Traveling to Japan with a 6-Year-Old on a Group Tour

Gather at the airport on Sunday noon, depart for Osaka, Japan, stay overnight in Osaka.

The next day: Osaka Castle (Tenshukaku), Nara Todaiji Temple, the old streets of Nara-machi, feed the Nara deer, stay in Nara.

Day 3: Gion district in Kyoto, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) in Kyoto, Miyama Village in Kyoto, stay in Nagoya.

Day 4: Heavy snow; Mt. Fuji was canceled. We only visited Hakone's Oshino Hakkai scenic area. Ate the only Japanese snack we had—takoyaki. Stayed in a tatami room and soaked in hot springs.

Day 5: Nijubashi Bridge at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Tokyo Disneyland, stayed at Narita Airport in Tokyo.

Let me record the Disney experience: We were very lucky—we did 7 rides in 3 hours with relatively few visitors. We played all the rides we wanted, and did our favorites twice. Tongtong experienced the high-tech, realistic sound and light simulations, and the dazzling lights. We also visited the souvenir shop and bought Toy Story dolls.

Day 6: Return trip. At Narita Airport, Tongtong went to the bathroom alone.

Summary: This trip built on the experience from the Guilin trip: no snacks, no cold milk, and stop eating before feeling full. Although we had early mornings and late nights and the food didn't suit our taste, we caught up on sleep on the tour bus. Tongtong kept up with the entire 6-day itinerary.