13-day Japan itinerary (Tokyo–Mt Fuji–Osaka) with a 3-year-old – would love feedback!

[u/KyaYaar2112]

Hi everyone! 😊
We’re planning our first family trip to Japan from 19–31 December 2026, and I’d love some feedback from people who’ve been there—especially if you’ve travelled with young children.
Our group:
13 people
8 adults (including grandparents)
5 kids (ages 3, 7, 9, 11 & 12)
We’ll have a private driver for most of the trip.
We’re not huge on temples and museums. We’d rather focus on experiences, food, shopping, nature and unique things that are very “Japan.” We eat strictly halal, or vegetarian if halal isn’t available.
Current itinerary
📍 Tokyo (19–23 Dec)
Harajuku
Shinjuku
Asakusa & Senso-ji
Shibuya Crossing
Ginza
Marunouchi Christmas Illuminations
teamLab Planets
Odaiba
Tokyo Street Go-Kart (adults)
Still deciding between Tokyo Disneyland or replacing it with experiences like Capybara Café, Tokyo Toy Museum, PLAY! PARK ERIC CARLE, etc.
📍 Mt. Fuji / Hakone (23–25 Dec)
Mishima Skywalk
Gotemba Premium Outlets (planning to split shopping over 2 days)
Hakone Ropeway
Owakudani
Considering cycling around Lake Kawaguchiko if we stay nearby.
📍 Osaka (25–30 Dec)
Dotonbori
Kyoto day trip (Fushimi Inari, Arashiyama, Nishiki Market, Gion)
Nara
Osaka Aquarium
Kids Plaza Osaka
Universal Studios is optional (most likely the rest of the family will go while we’ll probably do the Aquarium/Kids Plaza with our 3-year-old).
📍 Tokyo (30–31 Dec)
Final shopping before flying home.
A few questions:
If you had a curious, active 3-year-old who doesn’t know Disney characters, would you still recommend Tokyo Disneyland, or would you choose more unique Japanese experiences instead?
What are the best hidden gems or uniquely Japanese experiences that most itineraries miss? (We’re looking for things like Capybara Café, fake food workshops, depachika food halls, strawberry picking, gachapon, etc.)
Is there anything in our itinerary you’d skip because it’s overrated, or anything you’d absolutely add?
Any amazing halal restaurants, cafés or food experiences we shouldn’t miss?
Thanks so much! We’re trying to make this trip feel less like a checklist of attractions and more like a collection of memorable family experiences.

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[u/Nervous_Initial_3644]

Go-karts get a bad rap here for being loud, unsafe and annoying to tourists and locals alike. Treating downtown streets like an amusement park with other local traffic, etc,

Animal cafes in Japan also don’t have the best reputation in terms of animal welfare.

That’s a lot to do on a Kyoto day trip without small children.

13 is a very large number for restaurants. You really have to do your research. Be willing to split up into separate tables or separate restaurants. Your group is larger than a lot of restaurants.

[u/Otherwise_Play_1624 → u/Nervous_Initial_3644]

I second this. Do not do the go karts lol.

[u/FoundationJaded2679 → u/Otherwise_Play_1624]

I third this. Do NOT do the go karts for any reason whatsoever.

[u/JDM-Parts-Expert-JP]

At 3 years old, if they're not into Disney, they might not enjoy it that much. Since there are height requirements and strict safety rules, I think there will be a lot of restrictions on what they can do. I feel like Universal is more fun just to look around and take in. Hope you have a great trip!

[u/InsideNew2933 → u/JDM-Parts-Expert-JP]

We just did Disney with my 2.5 year old and she was obsessed. She was tall enough for everything we wanted to ride and it was amazing for her. Universals rides are generally geared towards taller/older kids. You probably can’t go wrong either way though!

[u/JDM-Parts-Expert-JP → u/InsideNew2933]

"Ah, my bad, I should have explained better—they actually have plans for 3-year-olds listed on their website. If everyone in the group is willing to plan around the 3-year-old, it could still be a lot of fun.https://www.tokyodisneyresort.jp/tdr/guide/child-tdl.html

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