It's Yummy! Family themed pension in Nasu

Summary

**Has parking**Outside of Tokyo**For Elementary School Kids**Weekend**Under 30,000JPY for a family of four, 1 night**

Website

Yummy Pension (Japanese Only)

Location/Access

栃木県那須郡那須町 大字湯本206-508
Tochigi-ken, Nasu-gun, Nasu-Machi, Oazayumoto, 206-508
+81 (0) 288-53-6400


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By Train: From Ueno station, take the 東北本線 Tohoku honsen to 黒磯駅 Kuroiso station. From there, take the 東野バスー那須湯元本行 Toya bus, towards nasu yumotohon, and alight at 新那須バス停 shin-nasu bus stop. From there, it is a ten minute walk to ペンション・ユミィ・アネックス Pension Yummy Annex.

By Car: From Tokyo, head towards 浦和I.C. Urawara I.C. From there, take the 東北自動車道 Tohoku jidoshado around 148km to 那須I.C. Nasu I.C. After alighting here, head 19km towards 那須街道・湯本 Nasu kaido/yumoto on 県道17号 route 17.

Activities

Being located in an onsen resort, the main appeal is obviously the hot springs. Yummy has 5 of these, and all are 貸切, or privately reserved baths. These are reserved on a first come first served basis; there are 5 tokens waiting at the reception desk and once you have the token the bath is yours for the next 30 minutes*. This is great, as it means that the whole family can relax in the bath together, without interference from other guests.

There are 3 bath located on the 3rd floor, and 2 baths on the ground floor of the building. The 3 baths on the 3rd floor are 露天風呂 or outside baths, and are designed around the following themes: waterfall, night lights and sleeping bath. All three baths have a fantastic view of the surrounding countryside and each has enough unique charm as to make it worth your while to try and experience all three over the course of your stay. The 2 baths located on the ground floor are in comparison quite unspectacular, and you wouldn't be missing out on much by giving these a miss.

*Note, in the morning, there bath must be reserved in advance, by writing your name on a form, again on a first come first served basis, and it will cost an extra 210 yen per time slot reserved. There is no such cost occurred for evening/night bathing however.

This being a pension for families, there are a whole host of other activities to keep you occupied during your trip. These include: Table tennis on the ground floor, an electronic dart board in the reception, and a play area on the 2nd floor with an assortment of slides and toys. By far the most interesting activity though, is the Sony Playstation 2 located in each room. For game software, simply head down to the reception and choose from an assortment of around 30 titles. All of the above activities can be enjoyed without additional charge.

Food



The food is easily the best thing about Yummy, which is maybe not surprising considering either the name, or the owner's alleged former occupation as a chef. The style is European, and consists mainly of steak, fish, and crab. Dinner begins promptly at 6pm, in the dining hall on the first floor, and continues until 7.30. An interesting feature is the ability to add "all you can drink/eat" items to your course, including steak/crab/cake and wine/sake. We chose to add all but the cake option, and although the additional steaks we ordered did not match the standard of the first that were served (we felt a little cheated as the first steaks were to die for...), nevertheless we were overall pleased with both the quality and quantity of both the food and drink served.

A children's meal was provided for our 3 year old, and this was already waiting on the table by the time we sat down to eat, and a child seat was provided for our 1 year old, making it very easy for us, as a young family, to enjoy the meal.

Cost

The cost of overnight stay, use of all facilities, and food and drink was just under 30,000JPY for our 4 person family.

Rating

This hotel is 100% family orientated, which was demonstrated by the fact that every single guest that stayed there on the same night a us was a family with children in the age ranges 1-3. This is great for people with young kids, as it means you can truly let your hair down and relax without having to worry about your child making a scene in the dining room or breaking something expensive in the lobby. Both the food and the outside baths were highlights of the trip, with the Playstation and play room area adding extra value to the experience. Little touches, such as a baby seat in the downstairs bath area, make this a very family themed place and ensure that those with young children can relax and enjoy themselves here.

However, perhaps as a downside of the family-orientated nature, the facilities are quite shockingly poorly maintained. There are stains on the carpets, rust on the fences, the wallpaper is aged and discolored, the outside car park is covered with weeds, the inside bath has mold on the walls, and there were even some dead insects inside the inside bath when we entered at around 4pm, which is only 1 hour after check-in time, suggesting the baths may not be cleaned out every day. If you can live with this, it allows you to fully relax without having to worry about your children spilling something in the room and ruining the decor. If, however, you prefer your hotels to be spic, span and modern, then you may find this pension to be a little outside your comfort zone.

Pros: Good food, all you can eat/drink, playstation 2, "at home" feeling, themed baths

Cons: Poorly maintained, a little unclean in places, no real English language support, a possible "bait and switch" strategy with the steak.


Rating: 7/10 Not without its flaws, but the best pension I've been to in Japan in terms of being accommodating of young families. If you can live with the slight dilapidation then there's plenty to enjoy here.

Return to the Steam Age: An outing to Ome Railway Park

Summary

**Has parking**Northeast Tokyo**For Elementary School Kids**Half day Activity**Admission 100yen for over 6 years**9:15-17:00**Closed Monday**

Website

Ome Railway Park

Location/Access


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By Train: From Tokyo, take the Chuo line from Tachikawa 立川 which connects with the Ome line 青梅線. Head for Ome Station. From the station, it is either a 15 minute walk or taxi to the park, as there is no bus.

By Car: There is free car parking available next to the park. We took the Chuo Road 中央道 from central Tokyo out the Hachioji Interchange 八王子 I.C. From there it was around 30-45 minutes to the park.

Activities



There are a number of real life trains in the park, ranging from old steam trains, all the way to a (relatively) modern Shinkansen. You are free to walk around the park, and you may climb up right into the driver's seat inside the trains. Here you can see the dials, levers, buttons etc. that were used to power these once mighty machines.



However, this gets old pretty fast, but fortunately there are a number of scaled down train models scattered around the park, allowing both children and adults to ride around their mini-tracks. These rides are priced at 100 or 200 JPY depending on the size.

In addition to the outdoor area, there is an indoor section with a shop, model railway, train simulator and some additional arcade games for children. There is also an observation area on top of the building, although quite what you are supposed to observe from there I found difficult to tell.

Food

Food in the park is almost non-existent, save for a vending machine selling French Fries and sushi(!).

Cost

The cost is extremely cheap as the entrance fee is only 100 yen for adults. The rides inside the park are very basic and therefore do not exceed 200 yen.


Rating

Overall, a fun way to spend a couple of hours, but not enough activities or variety for keep you busy for much longer than that. The area is quite scenic, and the number and range of engines on display is impressive, however, the lack of explanations as to what things are mean you end up leaving the park with more questions than answers. For example, they have a nice photo display documenting the transportion of the Shinkansen into the park. The photographs are beautiful black and white shots, and were a great find as the first thing that crossed my mind when I saw the Shinkansen was: "How on earth did they get that thing in here?". However, there were no dates on or near the photographs, leaving me frustrated.

Pros: Great experience for a young child who likes trains. Real-life engines including a Shinkansen. Inexpensive. A nice scenic park.

Cons: A little far from central Tokyo. Not many activities. Not many explanations given regarding the exhibits. No decent food on site.


Rating: 6/10 Worth a trip if you live nearby, or your child is mad about trains.

Kasai Seaside Park

Summary

A day trip to Kasai Seaside Park in East Tokyo. Aquarium, big wheel, flower garden, beach, playground, game center, tour via train

From Wikipedia:
Kasai Rinkai Park (葛西臨海公園 Kasai Rinkai Kōen) is a park in Edogawa, Tokyo, Japan, which officially opened on June 1, 1989. The park includes an aquarium and a bird sanctuary, and was built on reclaimed land which includes two manmade islands, a viewing tower and a hotel.

There is a Ferris wheel which opened in 2001. On a clear day, it affords views of Tokyo Bay, Chiba, Edogawa, Tokyo Disneyland, and Mt Fuji.

The park is always crowded during the 'hanami' period of spring, when the Japanese party under cherry trees in bloom.


**Has parking**East Tokyo**For Elementary or Middle School Kids**Full day Activity**Admission free**9:00-17:00 (In some cases 9:00-18:00, 9:00-19:00 depending on the season**

Rating: 8/10 - Huge, huge park with a great atmosphere. Check the weather forecast before you go, though!


Website

Kasai Seaside Park　(English)

Location/Access

江戸川区臨海町六丁目
Edogawa-ku, Rinkaicho, 6chome
TEL 5696-1331


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By Train: 1 minute walk from the Kasai Rinkai Koen Sta.葛西臨海駅 of JR Keiyo Line　京葉線

By Car: Take the Chuo Kanjou　highway 首都高速中央環状線 or the Wangan highway 首都高速湾岸線 to Kasai Junction. 葛西I.C.

By Boat: You can catch a boat/water bus from Odaiba kaihin park お台場海浜公園, on the Tokyo Mizube line 東京水辺ライン (45 minutes)


Activities

The park is filled with activities suitable for a sunny day:

Ferris Wheel
At 117m above the ground, and lasting around 17 minutes for a round trip, this is one of the biggest Ferris Wheels around. From the top you can see many famous sites around Tokyo, as well as Mt. Fuji!

The cost is 700 yen for all over 3 years, although there are discounts for disabled and elderly people.

Aquarium
The aquarium here is famous for it's Tuna fish, or Maguro. The architecture of the building is very interesting; as it is a glass dome that is designed to look as if it's floating over Tokyo Bay.

Bird Observation Park
An attempt to recreate pre-industrialization forest conditions ideal for bird life to thrive.

In addition, there is a train taking passengers on regular tours around the park. Also, there are street performers putting on shows during the summer months, a playground complete with swings and slides, as well as a number of paths laid out for strolling around and enjoying the surrounding scenic beauty of the park.

To top it all of, there's hotel on site, for those traveling from further away and looking to make a weekend of it.

Food

There is a restaurant in the aquarium, where you can enjoy Tuna Curry amongst other seafood themed dishes.

As well as this, another restaurant, called "Blue Marine", closer to the car park, serves up the standard staple; such as: pasta, curry, katsu, ramen etc.

In addition, there are a number of fast food stands on site, selling hot dogs, fries, chicken and other warm snacks.

Finally, if you head away from the park and towards the train station, you will find the omnipresent MacDonalds as well as a number of Japanese restaurants.

Cost

The car park is 200 yen per hour, with the food and drinks being priced at fairly standard rates. Entrance to the park is free.


Rating

One of the best parks in Tokyo, if not the world. A beautiful peaceful atmosphere and a real joy for the whole family. The view from the Ferris Wheel is breathtaking; and the bird watching area, aquarium, train tour and sheer size of the park ensure that there is enough to keep everybody entertained for the whole day.

My family and I live 20 minutes away from this park, and as a result make the trip at least once a month. Even though we've been over a dozen times, we have yet to make our way round the whole area, such is the size of the place.

If you pick a sunny day, you can really have a great time here. However, if it rains you won't be left with much to do. Use the weather forecast and plan carefully!

Pros: Lots of activities, inexpensive, great access, large parking area, huge space, great atmosphere, Huge Ferris Wheel

Cons: no sports facilities, not much to do if it rains, could do with a better restaurant.


Rating: 8/10

In the Army Now: A morning at the Self Defence Force Public Information Center

Summary

JGSDF Public Information Center: Tanks, helicopters, underground command post, flight simulator, tank simulator, 3D movie, battle dress and survival food.

**Has parking**West Tokyo**For Elementary School Kids**Half day Activity**Admission free**10:00-17:00**Closed Monday and every 4th Tuesday**

Rating: 7/10 - Fun activities but not enough to last a whole day


Website

JGSDF Public Information Center (Japanese Only)

Location/Access

東京都練馬区大泉学園町
Tokyo, Nerima-Ku, OizumiGakuen-cho
048-460 1711


大きな地図で見る

By Train: 1.5km (15min. on foot) from Wako-shi Sta. (和光市駅), Tobutojo line/Yuraku-cho line (東武東上線・有楽町線).

By Car: 1.5km (3min) from Wako I.C. (和光インター）, Tokyo GAIKAN Expressway. （東京外環自動車道）


Activities

Exhibitions
The place is more museum-like than anything, so most of the activities center around the various military exhibitions. Inside the building, there is a real life tank and helicopter; and you are able to climb up some stairs set up at the side of the vehicles to get a better look inside the cockpits. If one tank isn't enough, rest assured there are several other full size tanks waiting in the outside area.

Other exhibitions include SDF backpacks, jackets, guns, underground bunkers, parachutes etc. All the kind of things you would expect from a military themed museum. One note: don't expect to see anything from during or before WWII: remember the Self Defense Force was created after the end of America's post WWII occupation of Japan.

Dressing up
One nice feature was a corner allowing children to change into battle dress for the duration of their time in the center. They have sizes ranging from the smallest child to the biggest parent, so there's no need for Dad to by shy of living out his childhood "GI Joe" fantasy.

Simulators
There are a number of game console like simulators dotted around the center. You manipulate a joystick to operate either a tank or helicopter, and move around blowing things up. It's marvelously politically incorrect, as you get to actually blow up computer images of moving tanks, rather than sterile targets, but how long these games will keep the "playstation generation" entertained is a matter of debate, indeed.

There is one large sized flight simulator in the building, but as the requirements for this ride were children of 6 years or older, my young family and I had to give this one a miss.


3D Movie
There is a 3D theater running movies on a regular schedule; and the effects work quite well with the standard 3D plastic specs. However, the entire thing is Japanese only. In addition, it's quite the propaganda movie, so those sensitive to a rather one sided portrayal of Japan's military activities post WWII should maybe give this one a miss.

Food

There are no restaurants on site, only a few vending machines dishing out snacks near the outside entrance. One suggestion: There are a number of "Survival foods" available in the shop. My family and I purchased a couple of packs, and had a "mock SDF soldier's meal" for our dinner later that evening.

Cost

This is a really low cost day out: The entrance and all attractions are completely free. The goods in the shop are a little on the dear side, however, with a box of survival food and a toy tank costing our family around 3000 yen.

Rating

The activities are fun, but a little short lived. If you took a picnic, it's feasible you could stretch the day out over lunch by sitting on the benches in the outside area, surrounded by tanks. Also, older kids would soon get pretty bored, so I'd say 3-6 years would be the ideal age.

Pros: It's free, the shop is interesting, there is a lot of interactivity.

Cons: Not enough for a whole day, no restaurant on-site, a little small.


Rating: 7/10

Family Paradise in Chiba: A Trip to "Mother Farm"

Summary

A day trip to マザー牧場, maza bokujo in Chiba Prefecture. A real life farm where you can experience miking cows, herding sheep, horse riding, strawberry picking, bungee jumping and breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside.

**Has parking**Chiba**Any Age OK**Full day Activity**Medium cost**09:00-17:00**Closed for a period in December**

Rating: 10/10 + Tokyo Kazoku Gold Star


Website

Mother Farm (English available, although limited)

Location/Access

〒299-1601 千葉県富津市田倉940-3
Chiba-Ken, Futtsu-shi, Tagura, 940-3
TEL. 0439-37-3211

大きな地図で見る


By train: If you can read Japanese, there are fantastic instructions on the website: directions via train

There are 2 main routes you can take via public transportation: From Tokyo station to Kimitsu Station (君津駅) via Sazanami No. 5. From Kimitsu it is possible to arrange a bus from Mother Farm to come and pick you up. This is a reservation-based system however, so you'll need to make arrangements in advance: 0439(37)3211.

The second way would be to get the highway bus from the Yaesu entrance at Tokyo station; you'll want to get the bus heading to Kisarazu station 木更津駅. You'll arrive at the west exit, so you'll need to walk over the the east exit, before getting a bus direct to Mother Farm from there.


By car: Take the Keiyo Highway (京葉道路）out to Chiba, then from there the Tateyama Highway （館山自動車道）out to Futtsu Chuo IC (富津中央I.C). From there follow the signs to mother farm (The instructions on the signs are in Japanese. Make sure you revise your right　右, left 左　and traffic light 信号　before the trip!)

The journey will take 2-3 hours depending on your starting point in Tokyo, and the level of traffic on the roads.

Activities

There are a huge range of activities that will easily take up a whole day.

Shows: There are a number of shows, and they are scheduled to run throughout the day. The shows range from 15 minutes to 35 minutes, and vary between watching only and participation. The theme of the shows is farm related; so for example, sheep shearing, sheep herding and cow milking are staples. Many of the shows take place within a wooden dome, and therefore could be enjoyed even in the case of rain. There is also an animal parade that takes place at certain times in the day. The shows are all included in the price of the admission fee, and therefore you can participate to your heart's content, without having to stump up any extra cash.

Games: There are a few non-farm related games. For example: go-carting, bike riding, baseball pitching and bungee jumping. The bike-riding is quite interesting; it costs 300 yen and you get to ride any number of the wide variety of both large and small bikes within the riding area, for 15 minutes.

Tour: There is a tour which again runs at scheduled times throughout the day. You must book in advance (you are asked to choose a time and book upon gaining admission to the park). The tour consists of taking a bus up to the top of the mountain, before transferring to a tractor pulling a number of carriages, in a train like fashion. The tour then takes you around various places in the farm, including some that are not accessible via the regular walking paths. A good example of this is a field with very large bulls! At some point during the tour, the guide hands out pellets of food and everyone gets to feed a group of sheep. At the end of the tour, there are a number of foot baths (足湯), and you are free to remove your socks and shoes and enjoy the view of the mountains while bathing your feet in the relaxing warm water. There is also a nice little cafe where you can buy gifts and drink coffee while waiting for the next bus to come and take you back down the mountain.

Others: You are able to walk round much of the farm freely, and the area is divided up into areas depending on the animals living in those areas. You can hand feed the goats/sheep, ride on a horse, stroke the rabbits, or just enjoy the fabulous views of the surrounding mountains while lazing around on the lush green fields. There are also opportunities to pick both flowers and strawberries.



Food

The food is fantastic, although the range is fairly limited to standard Japanase staple (curry rice, Japanese-style hamburger etc. ) or Genghis Khan Hotpot. The Genghis Khan (pictured above) is a massive recommendation. You take your seat in the BBQ terrace, which is situated with a stunning view of the surrounding view, and then take your pick from the range of self-service meat and fish dishes towards the back of the terrace area. You then take the food back to your table, and cook it up yourself on the "Hotpot" provided. There is beer available, but a great option for the drivers out there would be a bottle of Mother Farm fresh milk. At 150 yen, it's a little on the dear side, but the freshly squeezed taste can't be beaten!

Cost

A family of four should budget around 15,000-25,000 yen including travel, food and admission fees. Children below 4 are free, and the cost is 800 yen for those older than 4 years. Adult admission is 1500 yen, but we paid 2200 yen for a set which included the park tour.

The Genghis Khan cost us 2720 yen in total.

Rating

On a sunny day, Mother Farm is a paradise for those with young children. The place is spacious, reasonably priced, jam packed with activities, beautiful, interesting, clean and safe. I heartily recommend you set off early in the morning, so that you can get as much time here as possible. They sell 2 yearly passes to the farm for 4400 yen, and if I wasn't writing this blog (and therefore needing to write about interesting new places each week) I would snap one up.

Pros: Great food, real life farm animals, beautiful scenery, a rich variety of activities and shows

Cons: A little far from Tokyo, rain could ruin the day.


Rating: 10/10 + Tokyo Kazoku Gold Star

A day trip to Monkey Mountain!

Summary

A trip to to Takao mountain, in Hachijoji. Nature, soba, temples, Mt. Fuji, cable cars and of course monkeys.

**Has parking**West Tokyo**For Elementary School Kids**Half day-Full Day Activity**Low cost**10:00-16:00

Website

http://www.takaotozan.co.jp (English available)

Location/Access

東京都八王子市高尾町
Tokyo, Hachioji, Takaocho


大きな地図で見る

By train: 40+ minutes from Shinjuku, Keio or Chuo line. Head for Takao Station (高尾駅）

By car: Parking available, view website for directions.

Activities

This is a great place to take young kids, as they'll love traveling up the mountain in the cable car, as well as seeing the monkeys that live up at the top. We visited in early spring, and the weather was just perfect, if a little chilly on top. I imagine the perfect season to visit would be Autumn, when the 紅葉 kuoyou, or red leaves, would bring the surrounding woodland alive with fiery red and yellow.

Other than the monkeys, there are a number of interesting shops and events taking place throughout the year. Also, be sure to check out the view of Mt. Fuji from the top of the mountain; apparantly one of the top 100 "Fuji views" in Japan!

Food



Mainly Japanese style: Soba seemingly being the "famous" food of the area. The soba is hand made, and you can actually see the chefs preparing and cutting the ingredients in one of the restaurant windows. Menus are in both English and Japanese.


Cost

The cost is very reasonable:

Parking: 500 yen
Cable car: 450 yen one way (free up to 6 years old)
Monkey park: 400 yen (children up to 3 years free, under middle school age 200 yen)

Rating

A great way to spend half a day, but too few activities to fill longer than that. One of the big pluses was the fantastic feeling of being out of the city and surrounded by natural beauty. Considering the proximity to the center of Tokyo I found this quite amazing.

There seems to be many events, and some onsen nearby, so perhaps if you left the kids with the inlaws and visited as a couple you could stretch the visit out to a weekend.

Overall, the low price and beautiful surroundings give this location a respectable 7/10.