Why Japan is great for families

Japan manages something few destinations do: parents and children can be equally excited about completely different things at exactly the same time.

Children see bullet trains, robots, Pokémon, deer, vending machines and enormous bowls of ramen. Grown-ups see exceptional food, extraordinary design, beautiful hotels, temples, gardens and one of the world's most fascinating cultures.

It also works brilliantly logistically. Trains are fast and efficient, cities are easy to explore and our itinerary deliberately keeps hotel changes to a minimum.

This is still an adventure — just one where everything tends to work.

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And no, your children don't have to eat sushi every day​

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One of the nicest surprises for families is just how easy Japan can be at mealtimes.

Of course, there is exceptional Japanese food everywhere — sushi, ramen, yakitori, tempura and some of the best bakeries you'll come across anywhere. But you certainly don't have to eat Japanese food three times a day.

Japan has a surprisingly strong Italian food scene, so pizza and pasta are genuinely good fallback options rather than a compromise for younger travellers.

In Tokyo, we particularly like Cadota, a small neighbourhood Italian restaurant in Toshima known for handmade pasta, duck dishes and ingredients sourced from local farms. The chef trained in Puglia, and it is the sort of place that shows how seriously Japan takes even food borrowed from somewhere else.

In other words, adventurous eaters can go as far as they like — and everybody else will still eat extremely well.