Yuki Tanaka

There is a Japanese concept called ikigai — roughly translated as “the reason for getting up in the morning.” For me, it’s showing my Australian-raised children the parts of Japan that shaped me growing up.

Hana’s first trip to Kyoto was when she was 14 months old. I carried her through the bamboo grove of Arashiyama in an Ergobaby, watching her reach out to touch the tall green stalks as we walked. That moment — the gap between her wonder and my nostalgia — is what family travel feels like when it’s working.

What many travel sites miss about Japan is that it is, quietly, one of the most child-friendly countries in the world. The public toilets are immaculate and almost always have baby-changing tables. Train stations in major cities have lifts. Department store baby rooms are better equipped than most hospital nurseries I’ve seen. The challenge is knowing where these things are.

My reviews are written for the parent who has never been to Japan and is slightly terrified. I was that person once — on the other side, arriving in Sydney with a baby and no idea where to find Panadol for infants when everything looks like unfamiliar packaging. It’s a disorienting feeling, and I never want my readers to experience it if I can help it.