one is not worth the hype — a fancy yellow building with just a few of their latest innovations. For hardcore fans only.
Itoya — Two buildings in Ginza. Possibly the best place for stationery anywhere in the world. Eight floors of everything in one building and a separate four floors dedicated entirely to kids’ stationery where toddlers will have a blast.
Shinjuku — One of the best shopping spots in Tokyo. The Nike store has all their historic ads displayed and options to customise apparel and shoes. So many other brands like Adidas and Charles & Keith, all with high quality staff and service. Not as premium as Ginza’s main street, not as cheap as the Ginza shopping arcade — sits comfortably in the middle. Best part — after shopping, loads of street food options:
- Crepe Petit Varie Shinjuku for the most delicious fresh fruit and cream crepes
- Meigohaku Katsugorou Shinjuku for hot creamy waffles
- A burger joint nearby where the chicken tartare tasted so good — though that may have been end-of-day tiredness and a desire for something familiar rather than spending more time translating a menu
Food:
This needs a section of its own, despite the fact that most of this trip I either ate fried chicken to give Neo company for his potato fries, or pasta and random Italian or Indian veg food to give company to Bangdu and family.
Towards the end of the trip, we met Shiori, a Japanese local, at an Izakaya restaurant and had the best sake, beer and food of the trip. She was visibly shocked when we told her we hadn’t sampled ramen, sushi or even teppanyaki yet.
But there was a lot about food she taught us:
Wasabi is best paired with high fat food as it cuts the fat — the combination of wasabi with pork fried in miso that I had here was like dosa and chutney, they went so perfectly together. Equally, wasabi with sashimi, which is low fat, tasted overpoweringly strong. Finally learned the right way to pair wasabi, with that first experience at the Ambassador Hotel in Churchgate still so fresh in my mind by comparison.
Bonito fish flakes are used as garnishing for many dishes and taste absolutely amazing.
Shabu Shabu — the name refers to the sound the thin slices of meat make in the soup. It is the hot pot itself, not a brand name — something we had assumed until this point from our time in the Netherlands.
Restaurants we visited and recommend: Bombay Sizzlers, Gochisoya, Verve Coffee Roasters, Momo Paradise, Ginkado Asakusa, Rozeterrace, Eggs and Things, Zaraku Ueno, Tonkatsu Ganko, Kyo Umare Karasuma, Lavasarra.
Travel:
Japan Airlines is my new favourite airline. They serve food for toddlers first, and it is so well presented that the kids actually focus on their food instead of the screen, at least for a little while.
Philippine airlines. Took this the second time we visited Japan and while it’s nowhere comparable to Japan airlines, it’s a huge upgrade from the ones doing the domestic route. Best part was the safety briefing, designed like a classic Filipino soap opera.
Shinkansen — the bullet trains are an amazing experience and the most efficient way to cover distance between cities.
Ubers are expensive, comparable to Europe, but with kids and strollers you sometimes don’t have a choice.
Accommodation:
Play Resi Hotel, Kyoto — So incredible that a return trip to Kyoto just to stay here is already on the cards. Hope we can do it before Neo outgrows the place.
Grand Princess Hotel, Tokyo — The main reason for booking was that this is where Geeta stays when she comes for work, so rather than researching further we just went with the familiar option. In hindsight, it is a business hotel and something rare for Japan; they were surprisingly quick to say no to anything out of the ordinary, whether that was helping make a restaurant reservation that required a local phone number, or accommodating a payment online rather than by credit card on the spot. Most hotels we have stayed in would have found a way around these requests, but not here. It is also quite far from everything you would want to visit as a tourist, requiring a cab to get anywhere. Fine for a work trip, but not the right base for a holiday.
