My husband and I are heading back to Japan this December with our one-year-old, and we’ll actually be celebrating her first birthday while we’re there. We did a lot of the big tourist sights last time, so this trip we want to slow down: focus on food (lots of sushi, ramen, coffee and tea shops), stroller-friendly parks and neighborhoods, and some off-the-beaten-path experiences. We’ve put together a detailed day-by-day plan below, I’d love feedback on whether this flow makes sense for a second-time trip with a baby. My husband especially loved Osaka last time, so I’m wondering if a day trip from Kyoto would be realistic. And since it’s her birthday, we’re curious whether DisneySea is fun enough with a one-year-old or better saved for when she’s older.
✨ Japan Itinerary (Dec 3–16, 2025)
Day 1 – Dec 3 (Tokyo arrival)
• Hotel: Tokyo Station Hotel
• Evening: Dinner inside Tokyo Station (Ramen Street / depachika).
Day 2 – Dec 4 (Tokyo → Kyoto)
• Shinkansen to Kyoto
• Hotel: Ace Hotel Kyoto (4 nights).
• Afternoon: Nishi Hongan-ji or Shoren-in for a quiet temple start.
Day 3 – Dec 5 (Kyoto)
• Morning: Nishiki Market food crawl.
• Afternoon: Kimono Tea Ceremony at Maikoya (my husband and I will trade off with the baby so we can each do the full experience).
• Evening: Gion stroll + Yasaka Shrine lit up.
Day 4 – Dec 6 (Kyoto)
• Morning: Arashiyama (Tenryu-ji, riverside walk). (Skipping the big bamboo grove, a little too crowded for us)
• Late morning: Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple (quirky rakan statues, off-the-beaten-path highlight).
• Afternoon: Return to hotel for break.
• Evening: Casual ramen/izakaya near Ace.
Day 5 – Dec 7 (Kyoto)
• Philosopher’s Path and Eikan-do / Nanzen-ji.
• Kyoto Imperial Palace Park stroller walk.
• Dinner in Nishiki side alleys.
Day 6 – Dec 8 (Kyoto → Kawaguchiko)
• Train to Mishima, then bus/taxi to Kawaguchiko.
• Hotel: Ubuya Ryokan (2 nights, Mt Fuji view with meals).
• Kaiseki dinner in room/private dining.
Day 7 – Dec 9 (Kawaguchiko)
• Lake Kawaguchiko stroll, Oishi Park, maybe Kachi Kachi Ropeway.
• Onsen turns, in-room meals, Fuji views.
Day 8 – Dec 10 (Kawaguchiko → Tokyo)
• Return to Tokyo
• Hotel: OMO3 Akasaka (6 nights).
• Easy dinner nearby.
Day 9 – Dec 11 (Tokyo)
• Ueno Zoo + Ueno Park.
• Optional: National Museum.
• Dinner in Ameya-Yokochō.
Day 10 – Dec 12 (Tokyo)
• Asakusa & Sensō-ji.
• Sumida River stroll + coffee stop.
• Dinner in Asakusa or Akasaka.
Day 11 – Dec 13 (Tokyo – Shopping Day)
• Morning: Shimokitazawa (vintage shops + cafés).
• Afternoon: Koenji (vintage arcades + ramen).
• Evening: return via Shinjuku or casual dinner in Koenji.
Day 12 – Dec 14 (Tokyo)
• Odaiba / Toyosu (aquarium, kid-friendly shopping).
• Dinner: sushi or ramen.
Day 13 – Dec 15 (Tokyo – Flex Day)
• Options: Nakameguro + Daikanyama café stroll, Yanaka Ginza retro street, or DisneySea if we’re ambitious for her first birthday.
Day 14 – Dec 16 (Departure)
• Breakfast, pack up, head to airport.
🍣 Food budget
We’re budgeting around ¥12,000–¥18,000 per day (~$80–120) for food for the two of us, mixing casual ramen/market eats with a few nicer sushi or izakaya dinners. Special meals like the ryokan dinners at Ubuya are already included. Our baby will mostly share with us, so she doesn’t add much to the food budget. Would love recs that fit in this range, especially sushi, ramen, and coffee/tea shops that are stroller/baby friendly.
Questions for the community:
• Does this day-by-day flow make sense for a second-time trip with a baby? Anything you’d tweak?
• Would a Kyoto → Osaka day trip be realistic with a one-year-old, or is it better to wait until she’s older?
• Since we’ll be celebrating her first birthday, would DisneySea be worth it at this age, or are there better ways to make it special?
by ReferenceFar7110