Japan was the first stop of our family’s year around the world. Here’s the big picture of what we did, what we learned, and why Japan was the perfect place to begin.
Japan was our first stop on this crazy year-long adventure. And… it is an incredible country that we absolutely fell in love with! After spending three weeks exploring, we completely understand why it tops so many travel lists. It was the perfect place to kick off our year-long adventure—a country that pulls you in with its beauty, precision, and quiet warmth.
We noticed early on that the streets and public spaces in Japan are unbelievably clean. What’s most striking is that the cleanliness doesn’t seem to come from strict laws or enforcement, but from a deep sense of respect people have for their surroundings and for one another. You see it everywhere—spotless sidewalks, welcoming people, thoughtful hotel details, and quiet moments of courtesy between strangers. It all comes from that same shared respect.
Also, you guys… the public bathrooms! Every single public bathroom was spotless and fully stocked with everything you could need. Bidets, soap, paper, cleanliness that sparkled. It was wild. The subway bathrooms (which we used frequently) were cleaner than any public bathroom we’ve used in America!
Throughout our time in Japan, we were struck by how different it was from New York City, yet it felt completely comfortable to be there. There was an order, a calm, and a shared understanding that made it easy to move through each day. It was an incredible way to begin our journey and set the tone for everything ahead.
What follows is the big picture of where we went and a brief summary. Over the next few posts, we will share more about our time in Japan, including meaningful experiences, friends we met along the way (yep!), must-stop locations, and a few early lessons learned.
🏙️ Tokyo (5 Nights)
I know this has never been said before, but Tokyo is huge…. like, I consider myself a New Yorker, and this place is massive. And it’s not just the sheer number of people, but the depth and scale of the city itself. Interestingly, most buildings are not massive, but they rise about fifteen stories high and stretch endlessly in every direction.
Tokyo is massive, efficient, and yet somehow still calm. The trains run perfectly, the stations are spotless, and everything just… works. We filled our days exploring neighborhoods, visiting playgrounds, animal cafes, and learning how to navigate the trains with two little ones who insisted on scanning the ticket entry themselves.
Our goal for Tokyo was simple: get grounded, adjust to the time zone, and find our rhythm as travelers. Jet lag hit hard, not with early wake-ups, but with emotional highs and lows. There were tears, giggles, and “I cannot walk anymore” moments in equal measure.
We also discovered world-class coffee… which to no surprise, is a theme for these Seattle natives. Elisa managed her soy allergy heroically, and our picky eaters mostly survived on pasta, pizza, and french fries, which thankfully Japan does well. Oh, and daily visits to 7-11!
We’ve accepted that we will be able to say we’ve sampled every country’s butter pasta and cheese pizza! My brother, Matt joined us after a few days in Tokyo and we’d head off after the kids’ bedtimes to find some non-Italian food to enjoy!
🏔️ Hakone (2 Nights at the Hyatt Regency Hakone Resort and Spa)
After the energy of Tokyo, we slowed things down in Hakone. We took a train, rented a car, and drove on the opposite of the road through winding mountain roads surrounded by mist and trees. Staying at the Hyatt Regency Hakone Resort and Spa gave us a front-row seat to the town’s famous hot springs and quiet hospitality.
Hakone is known for its onsens, or natural hot spring baths. They are a mix of relaxation and ritual, and there are a few simple but sacred rules. You must bathe before entering, no swimsuits are allowed, and yes, everyone is completely naked. The onsens are separated by gender, have hot and sometimes cold plunges, and is an experience that takes a bit of courage to embrace. Internalized body shame is so real!
We learned that onsens have a deep cultural meaning… part of the reason for the naked rule was historically to bring a moment of greater equality. So the story goes, without clothes, there are no markers of wealth or status, only people on equal (naked) footing.
Evelyn, always our little adventurer like her mom, joined Elisa in trying it and loved it. Of course, we all gave it a try and It was a beautiful reminder that travel is about stepping into new traditions, even when they push your comfort zone.
🏎️ Fuji Speedway Hotel (1 Night)
This place deserves a full post of its own… that’s coming. We stayed at the Fuji Speedway Hotel, a property built beside a real racetrack with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Mount Fuji and the racetrack. It was all cars, all day.
Mike, Matt, Evelyn, and Dax all got to suit up and drive around the track in real race cars. The kids were in the backseat, Uncle Famoo (aka Matt) in the passenger seat and Mike driving, it was a blast that Dax still talks about the hotel with the cars. It was one a life moments that reminded us why we’re doing it!
🍢 Osaka (3 Nights at the Hyatt Place Osaka)
Next up was returning the car and taking a train to Osaka. We stayed at the Hyatt Caption… which was incredibly small, but comfortable, and did the trick for being centrally located.
To be honest, we went to Osaka because everyone said we had to. “You have to do Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, then back to Tokyo,” they said. So we did. The first night, we found ourselves in an area filled with anime cafes and a big nightlife. It was fascinating, but not exactly our vibe. Once we moved past that, we discovered pockets of the city we really enjoyed and also had an amazing day trip to Nara Deer Park.
The highlight was meeting another family we had connected with through Substack who are also traveling the world with young kids. We met at a local park, shared stories, and watched the kids play together like old friends. That moment made Osaka worth it.
⛩️ Kyoto (4 Nights at the Hyatt Centric Kyoto)
Kyoto is only a short train ride from Osaka, and can be seen in the distance (made us think about Upper West Side to Brooklyn), but it feels like a world apart. It is serene and traditional, filled with temples, shrines, and narrow streets that seem to whisper their history. We stayed at the Hyatt Centric Kyoto, which was a perfect home base for exploring.
Mike and Matt became obsessed with ramen, discovering small local shops that changed how they think about the noodle soup. Elisa and I took care of some real-life errands, including a few work meetings, fixing our EarPods, and picking up essentials (loving the Japanese sunscreen) for the next leg of our trip. We also made a trip up to the Monkey Park and while the monkeys were fun, Evelyn made her first of many new friends so far on our journey. Overall, Kyoto gave us a balance of beauty and normalcy, including a daily morning coffee shop with school bus shaped bread… and we loved it.
🏡 Countryside Homestay (2 Nights)
After Kyoto, we spent two nights in a small countryside town at a family-run homestay. It ended up being one of our favorite parts of Japan and also where we celebrated Evelyn’s 8th birthday!
One evening, a local chef came to the home and taught us how to make soba noodles from scratch. It was part cooking class, part cultural exchange, and it was so much fun. Turns out Mike is not bad at cutting noodles. The kids were covered in flour, we laughed a lot, we held our breath as the kids wielded the giant knife, and the noodles were delicious.
Our homestay host also told us about a shrine we had to visit while we were there. We followed his advice, and it turned out to be the most beautiful shrine and gardens we’ve ever seen… we were completely blown away and rank it number one of all sights to see outside of the Kyoto/Osaka region.
🎢 Tokyo Disney Resort (3 Nights at the MiraCosta Hotel)
We ended Japan with one more visit to KidZania and then three memorable days at Tokyo Disney Resort, staying at the MiraCosta Hotel inside DisneySea. It is the only hotel located directly inside a Disney park. You can literally take the elevator down and walk right into DisneySea and see part of the park from your room.
For our family, Disney is always a special place. Elisa and Evelyn are our Disney and princess enthusiasts, so returning to “the happiest place on earth” felt extra special. We spent two full days at the park “DisneySea” – which is like walking through storybook lands, and one at “Disneyland,” going on rides, watching parades, and buying more popcorn than anyone could ever need. Dax LOVED the popcorn.
It was three days of magic, joy, sugar highs (and crashes), exhausted parents, and the perfect ending to our Japan adventure.
🎵 On To The Next (on, on to the next)…
After Disney, we found ourselves back on an airplane and heading to Taiwan.
We all left Japan feeling the same way: grateful, inspired, and eager to return. Japan remains high on our list of places to revisit, and we recommend it to anyone without hesitation. We already miss the spotless toilets.
This was the first part of our Japan journey. In the next few posts, we will share more stories from each Japan stop, including lessons learned, favorite moments, and a few surprises along the way.
