3 Unique Places to Stay in Japan With Kids
We had an epic first week in Japan and have had so many requests for more information about the unique places we stayed with our kids, the experiences we had, and how we found them. So, I finally compiled the highlights below!
If you’re searching for unique places to stay in Japan with kids, especially experiences that take you a little beyond the typical Tokyo–Kyoto itinerary, check out these three accommodations in Japan to get you off the beaten path with kids (and that don’t show up in other blog posts)!
Over on Instagram (@MichelleSchomp), I share more about how we find these unique experiences and stays, because that’s probably one of the questions I get asked most often.
How We Travel Japan With Kids: A Little Off the Beaten Path
We love off-the-beaten-path experiences.
We love finding something unique that isn’t necessarily on everyone else’s Japan itinerary. Those tend to be the experiences where our family thrives and where we really feel like we’re traveling, not simply sightseeing.
That said, this type of travel may or may not be for your family!
Of the three stays below, the first is really easy and I could see it working for lots of different families. The second was probably our favorite experience, but it’s definitely better suited to a family that’s a little more adventurous and comfortable getting off the beaten path.
So, here we go…
1. The Farm Resort Katori: An Easy Family-Friendly Farm Stay Near Tokyo
Best for: An easy landing after arriving in Japan, families with younger kids, nature + activities
Location: Approximately 30 minutes from Narita Airport Tokyo, Japan (NRT)
Our accommodation: The Grand Cottage
This is where we spent our first few nights after arriving in Tokyo, and it was such an easy way to start our time in Japan.
The Farm Resort is only 30 minutes from Narita Airport in Tokyo (NRT), making it a great place to decompress after a long flight without immediately throwing yourself into the craziness of Tokyo.
We rented a car and found that to be the best way for us to get around, but for this particular stay, you could easily hire a car service instead.
Where We Stayed at The Farm Resort
The resort has several types of accommodations. We chose The Grand Cottage, their largest option, so our family of five could have a little extra space to sleep and recover from jet lag.
The resort provides loungewear and lots of little amenities, and there are plenty of things to keep kids busy without needing to leave the property.
Farm Activities and Things to Do With Kids
Some activities are free, while others are add-ons. They also had a select of toys, games and arts/crafts for the kids to use at anytime.
Some activities we did at The Farm included:
- Botanical candle making
- Zip-lining
- Vegetable harvesting
- Onsen (more on this below!)
We were able to harvest three bags of vegetables from the farm, which the kids loved. What you can harvest changes each day depending on what crops are available, and there are limits on how much of each vegetable you can harvest.
There’s also a small farm store where you can pick up snacks and food, plus a farm café serving a delicious buffet breakfast. The cafe also serves lunch. Many of the ingredients come directly from their own farm.
Breakfast was included with our stay; lunch was extra. For dinner, we usually went to the Onsen.
A Kid-Friendly Onsen Experience in Japan
One of the highlights for our family was the onsite onsen.
While we haven’t been to a lot of onsens to compare, of the few we’ve been to, this has to be one of the best onsen options for families with kids!
It wasn’t simply somewhere to bathe. There were rooms to lounge and read, hammocks, foot baths, massage chairs, indoor and outdoor spaces, multiple saunas, and, of course, the onsens themselves. Everything is included, which makes it even nicer to enjoy all the amenities.
While you get onsen lounge wear to wear around all the communal areas, there are also separate gender onsens where no bathing suits are worn. They have locker rooms, showers, hairdryers/skincare, indoor (small) and outdoor onsens, including 2 saunas, cool plunge and lounge chairs – at least that is how it was for the women’s onsen!
There was even a kids’ room with a slide and toys, which made the whole experience feel much more manageable with children.
There’s also a restaurant at the onsen with a surprisingly wide variety of food. It stays open late, so we ended up having dinner there.
The kids loved the onsen, we loved the onsen – it was a win-win. We ended up going for a couple hours each day!
Why We Recommend The Farm Resort for Families
Overall, The Farm Resort was an incredibly easy place to land after a long flight: nature, beautiful grounds, kids’ activities, farm experiences, an onsen, and food all on-site.
If you’re looking for a unique family stay in Japan with kids activities and without having to venture too far from Tokyo or Narita Airport, The Farm Resort would be one of my first recommendations.
2. Magokoro Inn: Our Favorite Off-the-Beaten-Path Stay in Japan With Kids
Best for: Slightly more adventurous families looking for cultural immersion
Important: Only one group/family stays at a time
From Tokyo: Approximately 5.5 hours by car
We literally found this place in a last-ditch effort to find the kind of magical, culturally rich stay we had been searching for.
We booked it two nights before we arrived, completely rearranging our plans because we finally felt like:
“THIS is what we’ve been looking for.”
It was a bit of a hike from Tokyo, about 5.5 hours, although for our family, that honestly doesn’t seem that long. It’s tucked up in the mountains, and you’ll really want a car.
We used the time in the car to listen to Japanese language podcasts!
(Side tip: We also like the podcast series “a Short History of” for longer road trips. We listened to the episodes about the Samurai and Ninjas in Japan!)
Driving tip: Remember that in Japan you’ll be driving on the left-hand side of the road, and the driver sits on the right-hand side of the car.
Staying With a Local Family in the Japanese Mountains
When we arrived, we were greeted by the husband-and-wife team who run the inn, along with their two (possibly the most adorable ever ) kids.
Very little English was spoken, but that became part of the fun and part of the immersion. We used a translation app, attempted our handful of Japanese phrases, laughed a lot, and learned a lot!
The family was incredibly warm and welcoming.
Their house sits in the mountains with a waterfall in the backyard. There’s not much to walk to besides that, which is part of the experience- you’re really there in the mountains, in the middle of Japan.
Our family stayed in one section of the traditional house, with a family room, tables, 2 bathrooms and one bedroom.
And yes…
All five of us slept in the same room on traditional Japanese tatami-style bedding.
Surprisingly, I got used to sleeping on a hard surface pretty quickly! (It’s apparently really great for back problems!)
An Incredible Japanese Food Experience
The food and experiences here were incredible.
I mean truly masterful food, every dish, every bite.
We told the chef to cook whatever he wanted for us, and I’m so glad we did.
We’re adventurous eaters, and our kids are too, (we rarely, if ever, offer our children kids’ menus) so everyone had so much fun trying dish after dish.
We may have spoiled ourselves for the rest of Japan because I’m not sure many places can match the amount of love and attention that went into every dish here, every ingredient, the deliciousness & uniqueness of each bite. Each meal was an incredible experience – including each breakfast!
The husband is the chef, while his wife leads many of the experiences!
Traditional Japanese Experiences With Kids
The experiences felt genuinely authentic and culturally immersive.
Maybe it was the old traditional house.
Maybe it was chopping of the firewood, then making a fire in the traditional stove.
Or learning to cook with this local family.
Or making Japanese sweets together, with their kids and ours gathered around the table.
Or shaving the Katsuobushi (fermented tuna, dried until it is as hard as wood, then shaved into paper thin shredding to put on top of meals).
Whatever it was, the whole experience felt quite magical.
Tip: We stayed 3 nights, so we really got to experience a lot and recommend staying more than 1 night if possible!
What We Did in the Surrounding Area
During the days, we ventured out with our rental car.
On a sunny day, we went to an outdoor “bobsled”, a little like an alpine coaster, which was super fun for the kids. It was called Ai Park Yasuoka. The ride is very inexpensive, beautiful setting, but note that is it only open if it is not raining.
On a rainy morning, we visited a nearby onsen.
Depending on the season, this area is also filled with opportunities for fruit picking, (apples, blueberries, cherries and more) and there are plenty of hikes & scenic spots you could add as well.
Who Would Love Magokoro Inn?
This was probably our favorite stay of the three, but it’s also the one I’d recommend most carefully.
If your family loves to get off the beaten path, doesn’t need everything to be convenient, enjoys trying unfamiliar foods and gets excited about cultural immersion, this is an incredibly special experience.
3. Kuu House: Experience Rural Japan at “Grandma’s House”
Best for: Food-loving families, cultural experiences and connecting with local life
Important: Only one group/family stays at a time, but there are a couple separate bedroom spaces.
We had been eyeing this stay for months before coming to Japan.
Unfortunately, they were booked for most of the dates we needed. We weren’t sure it was worth rearranging things to stay for only one night…
But ultimately, we decided to go for it.
And I’m glad we did.
A Traditional Japanese Home Stay With a Twist
The concept has some similarities to Magokoro Inn in that you’re staying in a traditional home and the owners cook for you, but the actual experience felt completely different.
Here, the food was more home-cooked, grandma-style Japanese cooking.
And there’s a reason for that.
They actually bring in local village grandmothers to cook with and teach guests.
Cooking, Grape Picking and Village Life With Kids
During our stay, the lovely couple who runs Kuu House organized several experiences for us.
We went grape picking at a local farm – some of the biggest grapes you’ve ever seen!
We visited a local elementary school in the countryside. The school only has 4 students total and 8 teachers. It was such a great experience to not only see what a local public school looks like (beautiful), but also interact with the students!
We met a grandmother from the village and visited her garden, where the kids helped her harvest vegetables for dinner and to take home.
We learned to cook with two local grandmothers.
And then, of course, we sat down together for a wonderful traditional Japanese dinner.
Why Kuu House Was Such a Unique Family Experience
It wasn’t about checking famous attractions off a list.
It was about getting a tiny glimpse into everyday life in rural Japan, meeting people, cooking together, harvesting food and connecting with a community we otherwise never would have experienced.
And that is exactly the kind of travel we love.
Which of These Unique Places to Stay in Japan With Kids Was Our Favorite?
What I’ve loved most about our first week in Japan hasn’t necessarily been the “big” sights.
It’s been the moments in between.
Sitting around a table trying food we’d never tasted before.
Watching our kids play with Japanese children despite not speaking the same language.
Picking vegetables from a local grandmother’s garden.
Sleeping together on the floor of an old Japanese home.
Trying to communicate with a handful of Japanese words, a translator app and a lot of laughing.
Those are the experiences our family tends to remember.
And they’re why we’re always willing to drive a little farther, change our plans at the last minute, or choose somewhere we’ve never heard anyone else talk about.
If I were matching these three stays to different types of family travelers:
- The Farm Resort: The easiest choice for most families, especially after flying into Narita.
- Magokoro Inn: Our favorite for a truly immersive, more off the beaten path experience and some of the most delicious food.
- The Kuu House: A wonderful choice if Japanese home-cooking, local connections and experiencing rural Japanese life are high on your list.
Planning Your Own Family Trip to Japan?
If you’re planning Japan with kids and have questions about any of these stays, I’m always happy to share our experience and tips.
Message me on Instagram , you’ll usually get the fastest response from me there, and I do my best to respond to everyone.
Just keep in mind: I’m not a travel agent! I’m simply a mom who loves travel, loves researching unique experiences, and is happy to share what worked – and didn’t work – for our family.
Next, we head to Kamakura, Japan, where our kids will attend Boundless Life Japan school session for 3 months! While we attend a lot of worldschools throughout the year, we also enjoy doing this type of travel that we did during our first week in Japan as part of our travel and worldschooling for our kids!
xo, Michelle