Kyoto and Osaka, Japan (6D road-trip)

Having been to Tokyo and Kyoto before, we have always appreciated Kyoto for its slower pace of life compared to Tokyo (being a couple who prefers nature over citylife) and for embracing its deep Japanese culture with its numerous temples, gardens, and historical shrines to sight-see.

Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo has always been a standard itinerary for most travellers, and this time we were also covering this standard route. Our last trip to Tokyo and Kyoto with the kids was 3 years ago during the cherry blossom season, where Leia and Lauren were still babies, so we were quite excited to re-visit these areas in a different season, gorgeous autumn! Our 6D5N trip to Osaka and Kyoto is in partnership with Homeaway Asia – where we would explore Japan with different accommodation options compared to the conventional hotel stays. To make this trip a little different from the last, we decided to explore the outskirts of Kyoto!

If you have always wished to travel and experience a different side of Japan, this post would give you an insight to what you can do and experience outside of the usual Osaka/Kyoto itineraries.

Day 1

An overnight flight to Osaka and a JR train ride later, we arrived in Central Kyoto where we collected our rented car. Unlike our previous trip, we were not exploring the city of Kyoto, but heading to Keihoku — a town surrounded by beautiful mountains and river in the Kyoto Prefecture, away from the tourist crowds. Keihoku was an hour’s drive from Kyoto city, and we arrived at our booked lodging just before dinner time. Instead of standard chain hotels, we had opted to stay a 200 year-old traditional Japanese thatched house! Hideo, our host for our first 3-day stay who stays just next door, greeted us and assisted us with our check-in and gave us an introduction to the space!

Hideo’s place is huge. Japan is well-known for having shoebox living spaces and this place was far from being a shoebox. With 4 rooms which could be made into a bedroom tatami style, 2 toilets, a shower room and a kitchen, Hideo’s place was literally a cosy home for us to get back to after our day’s activities. The house has a yoga room on the 2nd level with 10 yoga mats for its guests (Hideo’s house sleeps comfortably 8), a huge frontyard for the kids to play, a bbq pit, veggie garden and also 3 cute resident dogs living just next door.

After washing up, Leia and Lauren took the time to hang out in the gardens while our welcome dinner — a scrumptious hotpot, was being prepared by our host and his wife, Yukako.

Car rental: https://rent.toyota.co.jp/eng/index.aspx

Our homestay: https://hmwy.io/leialauren-in-kyoto

day 2

We got up on the morning of day 2 with a breakfast spread prepared by Hideo and his wife. We had an option of a japanese or western breakfast and the girls went for the latter. Well-rested, we were really excited for our Keihoku tour this morning. Hideo had arranged a fish market visit where he would bring home the freshest produce for dinner tonight. Leia and Lauren insisted on bringing along their cute Hello Kitty polaroid cameras (they had wanted to document their experiences this trip) , we made our way to the town of Obama, where we visited the Wakasa Obama Fish Center, an estimated 1 hour’s drive from our homestay.

Compared to Tsukiji fish market, the Wakasa Obama Fish Center was on a way smaller scale, but the variety of fresh catch here were interesting enough for us to spend some time here. Being there in the morning had its perks. We had the freshest seafood and produce to choose from. We left the selection to Hideo, who is already an expert at picking the the freshest seafood for dinner at affordable prices. He also made sure to pick seafood that are suited for the kids consumption (those with lesser bones). A very thoughtful gesture in our opinion.

While Hideo was getting seafood from the locals, Leia and Lauren were also exploring the fish market on their own! The fish center was filled with a variety of seafood that it was both an educational and eye-opening experience for the kids. Couldn’t help but snapped a few shots on their camera =)

For our lunch, Hideo made a selection from the market too and headed to a restaurant just next door. Similar to most Japanese markets, you could pick out seafood from the market and get the chefs to prepare them sashimi style or in a cooking style you desire. We had grilled saba, fried pufferfish, and the kids favourite, Nodoguro (Blackthroat seaperch). This premium local delicacy is very soft and has a higher fat content, best served grilled/sashimi and melts in the mouth!

After enjoying our seafood lunch, it was on to a traditional hands-on experience where the kids got to sand their own lacquered chopsticks at Wakasa Obama Food Culture Museum, located just a stone’s throw away from the fish center. 80% of lacquered chopsticks in Japan originated from here! As you sand down the layers of clamshell and egg shell embedded in the lacquer, it will reveal a pair of chopsticks with a unique design. Not every pair will be the same. The workshop was definitely suitable for kids, and a good activity to bring home a customised souvenir.

Making our way back to our homestay, we stopped by Miyama village, hidden behind the mountains, a juxtaposition of Japan's fast-paced, overcrowded city-scapes. This village is a half hour drive from Obama and is made up of traditional thatched houses set against a serene landscape, giving you a pure nostalgic sense of what rural living in Japan is all about — what the town is famous for. Here, its all about enjoying the tranquility and the fresh air, no agenda/prgramme needed. Just walking along the alleys and taking in the sights of what this quaint little village had to offer. Those gorgeous autumn foliage!

Dinner was waiting for us back at our stay after a long day out. Yukako had a sashimi feast prepared for us when we arrived. There, they taught us the Japanese way of enjoying the food. We learnt how to make temaki, Japanese handrolls, and it paired with the fresh sashimi perfectly. The seafood bought from this morning was still so fresh. Definitely a taste and experience we wouldn’t forget.

Wakasa Obama Fish Center

Address: 2-5-1 Kawasaki, Obama, Fukui 917-0081, Japan

Wakasa Obama Food Culture Museum

Address: 3 Chome-4 Kawasaki, Obama, Fukui 917-0081, Japan

Miyama Kayabuki-no-Sato

Address: Miyamachokita, Nantan, Kyoto 601-0712, Japan

day 3

Still dreaming about our the fresh sashimi from the day before, we woke up for our usual breakfast by Hideo and Yukako. Today was going to be our last night in Keihoku and we have decided to spend it by enjoying the countryside and doing what the locals do. First up on our list of activities was bringing Leia and Lauren for a haircut! This was definitely a highlight for them as it was the first haircut they had in their life, what more in the quaint countryside of Keihoku. We must say that the kids took it well and were completely chill about the entire process.

Wanting to just explore our surroundings, we took a look on Google Maps and drove around town to see what we could do nearby and discovered a bridge within the vicinity, with beautiful autumn trees. We stayed here for a good 1-2 hours, taking in the landscape and lush greenery while taking some photos for keepsakes, and Leia and Lauren enjoyed the place by playing at the edge of the stream.

Dinner was again back at our homestay, and today, we were going to experience a farm-to-table dinner. There was a small vegetable farm at the back of Hideo’s place, and we were going to harvest our own fresh veggies for tonight’s sukiyaki dinner! The girls and I rolled up our sleeves and got to work, while Hideo and the hubby headed out to the nearest market to buy fresh Kyoto beef (apparently a good-for-value alternative compared to A5 beef, came strongly recommended by the locals!)

And here we were with our harvested veggies, a mouthwatering spread! As it was our last night in Keihoku, we invited our hosts to join us for our dinner. It was definitely an evening with great conversations and laughter that night, learning so much more about the region and culture from the perspective of locals. Such a pity that it was our last night in this gorgeous countryside.

day 4

We woke up bright and early today for our last breakfast at Hideo’s homestay before we checked out to head back to Kyoto town. Although we left with a heavy heart as we had enjoyed our stay thoroughly, we were also excited to continue our adventure. Our stay tonight was going to be at Osaka, but before that, we decided to drop by Gion, a famous geisha district in Kyoto since it was the girls’ first time. Here, you can also rent Kimonos to explore the area and snap some nice shots, we had to dress Leia and Lauren in it! We rented at the first shop we saw, but if you want to widen your options, there are a lot of shops along the Main Street to check out to pick the perfect kimono for yourself.

We spent some time taking a stroll around the area to appreciate the autumn scenery around the park. This is the best way to travel with kids. There is no need to make big plans, just go with the flow! Leia and Lauren enjoyed playing with the falling leaves and running freely around the area. Thankfully, there wasn’t much tourists at the timing we were there.

Soon, it was time for us to catch the JR train to Osaka. We returned our car and got on the train, ready to visit the nation’s kitchen! It was about an hour plus journey to Osaka, and when we arrived, the first thing we did was to check into our lovely apartment which we booked through Homeaway! Our rented apartment was a huge space for a family of 4 (it could sleep up to 6), and just like Hideo’s homestay, there were kitchen facilities and a living area where the whole family could hang out after a day out. The laundry room is a plus! This apartment is also located at a 10-15min walk away from central. We got ourselves rested up in the apartment before continuing venturing out to explore the neighbourhood.

At night, we had a simple ramen dinner down the street from our apartment and spotted a 100-yen shop. In Japan you can find the cutest bento and scrapbooking accessories! We decided to pick up some of those for some indoor activities for the girls while they got to pick up some toys. Strolled back to our apartment to re-energise for the next day!

Our 2-bedroom apartment: https://hmwy.io/leialauren-in-osaka

day 5

Today’s morning activity was a visit to Kuromon Ichiba Market. It is one of the main markets in Osaka, and here, you can find lots of local street food, fresh seafood, souvenirs and more. We wanted to experience some bento making with the girls today, and for that, we needed some ingredients. The market was already bustling early in the morning, and naturally we got distracted by all the fresh produce and couldn’t resist having a meal there!

Back at the apartment, we got down to some bento making for lunch. We had planned to take Leia and Lauren to a nearby park which had a playground for some fun time and could bring along some bento snacks. Having a kitchen in our apartment meant we could do this easily as we had all the cooking utensils provided! The benefits of having shared indoor family spaces also meant that we could spend time bonding after a day’s out, which was much more fun and comfortable for us as a family.

Playing at the playground the entire afternoon got the girls worn out and we headed back up to the apartment for a rest. In the night, we spent our time at Namba Park Mall where we had a grilled meat dinner and had some family fun playing at the arcade competing with each other over rounds of Mario Kart.

Kurumon Ichiba Market

Address: 2 Chome-4-1 Nipponbashi, Chuo Ward, Osaka, 542-0073, Japan

Namba Park Mall

Address: 2 Chome-10-70 Nanbanaka, Naniwa Ward, Osaka, 556-0011, Japan

day 6

As the girls had taken some shots on their Hello Kitty polaroids, we took some time in the morning to put together the scrapbook with the materials we had bought at the 100 yen shop. We thought it was fun to have the girls piece together memories of the last few days since they are so into handicrafts. A sweet keepsake for them to remember about their time in Keihoku and Kyoto. Thats the thing about travelling with kids, always plan little activities to keep them engaged and make sure they have their slice of fun too!

Once Leia and Lauren were done with their scrapbooks, it was time for some sightseeing! We were going to Nara Park today, where the girls could spend some time interacting with the the sacred bowing deers. Being animal lovers, they were absolutely thrilled to see the deers free-roaming.

It was Dotonbori at night to see the insta-famous Glico Man. Filled with tourists, it was back to the hustle and bustle of a Japan city!

With the girls in the pram, it was easier navigating the crowd without the worry of losing them while manoeuvring through the streets. It was our last night in Osaka before heading to Tokyo the next day.

Nara Park

Address: Nara, Japan

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here in rural Kyoto and Osaka, and choosing a right accommodation like our apartments/house from HomeawayAsia helped make so much difference in the way we travel. We could hang out and have so much more bonding activities as a family after a day out, compared to space-starved conventional hotel stays in Japan. No more crazy morning buffet queues too. Highly recommend for families or group of friends to go for apartment stays instead!