This article draws on public guidance from railway companies, airports, Japan’s National Police Agency and the Japan National Tourism Organization as of October 2026. Fares and tour terms can change. Check each provider’s page before booking.
The 4-year-old is asleep in the stroller. The 8-year-old is excited to tap a child IC card at the ticket gate and runs ahead. The two adults have two suitcases in their hands.
A trip to Japan with kids often begins with a scene like this. Which part becomes difficult changes from day to day.
The Short Answer — Take trains around the cities. Book a car between the airport and your stay, or a tour for one day beyond the cities
Even with children, you can get around Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka by train and on foot. That’s how we see it.
- On JR East, JR Central and Tokyo Metro, children who have not yet started elementary school ride free (up to two per accompanying adult or child). Elementary school children pay the child fare (half the adult fare)
- You can often bring a stroller straight onto city trains. If the route out of a station has many stairs, switch to a baby carrier
- Send heavy luggage from one place to stay to the next. On travel days, your hands can be free to hold your children’s hands
We would book help for just these two situations.
- Between the airport and your stay when you arrive late, have lots of luggage or expect your child to fall asleep → a car
- One day beyond the cities when you want to visit several places in one day → a day tour (but prices and what’s included depend on the child’s age; more below)
For example, one week for this family
Two adults, a 4-year-old and an 8-year-old, arriving in Tokyo and leaving from Kansai Airport: this is how we would plan their week.
| Day | Plan | Go yourselves / book help | Read next |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Airport to the Tokyo hotel | Train yourselves; car if it’s late or you have lots of luggage | How to get from the airport to the city? |
| Days 2–3 | Around Tokyo | Go yourselves (train and walking); avoid the morning rush | Where to stay in Tokyo |
| Day 4 | Mount Fuji | Day tour | |
| Day 5 | Shinkansen to Kyoto | Go yourselves; send suitcases from your stay the day before | Sending luggage |
| Day 6 | Around Kyoto | Go yourselves; without luggage, the city bus is easier | Sending luggage (Kyoto section) |
| Day 7 | Osaka to Kansai Airport | Train yourselves | Getting to the city from Kansai Airport |
Book help for the first night and Day 4. For the other five days, travel at your family’s own pace.
This table is one example. The hard days vary with your children’s ages, how many people travel and where you go. The way to decide stays the same: look at that day’s destination, that day’s luggage and that day’s energy levels.
Train fares — Free for the 4-year-old, child fare for the 8-year-old
Here is how JR East and JR Central classify ages.
| Category | Age | Fare |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | 12 and over | — |
| Child | 6 to under 12 | Half the adult fare (fractions of ¥5 are rounded down) |
| Young child | 1 to under 6 | Free (except in the cases below, when the child fare applies) |
| Infant | Under 1 | Free (same exceptions) |
The Green Car charge (Green ticket) is the same for children and adults.
Even at age 6, a child who has not yet started elementary school counts as a “young child.” Even at age 12, an elementary school pupil counts as a “child”; here, “elementary school pupil” means a pupil at a Japanese elementary school.
Young children and infants stop riding free in these three situations.
- More than two young children accompany one adult or child (the child fare and charges apply from the third young child onward)
- A young child or infant occupies a reserved seat or Green Car seat alone
- A young child travels alone
For this family
- Tokyo subway → Tokyo Metro uses the same arrangement. Up to two young children ride free with an adult or child. The 4-year-old rides free; the 8-year-old pays the child fare
- Shinkansen (Tokyo → Kyoto) → There is one choice to make: buy a reserved seat for the 4-year-old or have them sit on your lap. With their own seat, the 4-year-old pays the child fare and charges, just like the 8-year-old. On your lap, they ride free
We would reserve four seats on the Shinkansen. Keeping a 4-year-old on your lap all the way to Kyoto is a long stretch for both of you. For short city train rides, a lap or a spot standing beside you is enough.
One child IC card for the 8-year-old
A transit IC card such as Suica saves you from buying a ticket each time. The visitor card “Welcome Suica” comes in a child version and charges child fares.
- Where to buy it → ticket machines and counters at the stations at Narita Airport and Haneda Airport Terminal 3 (Tokyo Monorail); counters at stations including Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro and Ueno, among other locations
- Show the child’s passport or another ID when buying it (the child’s ID is required even if a family member buys it on their behalf). At a ticket machine, enter the child’s date of birth
- Valid for 28 days from the day of purchase. No refunds
The 4-year-old rides free and does not need a card.
If you are considering a JR Pass, there is a child pass for ages 6–11 at half the adult price.
Strollers and luggage — On the Shinkansen, mind the space behind the last row
City trains and stations
The Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) says many city trains have areas where strollers can be placed and many large stations have elevators. Floor markings on platforms may show which cars have room for strollers or wheelchairs. JNTO also says that choosing a wheelchair-accessible route in a map app when planning transfers can make it easier to find a route with elevators.
Even so, some stations and places have no elevator or ramp, and outside major cities there is more walking and more stairs (JNTO). Parents in Japan also switch between stroller and baby carrier according to the day’s plans. Bring both, and you have a choice at the station.
Trains are crowded during the morning commute. Avoiding rush-hour trains and popular sights makes the day easier for children (JNTO). On weekdays, we would have a leisurely breakfast at the hotel and leave when the crowds ease.
Shinkansen
For the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen (Tokyo–Shin-Osaka–Hakata–Kagoshima-Chuo), JR Central gives this guidance.
- You can bring a stroller without a reservation. It can go on a luggage rack or in a luggage area in the vestibule
- But the space behind the seats in the last row of a car belongs to passengers who reserved seats with oversized baggage space. If you want to put a stroller there, reserve that seat (it costs the same as an ordinary reserved seat)
- Baggage with a combined height, width and depth over 160 cm (such as a large suitcase) requires that seat reservation. Bringing it without a reservation incurs a ¥1,000 charge (including tax). Items over 250 cm cannot be brought on board
For a family of four with two large suitcases, this is the heavy part. So we would send the suitcases from one stay to the Kyoto stay the day before taking the Shinkansen. Delivery charges vary by baggage size, origin, destination and whether you drop it off or request pickup, among other factors. Bring only the stroller and that day’s bags onto the Shinkansen. See “Luggage Forwarding in Japan” for more.
Kyoto City asks passengers not to bring large luggage onto its city buses. If you have sent it ahead, you can board a bus with your family straight from Kyoto Station.
When you arrive at the airport
Haneda Airport Terminal 3 (international flights)
According to Haneda Airport, Terminal 3 has 19 nursing and baby rooms, and the information counter on the first floor has a microwave for warming baby food. Terminal 3 has no children’s toilets with child toilet seats (some parts of Terminals 1 and 2 do).
Haneda Airport also lends strollers: forward-facing models (your child faces away from you) are for babies from 2 months up to 4 years (48 months), and parent-facing models from 4 months up to 3 years (36 months). To take a stroller outside the airport, use the rental service (Babycal) at Tokyo Monorail Haneda Airport Terminal 1 Station.
We have not checked the facilities for families with children at Narita or Kansai Airport for this article. Check the “traveling with children” information on your arrival airport’s website.
Arriving late, with lots of luggage or with a sleeping child
If any of these applies, a car from the airport to your stay is an option. A taxi fare is for the vehicle, so divided among four people, it is lighter per person.
If you book a car — Ask about a child seat when booking
In Japan, the law requires a person driving with a child under 6 in the car to have the child use a child seat (National Police Agency). If you drive a rental car yourself, a child under 6 needs one. For children 6 and older whose seat belt does not fit properly because of their build, the National Police Agency recommends using a child seat. For the 8-year-old, too, consider a booster seat depending on their size. JNTO says rental car companies often offer child seats as an option.
There is an exception to this rule when drivers of licensed passenger transport services, such as taxis and buses, carry passengers’ children (Road Traffic Act Enforcement Order). That means a taxi or a transfer vehicle from a licensed company may not have a child seat.
A legal exception and a child’s safety are separate matters. The National Police Agency says the proportion of children killed in crashes is about 5.3 times higher among those who do not use a child seat than among those who use one correctly. So, when booking an airport transfer or private car, we tell the provider the children’s ages and ask at booking whether child seats are available. Availability and cost depend on the company and how you book.
If you book a private car, check one more thing before booking: whether the company actually transporting you in Japan is a licensed taxi, hire-car or bus operator.
Food and breaks — Nursing rooms in department stores and stations, meals at family restaurants
JNTO says nursing rooms can be found in department stores, stations and shopping malls. Many have hot water, a microwave, a screened nursing area and a changing table, and many parents use the free Mama Papa App to find one nearby.
Ginza Mitsukoshi, for example, has a baby scale and a changing station that can be used while standing (JNTO). A department store is also a handy place to remember for a break with children on a rainy day.
For meals, family restaurants are easygoing. Many have children’s menus and small extras and are designed with families in mind. Comparing what different chains offer is part of the fun (see “Family Restaurants in Japan”). An 8-year-old may be delighted just watching plates go by at conveyor-belt sushi (see “Conveyor-Belt Sushi”).
JNTO writes that most restaurants in Japan, apart from high-end or formal places, welcome children. Baby food is available at most convenience stores.
Also, make room for rest within each day. Even when you can use trains, changing lines at many stations in a day tires children out. We would plan one place in the morning and one in the afternoon. Anything more is a bonus if everyone still has energy.
Choosing a place to stay — Whether “four in one room” works depends on the property
Hotel rooms have occupancy limits that vary by room. A twin room, for example, is often sold as a plan for two adults.
But some hotels do not charge for elementary school children or younger when they share an adult’s bed. At some hotels, two adults and two children may share the two beds in a twin room, with one child in each bed. Age limits, the number of children allowed to share each bed and charges vary by property, room and plan. Enter the number and ages of adults and children on the booking page, then check the room and plan’s occupancy and bed-sharing conditions. For more, see “Places to Stay in Japan Come in 4 Types” under “Staying as 3 or 4 people.”
In many ryokan, a family can sleep together in one tatami room on futons laid side by side (JNTO). For a child, that alone may make for a memorable night. But beds or travel cots may not be available, so ask the property in advance if you need them.
Accommodation tax can apply to children, too. In Kyoto City, for example, if a child is charged for the stay, accommodation tax applies regardless of age (see “Paying for Your Stay”).
Choose an area near a station for your stay. It makes starting each day easier (see “Where to Stay in Tokyo on Your First Trip”).
If you book a tour for one day — Prices and activities depend on the child’s age
If you book a tour for a day beyond the cities, read the children’s terms on the product page before booking. Does a child pay the adult price? At what age? Is sitting on a parent’s lap free? It depends on the product.
For example, a Mount Fuji day bus tour from Tokyo sold on KKday and operated by travel company TUI Group Japan had these terms on the product page we viewed on October 23, 2026.
- Ages 3 and up pay the adult price. Ages 0–2 travel free if they do not use a seat and sit on a lap, but you must tell the operator in advance. A child who needs a seat but was not booked may be denied boarding without a refund
- Meet at Tokyo Station at 7:45 or Nishi-Shinjuku at 8:15; return around 18:30–19:00. That’s a 10–11-hour day from meeting to finish
- Climb about 400 steps to the observation deck at Arakurayama Sengen Park
- One piece of luggage per person is free. Cancellation is free until the day before; it is not allowed on the day
For the 8-year-old, seeing one Mount Fuji view after another without changing trains makes an exciting day. For the 4-year-old, it may be a long one.
For the snow monkeys in Nagano in winter, children under 6 enter free with a guardian (Jigokudani Yaen-Koen). But it is about a 35-minute walk from the Snow Monkey Park bus stop. The path is unpaved, with slopes, steps and stairs, and strollers (carts) cannot use it. In winter, when snow has built up, it becomes a snowy mountain path. This is a day for a baby carrier.
For families whose circumstances differ
- With a baby under 1 → On JR East, JR Central and Tokyo Metro, the baby rides free. Haneda Airport lends strollers from 2 months of age. See “Food and breaks” above for nursing rooms
- With three or more children who have not started elementary school → On JR East, JR Central and Tokyo Metro, up to two young children ride free per adult or child. The third young child and any after pay the child fare
- Between ages 11 and 12 → On JR East, JR Central and Tokyo Metro, the adult fare starts at 12 (a 12-year-old attending a Japanese elementary school counts as a child). JR Pass child tickets are for ages 6–11
- One adult traveling with two children → Transfers and luggage are especially demanding. Consider adding one more day for sending luggage and one more day for booking a car than other families might
Before you go, just these things
- Calculate the children’s ages for the travel dates (a child near their 6th or 12th birthday may change categories during the trip)
- Decide whether to reserve a Shinkansen seat for a young child (if so, the child fare and charges apply)
- Bring both a stroller and a baby carrier
- Choose the day to send the suitcases (the day before the Shinkansen trip)
- If booking a car, ask about child seats when booking
- If booking a tour, read the product page for children’s prices and the return time
A small note before booking: The tour operator, children’s prices and age rules, cancellation deadline and treatment of weather-related cancellation vary by product and may change. Before booking, read the children’s terms and the operator and cancellation sections on the product page. We may receive compensation if you book through an advertising link on this page.
More details
- From the airport to your stay → “Airport to City by Train in Japan”
- Sending suitcases from one stay to the next → “Luggage Forwarding in Japan”
- Staying as a family of four → “Places to Stay in Japan Come in 4 Types”
- Taking a car beyond the cities? → “Train or Rental Car in Japan?”
Take trains around the cities. Book help for a late airport arrival or one day beyond them. Send the luggage ahead and keep both hands free for the children. Then the trip can follow whatever interesting things they discover.
Official sources we checked (14)
Fares, facilities and tour terms may change (information as of October 2026). We have not checked children’s fares on Kyoto or Osaka subways and buses, or facilities for families at Narita and Kansai Airports, for this article.
- JR東日本「おとなとこども」 (railway operator: age categories, half-price child fares and three cases in which young children and infants pay, Japanese)
- JR東海「きっぷのルール おとなとこども」 (railway operator: same age categories and cases in which young children and infants pay, Japanese)
- 東京メトロ「Fares According to Age」 (railway operator: up to two young children free with an adult or child; child fare from the third, English)
- JR東日本「Welcome Suica」購入と使い方 (railway operator: child card, sales locations, child’s ID, 28 days and no refunds, English)
- JAPAN RAIL PASS「Types and prices」 (JR Group: ages 6–11 pay half the adult price, English)
- JR東海「Oversized baggage」 (railway operator: reservations for oversized baggage on the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu Shinkansen, ¥1,000 charge, stroller without reservation and space behind the last row, English)
- 日本政府観光局(JNTO)「Traveling with children」 (national tourism organization: nursing rooms, stroller spaces, elevators, family restaurants, baby food, ryokan futons, rush hours and rental-car child seats, English)
- 羽田空港「よくあるご質問 お子様連れのお客様」 (airport: nursing room count, microwave, children’s toilets, stroller rental ages and Babycal, Japanese)
- 警察庁「子供を守るチャイルドシート」 (national agency: child seats for children under 6 and about 5.3 times higher fatality rate without one, Japanese)
- 道路交通法施行令(e-Gov法令検索) (national law: Article 26-3-2, paragraph 3 (第26条の3の2第3項); child-seat exception for licensed passenger services such as taxis and buses, Japanese)
- 道路運送法(e-Gov法令検索) (national law: Article 3 (第3条), three types of general passenger transport service—shared, chartered and private-hire; Article 4 (第4条), permission from the transport minister, Japanese)
- KKday「Mt. Fuji Day Tour from Tokyo | Chureito Pagoda」(商品184519) (sales site: adult price from age 3, ages 0–2 free on a lap, meeting and return times, stairs, cancellation and operating travel company, English)
- 地獄谷野猿公苑「営業時間と料金」 (park: free for children under 6 with a guardian; slopes, steps and stairs, and no wheelchairs or carts, Japanese)
- 地獄谷野猿公苑「アクセス」 (park: 35-minute walk from Snow Monkey Park on an unpaved path, no wheelchairs or carts, Japanese)