Ready, Set, Go: Japan

Clean, safe, friendly and fun, Japan is one of the world’s most sought-after destinations for families. Here sabine morgan rounds up what you need to know before you go.

- Sabine Morgan

With more than half a million Australian tourists winging their way to the Land of the Rising Sun in 2018, it’s pretty clear that Australians can’t get enough of Japan. And families appear to be leading the charge.

And why not? It’s a naturally beautiful, safe, clean and an unapologetically eccentric destination where technology collides with an ancient culture coloured by tradition and festivals. A country where age-old temples sit humbly alongside towering skyscrapers, peaceful gardens share the same address as chaotic shopping strips and steamy onsens (mineral baths) nestle among some of the thickest powder snow in the world. Add kid-friendly cuisine, a freakishly punctual public transportation system, irresistibly kawaii (cute) characters and more activities than you can poke a samurai sword at, and you’ve got a recipe for family holiday heaven.

But there are few important things you should know before you go.

Well-seasoned Japan is a country quite literally for all seasons. Spring is like a fairytale come to life, summer is clean and green, autumn bursts with a blaze of brilliant colour and winter’s dazzling coat of white adds an almost otherworldly enchantment. There really is no bad time to visit, but you may need to plan around exactly what your family wants from a holiday.

If it’s cherry blossoms you seek, you’ll need to be strategic as the season lasts only a few weeks (generally beginning at the end of March in Tokyo) with timing differing from north to south. The autumn blaze of yellow, orange and red lasts longer, usually beginning in mid-September and continuing its flashy show until the beginning of November.