Moving around in Tokyo and Japan
 

My wife and I will be taking four kids to Japan for a two-week trip in March. I had a few questions:

- Packing: we want to pack as lightly as possible, but we don't want to dress like ugly americans. Jeans are very practical, but are they acceptable in most restaurants?

- Laundry: how prevalent are laundry services? How expensive? How easy to figure out? If we are to pack lightly, we would most likely need to do laundry at least twice during our trip.

- Luggage storage: do most major train stations have rental storage so we can drop our bags and explore the place?

- Taxicabs: are there any 6-person taxicabs in Tokyo and Kyoto, or would we need to split up into two cabs?

Jeans: should be acceptable in most restaurants. The only kids of places I won't wear one is if you want to spend JPY10k or above per person.

Laundry: two solutions. you can ask at dry-cleaning stores though this would take a few days. Alternatively, you can look for coin laundries--usually in residential areas. Of course, you can ask for hotel laundry services--most convenient but expensive. For underwears and T-shirts, you can always wash small items in the bath tub.

Luggage: coin lockers at most major stations, though most will be too small to accomodate suitcases.

Taxis: occasionally I've spotted "wagon taxi"(?) near Tokyo station. But it's rare so don't expect you can flagg one on the street. BTW, make sure ALL members of your family carry a card from the hotel so that he/she can show it to the driver/passer-by in case they get lost. Also, taxi doors open automatically, and most drivers don't speak English.

hmm. I'm a bit confused. Are you travelling with 3 kids or 4 kids? Not that it will make heck of a difference, but if you have a really young child, going through five different shrines/temples may not be his/her cup of tea...

When we are more tha 3 people, we generally take 2 taxis. It's no problem to find them....they are lined up waiting for fares everywhere.

It can be quite cold in March. We often have snow in Kanazawa. Tokyo is warmer, Kyoto can be damp and raw in March.

This pertains to your transport.For moving around in Tokyo you could take the trains.A day pass would get you from any where to any where.Well organised, with sign boards of stations in English too& extremely cordial people all willing to help you every step of the way.This I guess is the best way to see the sights and sounds of a city.For the intercity you could buy the Japan rail pass.Its an experience by itself.Sit back and view the awe inspiring countryside from the comforts of your carriage.
Most importantly you will be travelling together as a family.

With more time I can give you a more thorough answer.

Packing...kids can wear anything, to be honest, as long as it is clean. Jeans are common for everyone. I tend to like skirts, but that's just me. My husband wears jeans or khaki pants every day. You will need layers of clothing, as March temperatures are all over the place.

Having your laundry done in the hotel is easy and reliable, and will maybe cost more than the room charge. There are coin laundries, more easily found in areas with many university student apartments. If you can find them, they are usually very good. The washing machines often have the soap automatically dispense...you don't have to put any in. Cleaning shops like dry cleaners often offer laundry service for shirts (like men's business shirts). The cheapest and easiest might be to ask your hotel to ask the taxi to take you to the nearest coin laundry.

While most train stations have baggage storage facilities, they are often full. More than once I have looked for baggage storage lockers in Kyoto and Nagoya and been unable to find a vacant one. Smaller stations are more likely to have available lockers. There are various sizes of lockers, but big ones are not common....and may or may not hold your bags depending on the size and shape. I wouldn't set off on a journey for sightseeing with all of the luggage though...I'd arrange the sightseeing days so that the bags can stay in the hotel.

Jumbo taxis...vans...are avaialble, but usually must be prebooked. You could ask your hotel to call one for you. Or it's just as easy to use 2 taxis. Groups do that all the time, so it would not be anything new for the drivers.