March break in Japan
 

Planning to be in Japan for March break 2005 with 2 boys ages, 11 and 14. We are arriving to and leaving from Tokyo. Any advise re areas to visit in Japan during 11 days. As well are there any organized tours that are recommended or should we do it independently? Looking forward to the replies.

I am taking my 14 yr old son for two wks from March 13-16th (spring break and an extra wk). Also coming/going from Narita (although I sure I could have gotten out of Kansai on FF tickets). I've done most of my research on this board, going over old posts from people who took teens, and posts on our interests, then asking questions once I got some ideas on what interested us and I needed particulars. Check Leslie C.'s postings on her trip w/her young teen sons. It really depends on your interests and what turns your kids on. We have decided on Tokyo 5 days (w/trip to Ghibli anime museum, Senjosi temple/Sumida river area, Odaiba entertainment area where Sega Joyopolis and Megaweb are, Tokyo Edo Museum, and some of the neighborhoods), then Yokohama for preseason baseball (your sons might like that, if so there is a Japanese baseball site that will list in Feb. the preseason games that start mid-March in Tokyo, Yokohama, Hiroshima, etc.), Kamakura, Hakone, and then on to Kyoto for the rest w/day trips to Nara, Hiroshima (and Himeji), hiking for a day outside of Kyoto, and Osaka day trip for a grand sumo tournament.
The possibilites are endless, but it depends totally on your interest. I feel confident we can do this first trip on our own and will have a much better time that way.
Good sites for beginning to plan are: www.jnto.go.jp/
and www.japan-guide.com

ghercz: I am going to top some of the better posts I know about for you re what to do w/teens in Japan, so check just above your post.

Just one more thing: are they into the ninja or samurai parts of Japanese history? If so, there are places to go to get good doses of that also.

I highly recommend Tokyo Edo museum, especially with children. They have amazing re-creations of Tokyo history and great English explanations. Also, see if you can find their website in advance, it has wonderful kind of "tour" of what Tokyo would have been like in earlier centuries. Enjoy planning your trip!

thank you for these helpful replies.

BTW, the preseason baseball schedule for Japan has was just posted yesterday at www.japanesebaseball.com/forum/forumjsp?forum=2
We are seeing a game at Jingo stadium in western Tokyo, one in Yokohama, and one in Osaka! Very excited about this. Japanese baseball is a real different world.

BTW, the preseason baseball schedule for Japan has was just posted yesterday at www.japanesebaseball.com/forum/forum.jsp?forum=2
We are seeing a game at Jingo stadium in western Tokyo, one in Yokohama, and one in Osaka! Very excited about this. Japanese baseball is a real different world.