Why Japan Might Be the Best Country to Buy a Holiday Home if you have young Children

Its Safe. Easy. Affordable. And fun for kids.

I don’t have children yet (hopefully within the next year or two) but I’ve heard from friends and family when you have young kids the destination doesn’t matter nearly as much as the logistics.

A country can be beautiful, exciting, and culturally rich but if it’s chaotic, unsafe, hard to navigate with strollers, or stressful at mealtime, the trip becomes a battle.

That’s why so many families fall in love with Japan.

Traveling here with kids isn’t just safe, it’s shockingly smooth, thoughtfully designed, and packed with affordable activities that children will love.

Here’s what makes Japan awesome for family travel.

Japan Isn’t Just Safe, It’s Predictably Safe

Japan consistently ranks among the safest countries on earth. But the real value for parents is that safety is predictable and everywhere, not just in tourist zones.

How often do you go to a place and wander down the wrong block and start to feel that creep of discomfort.

“Ooo boy I don’t feel safe here.”

Those blocks don’t exist in Japan. It is safe EVERYWHERE.

• Intentional homicide rate: 0.2–0.4 per 100,000 people. among the lowest worldwide
• Gun violence is nearly non-existent, ~0.04 gun homicides per 100,000 people
• Ranked #1 in Asia and Top 10 globally in the 2025 Berkshire Hathaway Travel Safety Index

This level of safety has a direct impact on family travel:

• Kids can ride public transport without fear of violence and you see little kids riding the train to school everyday ALONE.
• You do not have to worry about your kids safety when they leave the house.
• Busy stations and streets feel orderly, not chaotic.
• You don’t have to constantly “look over your shoulder”
• For parents, that peace of mind is priceless.

Japan Makes Traveling With Young Kids Easy

Japan actively accommodates young familes.

• Stroller-accessible trains & buses
• Elevators in nearly every station
• Clean and plentiful public restrooms (I would never ever use a public restroom in a NYC subway, Japanese public restrooms are often as clean as my house)
• Baby-changing rooms, nursing rooms, and child-sized toilets
• English signage across transportation networks

On trains:

• Kids aged 1–5 travel free
• Kids aged 6–11 pay half-fare

And if you’re carrying five suitcases, a stroller, and your kid is having a breakdown. You might soon be following with a breakdown of your own. Thankfully Japan’s luggage-forwarding services are top-tier. They’ll pick up your bags and deliver them to your next hotel, usually for $12–$20 per suitcase. You can ride the Shinkansen with only the kids and the diaper bag.

This is a must for anyone when they land in Japan. Do not struggle with your luggage through the train system. Just ship it right to your hotel from the airport.

Eating With Kids in Japan Is Surprisingly Easy

Even if your kids are picky eaters, Japan is a dream.

• “Family restaurants” (“fami-resu”) like Saizeriya, Gusto, Denny’s, and Joyfull have kids menus, high chairs, bibs, plastic utensils, and allergy-friendly info
• Most restaurants offer mild, kid-friendly options. curry rice, udon, tonkatsu, chicken karaage, pancakes, omelets
• Convenience stores have fresh fruit, sandwiches, onigiri, milk, snacks, and healthy options, easy, fast, cheap

And importantly eating out is affordable:

• Family restaurant meal for a child: $4–$8
• Bento box at convenience store: $3–$7
• Soft-serve ice cream treat: $2–$3
• You don’t have to blow the travel budget to keep kids happy.

Japan Has Endless Kid-Friendly Activities And They’re Cheaper Than anywhere else.

Japan might be the most value-for-money country on earth for family entertainment.

Here are real price comparisons (as of 2025):

Japan vs US/EU pricing

• Universal Studios Osaka ~$50–$55 vs $100–$140
• Disneyland Tokyo Disneyland ~$45–$60 vs ~$100–$160
• Science museums National Museum of Emerging Science (Tokyo)
• Free – $4 vs $15–$30
• Aquariums Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan ~$20–$25 vs $35–$55
• Zoos Ueno Zoo (Tokyo) ~$3 vs $15–$35
• Theme museums Anpanman Kids Museum ~$15–$20 vs $25–$45
• Samurai / Ninja experiences Kyoto, Nikko, Kanazawa $15–$35 vs $50–$100
• Average Ski lift ticket ~$40-$50 vs ~$130-$150

In Japan, you don’t have to pick one big activity for the kids and say no to everything else. A full week of child-friendly outings can cost less than a single day at a theme park in the West.

The Culture Helps Too Clean, Considerate, and Calm and RESPECTFUL

Japanese culture makes family travel better in ways that are hard to measure but easy to feel.

Public spaces stay clean and orderly even when crowded

People give kids space, instead of shoving past them

Staff at restaurants, hotels, and attractions are patient and warm with families

Lost items, even phones and wallets, are often returned to authorities

The country simply operates with a high level of mutual respect, and families benefit from it every day.

So… Is Japan the Best Country in the World for a holiday home with young kids?

It’s hard to argue otherwise.

Japan isn’t just photogenic or culturally rich. It solves the real-world parenting challenges that make or break a family trip:

• It’s safe enough to relax
• It’s organized enough to navigate easily
• It’s designed for strollers, kids, and tired parents
• It has world-class excursions without theme-park-pricing shock
• It offers food that kids actually eat
• It has clean bathrooms everywhere

Traveling with children doesn’t have to feel like damage control.

In Japan, it can feel like, dare we say it, a vacation.

Browse opportunities yourself: Check out current listings at Nipponhomes.com

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