WHAT ELSE?

HAKONE Part of FujiHakone-Izu National Park, Hakone is an historic onsen town and a popular day trip from Tokyo. Don’t miss a cruise on Lake Ashi, a visit to Hakone Shrine, and the Hakone Open

Air Museum ( hakone-oam .or.jp), which features works from a slew of avant-garde artists including Picasso, Henry Moore, and Taro Okamoto. KYOTO Aside from visiting the city’s major temples and shrines, make sure you spend a few hours at the fascinating Kyoto Railway Museum ( kyotorailwaymuseum.jp). The district of Arashiyama is also a great day out for kids, thanks to its bamboo grove, the hilltop Kameyama Park, and rental rowboats on the Hozugawa River.

FUKUOKA The largest city in Kyushu is the home of Fishing

Restaurant Zauo ( zauo.com) where you must catch your own dinner. Those with more restless kids should spend a day at Uminonakamichi Seaside Park ( uminaka-park .jp), a 300-hectare venue with multiple playgrounds, splash pools, seasonal flower gardens, and more.

KAGOSHIMA Nicknamed “Naples of the East” for its warmer climes and bayside location opposite the active volcano of Mount Sakurajima, this is Kyushu’s southernmost major city. Take a ferry across the water to Sakurajima Visitor

Center ( sakurajima.gr.jp), then hop aboard an Island View bus to see points of interest around the volcano.