The trip to Japan was for me and my husband, not our four-year-old daughter. While she loved the temples of Chiang Mai, Thailand, which are mostly small and approachable, those in Japan were vast with lots of stairs to climb – or so it seemed to her little legs. And while the people were friendly toward Elisa, we ran into some perplexing situations, such a lovely hotel pool that could only be used by those over 6. Seriously?
On the other hand, Japan’s food, with its readily available – and inexpensive – noodle and rice bowls, would be appealing to even the pickiest of eaters. And for our daughter, who loves sashimi, it was not an issue.
Not unexpectedly, our daughter mostly looked like this on our trip:
The exceptions were Nara with its deer, parks, and forest, an unexpected pleasure about which I have previously written, and the Kaiyukan Aquarium in Osaka, which is wonderful for all ages. We initially thought the highlights of the Aquarium were the 5,400-ton tank, home to two shark whales and many more large and small fish, an incredible room with dozen or so varieties of jelly fish, and the gigantic spider crabs, but this was only until we arrived at the “petting zoo.”
Osaka’s aquarium provides the unique opportunity to stroke small rays and sharks. They feel as expected – the sharks are rough to touch and rays slimy. There are plenty of sinks to wash your hands before and after, and my daughter loved this tactile experience – but probably not enough to agree to visit Japan again any time soon. No, she’s already dreaming about going to a Thai beach at Christmas, a trip we have planned, this time around, with a four-year-old in mind.