How can one mom take four kids on a trip to Japan? Five tips to make it easy and fun

A mom of four

It’s already our second year taking all four of our kids to Japan by ourselves, and every time we talk about it, people look at me like they’re about to fall over in awe...

Every summer vacation is the busiest season for my husband (who works in education), and during those three months (college students get almost three months off), we barely see him.

So summer vacation has become our family-of-five’s time to stick together and make the most of it.

When the kids were little, we relied on help from both sides of the family, sending them to summer camps where they’d sweat through the season. But as they’ve grown, sending them all to camp drains our wallet, while keeping them home leads to endless computer time—they can’t stay outside too long when it’s so hot.

So starting last year, we decided to just take the kids to Fukuoka. If we managed to snag cheap flights, and considering our low standards for accommodation, it actually ended up being cheaper than traveling around Taiwan.

When traveling, what bothers me the most is the cleanliness of toilets. Taiwan’s scenery may be just as good as abroad, but every time I step into a public restroom at tourist spots or restaurants, I have to hold my breath. Taking the kids to the bathroom became my biggest source of anxiety.

But in Japan, this is never an issue. We’ve traveled from north to south, used restrooms in cities, rural areas, bustling towns and quiet villages—and not once did we encounter anything disgusting. That alone makes me feel so relaxed every time we’re in Japan.

But the first time I took all four kids to Fukuoka, the weather was just too hot, our stamina wasn’t great, and back then I didn’t dare rent a car and drive myself. It made things tough for the kids, and for my parents who joined us later. So this year, we rented a car early and leisurely explored Hokkaido.

Now let me share how you can easily take your kids on a trip to Japan.

Though taking the train in Japan is a lovely experience, trying to do it with four kids and all your luggage? Not so much.

I did some rough calculations, and for our family of five, renting a car is actually more cost-effective than taking the train. Plus, we can just toss all the luggage in the car and not have to struggle with dragging bags and chasing kids. The kids can even nap in the car during lunchtime.

Last year in Fukuoka, without a rental car, we had to scramble to find a café whenever the kids got tired and needed to sleep. This year, the kids napped in the car while I drove, making our schedule super efficient.

Although driving is on the right side in Japan, drivers there are very rule-abiding, and the expressway passing lanes are always clear—so just drive carefully and slowly. If you can drive in Taiwan, you’ll have no problem driving in Japan.

The earlier you rent a car, the cheaper it is. If your itinerary is set, it’s best to book your rental car early.

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Traveling with kids, especially with four of them like me, means taking it slow, exploring at our own pace, stopping to eat when we’re hungry, and spending half a day at each attraction. We’re here to vacation, not to march in formation.

The highlight of family travel is enjoying everything along the way with your kids. How many attractions you check off isn’t important at all. What we loved most on our trip were just loafing around Lake Toya picking apples, running across fields, soaking in hot springs, and playing in the water.

What I want to give my kids is the ability to appreciate the beautiful things in life. Every journey we take together becomes a precious memory.

If you plan to shop, be prepared for chaos: kids begging for toys, running wild in the store, throwing tantrums.

On this year’s Hokkaido trip, we only went to a shopping mall on one rainy day—to take shelter and have a meal. Everything else was nature-based.

As a result, this time around, I felt super relaxed, and the kids were naturally calmer, not causing much fuss—because there are so many fun things to do in nature, whereas shopping mostly just satisfies adult desires.

I cut down not just on shopping activities, but also chose accommodations far from the city center. My eldest daughter even asked me in confusion, “Why isn’t there any Don Quijote in Hokkaido?” There is, Mommy just avoided them on purpose, haha.

When traveling with kids, try to reduce the urge to shop and spend more time enjoying the foreign culture with your children. Practicing minimalism on trips also helps prevent kids from getting too caught up in materialism. If Mom really needs to buy something, she shops online and has it delivered to the hotel.

Every time we go to Japan, I give each child 5,000 yen in pocket money. They have to budget carefully and use their own money to buy whatever they want during the trip. This way, they don’t nag as much about buying stuff, and they also learn how to manage money—win-win.

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From our Kyoto trip this winter, the kids could already help carry luggage, which means Mom and Dad have it even easier now. And since we usually fly budget airlines—which charge extra for checked luggage but allow 10 kg of hand luggage per passenger—my hope is that eventually each kid can pull their own carry-on, saving us even more money.

Speaking of carry-ons, to get kids to willingly drag their own suitcase, it has to be cute and stylish—something they’ll fight over. A friend gave us a set of kids’ suitcases from a well-known American brand, and sure enough, Mr. Arnold can’t put his down.

After these two one-against-four trips, I’ve gradually figured out the most comfortable way to travel with kids. Within my means, I’ll keep taking my children along to brave the world!

[Women & Kids] Authorized reprint. Original article from [Sharing Honest Parenting Travel Tips: How Did One Mom Take Her Four Kids on an Adventurous Trip to Japan?]