As the summer vacation approaches for the children, many parent-child families will take the opportunity to arrange travel abroad. However, whether it is East Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea, or Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Vietnam, most of them are also in the season of heat waves. If you want to travel to Japan with your children, which city should you choose? How to plan a trip?
The 2024 best summer resorts in Japan voted by Japanese in 10
Hankyu Travel International Co., Japan, announced the results of a survey of summer resorts in Japan in June 2024. According to 6 valid questionnaires from Japanese adults, the top 581 favorite summer travel destinations for Japanese people are, in order, light Izawa, Furano, Nasu Plateau, Kamikochi, Hakone, Okunikko, Kiyosato Plateau, Lake Towada, Aso, and Mount Rokko.
Hankyu Transportation is a travel company founded in 1948, specializing in transportation ticket agency business. This survey is based on the travel preferences of Japanese people. The nature is biased towards short-day and suburban travel locations, and long-day travel and popular attractions. For foreign tourists, it can provide a reference for planning summer itineraries. In addition to visiting major popular cities, they can also enjoy a few days of refreshing weather and a travel experience surrounded by nature.
| Ranking | Place name | area | ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Karuizawa | Nagano Prefecture | 52.7% |
| 2 | Furano | Hokkaido | 52.4% |
| 3 | Nasu plateau | Tochigi Prefecture | 39.3% |
| 4 | Kamikochi | Nagano Prefecture | 36.5% |
| 5 | Hakone | Kanagawa prefecture | 29.6% |
| 6 | Okunikko | Tochigi Prefecture | 27.2% |
| 7 | Kiyosato Plateau | Yamanashi | 26.2% |
| 8 | Lake Towada | Akita Prefecture | 26.0% |
| 9 | Aso | Kumamoto prefecture | 23.4% |
| 10 | Rokko Mountain | Hyogo Prefecture | 17.0% |
調查期間：2024/4/3-2024/4/8
Investigating unit: JustSystems Co.
Survey target: Japanese adult men and women
Survey method: Online questionnaire
Suggestions and planning for parent-child family travel during the summer in Japan
For children or teenagers who like excitement and new things, simply arranging a summer vacation trip in the mountains and fields of Japan in summer will definitely be disgusted by young children. The itinerary planning must be combined with a travel itinerary in a big city. After referring to the popular summer vacation in Japan The list of tourist attractions, after taking into account factors such as flights, transportation convenience, and city popularity, recommends Tokyo, Sapporo, Kobe, Kumamoto and other cities as the first choice as summer travel destinations.
- Sapporo: Hokkaido is blessed with high latitude conditions, and the entire area has cool and pleasant weather. In summer, it is recommended to take Sapporo as the center, take JR to Otaru and Asahikawa, and drive to Furano. This is a family travel itinerary suitable for all ages |Sapporo Hotel Booking Guide
- Tokyo: The first choice for children who love new things. It is surrounded by summer resorts and hot spring resorts such as Nikko Kinugawa, Karuizawa, Hakone, Atami, and Fujikawaguchiko. It is suitable for both summer and winter. In summer, there are also fireworks held in various places. The conference was quite lively｜Tokyo Hotel Booking Guide
- Kumamoto: Kumamoto is home to the well-known tourism ambassador Kumamoto Kuma. The city has Kumamoto Castle, museums, art galleries and other intellectual attractions. It takes 2 hours to reach Aso Kuju National Park. It has the world's largest volcanic crater and grassland, suitable for hiking and various outdoor activities. Activities｜Kumamoto Hotel Booking Guide
- Kobe: A port city with a rich exotic style. Next to it is Mount Rokko, which overlooks Kobe City and Osaka Bay. It also has Arima Onsen, one of Japan's three major hot springs. It only takes 30 minutes by car from downtown Kobe to enjoy a summer vacation accompanied by mountains, forests and hot springs. |Kobe Hotel Booking Guide
Sapporo: the first choice for vacation at high latitudes with cool climate
Sapporo is the largest city and tourist center in Hokkaido. You must definitely come here to eat and shop with your children. You can easily travel to Otaru, Asahikawa and other surrounding cities by taking JR. If you can drive by yourself, Furano and Biei are the first choices. You can take the road from Sapporo from Noboribetsu and Lake Toya to Hakodate, and make a side trip by entering from New Chitose Airport and departing from Hakodate Airport.
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Furano・Biei
Furano and Biei are filled with blooming flowers every summer, and driving in the fields is particularly comfortable. If the children don’t like the sight of flowers and grass, they can always have a cantaloupe and ice cream, which I believe will soothe their impetuous hearts.
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Hakodate
Hakodate has convenient transportation between Hakodate Airport and JR Hakodate Station. When you come to Hakodate in summer, you can enjoy delicious seafood food, climb up Goryokaku Tower to enjoy the daytime view of Hakodate, and take the cable car up Mount Hakodate to enjoy the spectacular night view of a million people. .
Tokyo: Tokyo Okuzashiki surrounding Tokyo
Tokyo Disneyland is a must-visit place for families with children in Tokyo. However, after going through the park itinerary in hot weather, you might as well arrange a trip to summer resorts such as Nikko Kinugawa, Hakone, Atami, Karuizawa, and Fujikawaguchiko in the Tokyo metropolitan area. If you can catch a summer fireworks display while traveling, you will be even more lucky!
Karuizawa
Karuizawa is located in the plateau terrain and mountain forests of Nagano Prefecture. The climate is cool and comfortable in summer, free from the heat and boredom of urban Tokyo. Whether you are driving or riding a bicycle, wandering among the forests and fields is quite leisurely and comfortable.
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Hakone
Hakone is a well-known hot spring area in the suburbs of Tokyo. It has a pleasant climate with an average temperature of less than 25 degrees in summer. Here you can overlook Mount Fuji and visit the beautiful scenery of Lake Ashi. On the way to the cable car, you can even see the unique scenery of the Owakudani crater. Take the Odakyu Electric Railway Romantic Express from Shinjuku directly to Hakone-Yumoto.
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sunlight
Nikko City has many hot springs such as Kinugawa and Okunikko, as well as world heritage sites such as Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Futarasan Shrine, many beautiful lakes such as Lake Chuzenji, and many waterfalls such as Kegon Falls, one of the three largest waterfalls in Japan. Attractions, Nikko City can be reached in 2 hours by Tobu Nikko Line from Asakusa, Tokyo.
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Kumamoto: Kyushu’s tourist town where Kumamon is stationed
Kumamoto City has the most familiar tourist ambassador Kumamon. The city has Kumamoto Castle, museums, art galleries and other intellectual attractions. It takes 2 hours by car to reach Aso Kuju National Park, Mount Aso, which has the world's largest volcanic crater and vast grasslands. You can engage in activities such as hiking, hot air ballooning, paragliding, etc. It is very suitable for people who love natural scenery and outdoor activities.
Kobe: a seaport city with strong exotic flavor
Kobe is close to Osaka, just like Yokohama next to Tokyo. They are both Japan's first open port cities and are full of strong exotic customs. There are Mount Rokko summer resort and Arima Hot Spring Resort, one of Japan's three major hot springs. Among them, Mount Rokko has a view overlooking Kobe City and Osaka Bay. It is surrounded by botanical gardens, sports parks, pastures and other facilities. It is suitable for a day trip from Kobe or a short vacation at Arima Onsen.
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