Hi all, looking for an itinerary check for an upcoming trip to Tokyo + Hokkaido in early November with our six month old. I want to know if our itinerary is a little too ambitious, or if it seems okay enough for a baby that age.
(Yes, I'm aware that either way, I'm signing up for potentially a lot of pain to travel with a six month old.)
First things first: My husband and I live in NYC and we are well used to walking a lot with our baby (stroller or baby carrier), and by the six month mark we'll be very used to taking him on public transportation (with varying levels of accessibility, mostly inaccessible on the subway and only kind of accessible on buses).
We've also been to Japan before, and I took Japanese in uni ages ago, so I have some very basic conversational skills down. We chose Japan as our first big international trip because we're comfortable with Tokyo, the public transportation system, and have been told by a few people it's a good choice for a trip with a baby.
Rough itinerary:
We're keeping everything fluid – what we do will be based on how good the baby is feeling that day. He currently will nap in the carrier and stroller, so we have some flexibility with that (unless he stops by then!)
Tokyo: Landing in the morning, 2 nights. Staying in Ginza in a nice Western chain hotel, have requested a crib.
Things to do: Going to take it slow, get us and the baby somewhat adjusted to the new timezone.
Aomori: Train from Tokyo to Aomori. 2 nights here, staying in a smaller hotel so will cosleep with baby
Potential things to do: A-factory, Nebuta Museum, Hakkodomaru Memorial Ship. I really wanted to fit in a day in Noboribetsu, but thought that might be too much with the baby.
Hakodate: Train from Aomori to Hakodate. 3 nights here, will likely have to cosleep with baby in this hotel as well
Things to do: Hakodate morning market, explore Motomachi district
Sapporo: Train from Hakodate to Sapporo. 4 nights here. Hoping to get a bigger hotel room where we can request a crib, but will cosleep if necessary
Potential things to do: Day trips to Otaru and Big Buddha if the baby is in good spirits, Sapporo Beer Garden
Tokyo: Flight from Sapporo to Tokyo. 3 nights here with mostly shopping, meeting up with local friends, and chilling during the day, then flying back to NYC in the late morning
Specific questions:
Weather: We understand early November isn't the most ideal time for Hokkaido, but any sense of how snowy it might be? Mostly I'm worried about shoes – we're fine bundling up but it doesn't really snow that much in NYC anymore and we're out of practice. Would something like LL Bean duck boots work for the amount of snow, or do I need something with more traction?
Transportation: We both have (non-Japanese) Androids – this means we can't use digital Suica, correct? I have a physical Suica card from around 2015 or so, would that still work or should I just buy a new one when we land in Tokyo?
Luggage forwarding: We pack very light (reformed one bagger here), but obviously baby stuff takes up a lot of room. Would luggage forwarding work for our itinerary, or do we need more time in between locations for it to be worth it?
Parent-specific: I've seen recommendations to download Mamapapamap, as well as links to the Tokyo Chapter blog. Any other good resources for family trips available?
Formula: Baby is currently combo fed and may be drinking more formula by then. I'm fine buying formula and diapers there, but does anyone know if Japanese groceries/stores carry ready to feed bottles? I find those easier to use on the go but I don't want to pack a suitcase full of RTF bottles since they're so heavy.
Dining: We are also aware that in Japan, much like NYC, you can't take babies into just any restaurant, and have done our research on that end. We're looking into private rooms at nicer places for the occasional splurge, and are fine eating department store/konbini/street food for the rest of our meals if need be. But if anyone has any baby-friendly restaurant recommendations for Tokyo/Sapporo, I'd love to hear them
Onsens: I have a large tattoo on my back and two smaller tattoos – any recommendations for tattoo-friendly onsens in any of the Hokkaido locations? (We will likely take turns going to any onsens/baths, since baby is obviously too young for it right now)
by redtrenchcoat