I’ve decided to just make a comprehensive list of places and experiences in Japan that you may like to book in advance – depending on what kind of holiday you maybe hoping for.
I totally understand that everyone gets FOMO (or whatever you would call it if you have FOMO in advance? Pre-FOMO?)
So here is a list and I’ll keep adding to it as I go.
Please see here for info on how to begin planning a Japan Family holiday (including time of year thoughts, order on which to plan different parts of the holiday etc.)
Here are the details of when Japanese school students are on holidays.
*Please note that I have not included most restaurants, JR or other travel passes and, of course accommodation*
See here if you’d like to know how to book bullet train tickets in advance
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains some affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Airport Transfers or Private Tour Guide Drivers
If someone in your group has mobility issues or you are stuck for time to see the sights in Hiroshima, Tokyo, Hokkaido or Kyoto, it is possible to organise for an English speaking driver for sightseeing OR airport / cruise transfers- and I recommend this company TokudAw as they only use legally registered vehicles and drivers and also can provide child and baby car seats AND they can also accommodate wheelchair users.
Amusement and Theme Parks
– Tokyo Disneyland & Tokyo Disneysea (many people have trouble making reservations with foreign cards so here are other options on how to buy Tokyo Disney tickets.)
(If you can’t decide between the two I have written about the differences between Tokyo Disneyland and Disneysea here as it depends on what you like. )
Please note that it is NOT possible to buy tickets for Tokyo Disneyland or Disneysea at the gate. This is why their crowd prediction calendars are so accurate.
See here for where to buy Tokyo Disneyland tickets.
Also, I show you here how to check the crowd prediction calendars in to see which days at Tokyo Disney will be the least busy.
*Please note that the new section of TOKYO DISNEYSEA ( Tangled and Frozen and Peter Pan section called “Fantasy Springs” is opening on June 6th. If you decide to visit in June it can go one of two ways
1) If you are a hard core Disney fan and don’t mind waiting hours and hours – you could be one of the first people to enter this new section
2) The other areas of Tokyo Disneysea MAY be (no guarantee) less busy at this time before the focus with crowds will be on the new section so it could be a win-win if you deliberately avoid that new section
*Either way – tickets will be hard to get for this time (especially as annual passport holders will be all dying to go) so please remember to book early!
*The Tokyo Disneyland Hotels and the Toy Story hotel can also book out quickly (the Toy Story Hotel only opens for bookings 3 months ahead of time and is known to book out in minutes.
– Universal Studios Japan (You need to get your express passes ahead of time)
THE NEW DONKEY KONG COUNTRY SECTION: Opens Dec 11.
It will be sooooo busy from Dec – June 2025 so please please please please get all the express passes you can (need to be purchased ahead of time.) With kids, I wouldn’t make promises that you will get to see this new land BUT you may get to see more of the others as the crowds will be focused on this section (great news for Super Nintendo World and Harry Potter fans!)
– Legoland Japan, Nagoya (Legoland Nagoya tickets don’t often sell out but the Legoland Hotel does)
– FujiQ Highland
– Kidzania
– Ghibli Park, Nagoya
–Sanrio Puroland (Hello Kitty Land)
– Warner Bros Harry Potter Wizarding World in Toshimaen, Tokyo (please note that there is also a Harry Potter Shop and Cafe much closed to the centre of Tokyo. Reservations also required.). Here are all the tips on what to pack and book in advance when visiting The Making of Harry Potter Studio, Tokyo.
Internet options
Portable Wifi or an e-sim (I speak further here about how important it is to sort out internet ahead of time.)
International Drivers Licence
You will need to prepare an international drivers license in your own home country if you want to be able to drive in Japan at all. Including the Mario Cart style go-carts.). Click here to book a rental car from Tokyo via Klook now.
Concerts and Musicals
-Check out Tokyo Weekender and Tokyo Timeout for artists currently touring in Japan
Hiking in Japan?
Download an English support app called YAMAP for hiking routes and downloadable maps.
Cash
Japan has made big steps towards becoming a cashless society but is, compared to many countries around the world, still quite reliant on cash – and not having some cash on you could mean you miss out on some experiences or get stuck in certain scenarios.
I speak more about the need for cash in Japan here.
For this reason, I think it is worth contacting your bank ( firstly to let them know that you will be using your card overseas while you travel) to check what the withdrawal rates are for withdrawing in Japan or if it is worth getting a specific card for travel.
Japan Experiences
–Shibuya Sky observation deck ( available book 30 days in advance – sunset is the most popular time of day.) *If you’re going to Shibuya Sky with children under 12 years old, you will need to only buy the adult tickets and then you buy the child tickets on the day. I took my two kids on my own and it was really easy to buy their child tickets on the day (and I pre-purchased my own.)
– Mario Cart style driving experiences (please note that you will need to obtain an international driving license in your home country first)
– Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour Tokyo (often is sold out months in advance. Klook is an easy way to purchase tickets.)
– Sumo Tickets
– Tea Ceremony (no need to book this ahead of time but I still recommending clicking and reading here as most places won’t accept small children and I explain why and how to get around it here.)
Japan Food Experiences
– Nagomi Visit (where you can have dinner with a Japanese family in their home)
– Food tours or food walking tours
Character Cafes
–Pokemon Cafes in Tokyo & Osaka
-The Kirby Cafe
– The Harry Potter Cafe and Shop in Akasaka, Tokyo
Exhibitions, Art Galleries & Museums
Team Lab Planets. (can book up to 30 days in advance.)
The new Team Lab Borderless
Roppongi, in Tokyo, has 3 large galleries all quite close together. Many exhibitions are family friendly and the exhibits are constantly changing.
The Mazda Museum in Hiroshima needs to be booked exactly 3 months in advance (I give detailed instructions in my Hiroshima with kids blogpost here.)
Ghibli Museum Please note that, if you’re looking for book the Ghibli Museum, tickets need to be purchased on the 10th – the month before you want to go at 10am Japan time. ie. if you want to go in May – you will need to be online to book on April 10th at 10am.
Here are all of my favourite museums for children in Japan
Animal Cafes
There are so many but, for example, the MiPig Cafe
Playcentres
Japan has some truly incredible playcentres for small children
Babysitting Services
English Speaking Babysitters in Tokyo
If you like this list you will also enjoy my last minute checklist of things to prepare ahead for Japan and this blog post on what to pack when travelling to Japan with children.
I’ve also written about when to travel to Japan with children.
