[Kyoto is fun for both adults and children] Recommended spots for family trips!

Kyoto is a popular tourist destination not only for people in Japan but also from all around the world. When planning a family trip with small children, have you ever wondered, "Where would be the best place to go?"

Actually, Kyoto has many spots where both children and adults can wear traditional kimono and have a great time together as a family! This time, we will introduce you some of our top recommended spots that can be enjoyed regardless of age.

Do you think that the movie village is a place only children can enjoy? In reality, it’s a spot where both children and adults can have fun, and visiting as a family makes it even more enjoyable!

Toei Kyoto Studio Park is an interactive facility where the sets actually used in movies and dramas are lined up. It’s a facility where period dramas are filmed, so if you wear a kimono, you can take photos that make it look like you've traveled back in time to the Edo period. Not only can you take fun photos in kimono, but the cast members who appear in the films and dramas will also get into character and playfully interact with you, or teach you how to pose to take pictures that fit the historical background. This makes the experience different from visiting in regular clothes.
Many cast members play various roles such as samurai and ninja within the facility, and depending on who you meet, they might lend you props like swords! You could take a family photo here, but we recommend having just the kids pose with the cast members while the parents take photos capturing the children in their unique appearances. With a bit of encouragement from the parents, you could capture a wonderful smile on your child’s face, creating a perfect memory of your trip!
Looking back at the bright and cheerful appearance of your child in these photos will surely provide a special feeling only a parent can experience.

Inside the facility, there are teahouses and other places where you can enjoy traditional Japanese sweets and light snacks while taking a break. Wearing a kimono and eating dango (sweet rice dumplings) in a teahouse can make you feel like you are in a sweet shop from the Edo period.
The facility is large, with plenty of opportunities for walking and playing, so having convenient places to rest is a reassuring point! There are several shops offering warm dango, cold drinks, shaved ice, and seasonal sweets, so you can enjoy delicious treats no matter when you visit.
There are also several souvenir shops within the facility. From original movie village goods to uniquely Kyoto souvenirs, there are many options to choose from, so be sure to find your favorite.

While enjoying the movie sets may be the main attraction, there are also interactive attractions like 3D mazes, ensuring children have fun all day long. The attractions range from ones that younger children can enjoy to more advanced ones aimed at elementary and middle school students, making it a great place to visit for a family trip.
Additionally, there are collaborative exhibitions and shows related to Toei's productions, as well as limited edition goods available only here, making it a must-see for fans of these works! The events and exhibits change with the seasons, making you want to come back again and again.

There are many exhibits and experiences within the facility, so it’s fun to visit on a whim, but we recommend watching a period drama together as a family before going to the movie village! Watching even just one drama before you go will enhance the experience of seeing the real sets, and both adults and children will be more excited. It also helps children immerse themselves in the world.

When it comes to sightseeing in Kyoto, you cannot miss the Kiyomizu Temple area! The Higashiyama area is one of the most iconic spots in Kyoto, recognized not just by people across Japan, but around the world. Being a famous spot, it is definitely recommended as a destination for family trips.

Kiyomizu Temple is a historic temple with a history of approximately 1,250 years. It is home to many national treasures and important cultural properties, and in 1994, it was registered as one of the World Cultural Heritage sites.
The stage that extends in front of the main hall is perhaps the most famous structure within Kiyomizu Temple. This stage, built about 13 meters above the cliff base, uses an ancient Japanese construction method known as "kake-zukuri," where wooden beams support each other, creating the stage atop the cliff without using a single nail. Changing your perspective to explore the architecture and its secrets might spark an interest in children, turning the temple visit into a more engaging experience for them.

After visiting Kiyomizu Temple, we recommend heading to Ninen-zaka and Sannen-zaka for souvenirs and street food. These streets are lined with many shops on both sides, offering a variety of souvenirs and easy-to-eat foods. There are many unique Kyoto souvenirs and foods, so just walking through this area can be a lot of fun. There are also shops selling famous character goods, making it a place where children can enjoy themselves while exploring. You will find many items and souvenirs unique to Kyoto, so please enjoy shopping while sightseeing.

Kitano Tenmangu is a place visited by many during New Year's for the first shrine visit (Hatsumode), the plum blossom season, or the "Tenjin-san Day" festival held on the 25th of every month, where many stalls and flea markets are set up. The locals affectionately refer to it as "Tenjin-san" (a term of endearment).
This time, we will introduce how you can enjoy Kitano Tenmangu casually with your family or friends on a "normal" day, just with your smartphone in hand!

Near the entrance, just before the Sanko-mon Gate, there is a lantern with a statue of Daikokuten (the god of wealth) engraved on it. The lantern was donated by a group of pawnshops, including the "Daikokuya," in the Ansei era. There are two small holes in the mouth of the statue, and if you can successfully drop a small stone into each hole without them falling out, and keep those stones in your wallet, you will receive the blessings of wealth, or so it is believed.
However, in practice, this is quite challenging… The surface is smooth, and the perfect stones are hard to find since people take the good ones home. Sometimes you might get lucky and find a stone that children have been playing with left behind… As a result, you often see people bending over, searching for stones like they are planting rice.
Cooperate with your family or friends and try to find a good stone. Also, capturing the unusual sight of each other searching for stones on camera can be a fun memory!

The "Water Fortune Slips," famous at Kifune Shrine, can also be enjoyed at the Boat Departure Garden here at Kitano Tenmangu. These are also available in English, so visitors from abroad can enjoy them too! The sight of you in a kimono dipping the fortune slip into the sacred water makes for a picturesque scene. Taking a photo in kimono with the whole family will capture a quintessentially Kyoto moment. Enjoy the brief joy or disappointment of whether the fortune is good or bad!

When it comes to Tenmangu Shrines, you think of "oxen." Inari Shrines have foxes, Hachiman Shrines have doves, and each is revered as the messenger of the gods. Similarly, for Tenmangu Shrines, oxen are considered the divine messengers, and many ox statues greet visitors within the shrine grounds.
Though many people, especially students, visit the "Wish-Fulfilling Ox" at the Ema Hall, where they stroke the ox’s head for good luck in exams and then their own heads, for everyone else, it's recommended to find one of the many "lying oxen" statues around the grounds that "call out to you," and then stroke the part of the ox corresponding to any health concern or worry you have.
It’s a common joke among young people to playfully touch each other’s heads before touching the oxen’s head for good luck in studies. Watching such lighthearted interactions can be a charming sight.
These oxen have long been favorites, believed to heal injuries and illnesses. The ox you choose today may be stroked by someone else a hundred years from now. Enjoy the perfect photo opportunity with your kimono and the various “nade-ushi” oxen around the grounds!

Kitano Tenmangu is full of picturesque spots like the Plum Garden in winter, the Green Maple Garden in spring, and the Maple Garden and Nightingale Bridge in autumn. But this time, we've introduced spots that can be enjoyed casually regardless of the season or day. Kitano Tenmangu is a place where not just parents and children, but also three-generation families can visit together! Why not visit with your children or grandchildren?

One of the joys of working at Rental Kimono Okamoto is getting to talk with people from all over Japan and the world. We often hear people say, “I’ve always wanted to visit Kyoto,” or “I have a fascination with Kyoto.” Many families who visit Kyoto use our kimono rental services,
However, Kyoto also offers many spots that can be enjoyed by families, including parents, grandparents, and grandchildren. At Okamoto Kimono Rental, we have many customers who visit with their families, so this time we focused on spots that you can explore while dressed in kimono. It would be our greatest joy if our kimonos could accompany you on your journey. We have a wide variety of kimonos for children and men at all of our stores, so please enjoy your Kyoto trip in kimono with your family!

[Author of this article]
Rental Kimono Okamoto Shimizu Higashiyama store
〒605-0855　110-9 Tatsumi-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City
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