A Group Tour to Japan with a 6‑Year‑Old
On Sunday at noon we gathered at the airport and departed for Osaka, Japan, spending the night there.
The second day took us to Osaka Castle’s main keep, Nara’s Todai‑ji Temple, the old streets of Naramachi, and feeding the friendly Nara deer. We stayed overnight in Nara.
Day three: we strolled through Kyoto’s geisha district (Gion), admired the golden Kinkaku‑ji Temple, and explored rural Miyama Village before bedding down in Nagoya.
On the fourth day heavy snow scrapped Mount Fuji. Instead we headed to Hakone’s Oshino Hakkai springs, sampled the only Japanese street snack we tried—takoyaki (octopus balls)—slept in a tatami room, and relaxed in a hot spring.
Day five brought us to the Nijubashi Bridge at Tokyo’s Imperial Palace, then Tokyo Disneyland, and finally a hotel near Narita Airport.
A quick note on the Disneyland visit: we were incredibly lucky. With relatively light crowds, we knocked out seven attractions in just three hours. Every ride we wanted was ticked off, and our favourites we rode twice. Tongtong soaked up the high‑tech wizardry, lifelike sound and visual effects, and dazzling light shows. We also browsed souvenir shops and picked up a Toy Story plush.
Day six: the return journey. At Narita Airport, Tongtong managed a solo trip to the restroom.
Summary: Drawing on lessons from our earlier Guilin trip, we stuck to no snacking, no cold milk, and not overeating. Despite early starts, late finishes, and meals that weren’t always to our taste, we made sure to catch up on sleep on the tour coach. Tongtong kept pace with the whole six‑day itinerary without a hitch.
