Japan Family Adventure 2026

# 28-Day Japan Family Itinerary

Oct 22 – Nov 18 2026 | Erin + Kids Ages 7 & 15 | Narita In/Out

v25 — transit ticketing clarifications; locked Nara Day 14 route; Nov 9 Hiroshima→Shin-Osaka changed to flexible day-of Shinkansen purchase; Oct 31 Shirakawa-go buses booked; luggage plan finalized; Transit Master Plan updated; food working budget C$1,750

Flights — Confirmed ✅

Hotels — 12 Confirmed ✅

Confirmed Bookings ✅ — in date order

Booking Providers

Outstanding Bookings & Key Dates

📅 Book When Window Opens — in date order

🔲 Recheck Closer to Travel

Pre-Departure Checklist

Car Rental — Confirmed ✅

Luggage Plan — V25

Luggage: 3 carry-on-sized rolling suitcases + 3 personal items (one of each per traveller). No full-size checked luggage.

Luggage Summary

Total forwards in V25: 3

1. Kanazawa → Rest Inn Kyoto

2. Kyoto → designated Yamato Namba sales office

3. Mishima → Narita Terminal 1

Forward #1 — Henn na Hotel Kanazawa → Rest Inn Kyoto

Forward #2 — Rest Inn Kyoto → Yamato Sales Office in Namba

⚠️ Do NOT send luggage directly to WELLSTAY — WELLSTAY is an unmanned/self-check-in property and cannot receive forwarded luggage before check-in.

Travel With Luggage — November 9–15

Forward #3 — Airport Forward — Toyoko Inn Mishima → Narita Terminal 1

Food Budget

Trip Spending Budget

Budget Notes

• The C$5,500 working trip fund is the money available for normal trip spending during the 28-day trip.
• The additional C$500 is a protected emergency reserve and should NOT be treated as normal spending money.
• Total accessible funds for the trip are C$6,000.
• Flights are already paid and are NOT included in the C$5,500 working trip fund.
• All hotels are already paid except for any applicable tourist/accommodation taxes.
• ALL activities, attractions, transportation, workshops, tickets, and reservations currently marked CONFIRMED in this itinerary are already PAID, even if an individual entry says "confirmed" rather than explicitly saying "paid."
• Do NOT count confirmed bookings again as future trip spending.
• The Enterprise rental car is already paid at approximately C$307 including insurance and booster seat. The C$175 rental-car category is only for fuel, tolls, and parking.
• The three luggage forwards are: (1) Kanazawa → Kyoto · (2) Kyoto → Yamato Namba · (3) Mishima → Narita Terminal 1. There are exactly THREE planned luggage forwards.
• The C$400 children's souvenir allowance is divided into C$200 for Luca and C$200 for Vera.
• Erin's personal shopping is NOT included in the C$5,500 working trip budget and should be treated separately.
• The C$250 general spending/price cushion is intended to absorb exchange-rate differences, fare changes, admission-price differences, and small unexpected normal-trip costs.
• The C$500 emergency reserve should remain untouched unless genuinely needed.
• The "Food & drinks" line (C$1,750) and the Food Budget section above refer to the SAME money. They are NOT additive.

Major/Intercity Transportation Budget Note

Major/intercity transportation budget: C$1,550. Current bottom-up planning estimate for the remaining major rail tickets is approximately ¥158,000, or roughly C$1,460–C$1,500 depending on exchange rate and final ticket pricing. This category should remain protected for intercity rail purchases.

Remaining major unpaid rail journeys included in this estimate:

• Tokyo → Kanazawa (Kagayaki 527)
• Takayama → Nagoya
• Nagoya → Kyoto
• Kyoto → Himeji
• Himeji → Hiroshima
• Hiroshima → Shin-Osaka (day-of purchase)
• Shin-Osaka → Mishima (Hikari 702)
• Tokyo → Narita on the N'EX

Note: Mishima → Atami → Fujisawa uses the regular JR Tokaido Main Line with Suica and is covered under Local transit / Suica. The Oct 31 Kanazawa ↔ Shirakawa-go ↔ Takayama Kosoku buses and Nov 1 Gattan Go transportation are already confirmed and paid — do not count those again.

Pass Summary

🚆 Transit details

Transit notes, advance train reservations, day-of transit, and the booking calendar from your itinerary.

Narita Airport → SC206 Asakusa (Day 1)

• Buy Keisei Skyliner tickets at Keisei counter in arrivals hall · ¥2,570 adult × 2 · ¥1,290 child × 1 · reserved seats · cannot tap Suica
• Board Keisei Skyliner · ~41 min · dedicated luggage racks · arrives Keisei Ueno
• Tokyo Metro Ginza Line: Ueno → Asakusa · ~5 min · tap Suica

Minn Kasai → Disney Parks (Days 5–6)

• Walk ~6 min from Minn Kasai to Kasai Station Bus Terminal
• Look for Shuttle 7 Bus — SS07 or SS08 · electronic signs say Tokyo Disney Resort
• Disneyland: alight at Tokyo Disneyland stop · ~23 min · ¥330 · tap Suica
• DisneySea: stay on one additional stop · bus terminates at Tokyo DisneySea · ~30 min · ¥330 · tap Suica

Suica — Works Everywhere

Suica covers all operators with a single tap: Tokyo Metro · JR East · Toei Subway · Tokyu · Keio · Odakyu · Setagaya Line · Keisei Line · most buses · convenience stores · vending machines

Transit Master Plan — V25

Pre-Book: Advance Reservations Required

Buy on the Day / Suica — No Advance Reservation

Advance Transit Booking Calendar

Final Pre-Trip Verification Notes

• Recheck exact rail/bus timetables closer to travel — do not rely on draft minute-perfect connections
• Keep offline screenshots of all reservation confirmations and QR codes
• Weather-sensitive: Miyajima ropeway/Mt Misen · Dogashima cruise · Mt Omuro/Fuji viewpoints · optional Mishima Skywalk
• Protect family priorities first: Gotokuji + cat train · capybaras · thrill rides · Mitaki-dera if teen still wants it after Sandankyo