Welcome to LuNi Travels, your trusted resource for family travel in Japan. Created by a multicultural family raising two young explorers, we share practical guides, firsthand experiences, and honest insights to help parents plan meaningful trips across Japan with confidence. Every recommendation on our site is family-tested, thoughtfully researched, and inspired by real adventures with our boys, Luca & Nico.
At LuNi Travels, we focus on sharing real family experiences across Japan, from cultural landmarks and hidden gems to family-friendly hotels and seasonal itineraries. Every guide, journal, and article is designed to help families plan with ease and travel with confidence, blending practical advice with stories that capture the spirit of exploring Japan together.
Why “LuNi Travels”?
Our name comes from our two little explorers, Luca & Nico, whose curiosity and energy inspire every guide we share. What began as a way to capture our family’s adventures in Japan has grown into a trusted resource for families everywhere. Every guide, journal, and insight is rooted in their real experiences, turning family travel into something authentic, joyful, and truly kid-tested. After all, even the biggest journeys start with little footsteps.
Why We Created LuNi Travels
Travel with kids is different. It’s snack breaks and stroller detours. It’s counting train stops and turning shrines into ninja hideouts. It’s a little more work, and a whole lot more magic.
When we returned to Japan as a family, we noticed how hard it was to find practical, trustworthy information written by parents who actually live and travel here. Most guides focused on adult experiences or quick visits, not the details that matter to families.
That’s why we created LuNi Travels, a place where real family travel meets reliable guidance. Every article, itinerary, and journal is designed to help families plan meaningful trips across Japan with confidence, while seeing the country through moments of play, curiosity, and connection.
What Makes LuNi Travels Different?
We’re not a travel company or a content business, we’re a real family, based in Japan, exploring the country through genuine, kid-tested experiences. Everything we share comes from our own adventures with Luca & Nico, so families can plan with confidence knowing our recommendations come from lived experience, not research alone.
- Real family-tested experiences: Every guide, itinerary, and tip is based on something we’ve actually done as a family. If it didn’t work for us, we will tell you.
- Parent insights you can trust: We combine practical planning details with reflections that help parents create deeper, more meaningful travel moments with their kids.
- Playful storytelling meets practical advice: Luca & Nico’s Travel Journals capture the wonder and chaos of traveling with children, while our guides turn those moments into real tips for your own trip.
- Deeper travel, not just sightseeing: We help families look beyond attractions to discover connection, turning simple walks into adventures and cultural visits into stories kids will remember.
Because travel isn’t just about seeing new places, it’s about seeing them differently.
Who Is LuNi Travels For?
This site is for families who want to experience Japan with kids, not just as visitors, but as curious explorers.
Whether you’re…
- Planning your first trip to Japan and looking for advice you can trust
- Searching for more than tourist checklists, and want experiences that feel immersive, playful, and meaningful
- A local or expat family ready to rediscover Japan through your children’s eyes
- Hoping to turn culture, food, and history into hands-on adventures your kids will remember forever
…you’re in the right place. Here, you’ll find honest guidance, tested experiences, and the inspiration to make every moment of family travel in Japan feel a little more magical.
What You’ll Find on LuNi Travels
- Family Travel Guides & Itineraries: Detailed, family-tested guides that make planning trips across Japan simple and stress-free. From cultural highlights and seasonal experiences to hidden gems, every itinerary is designed with families in mind.
- Luca & Nico’s Travel Journals: Real stories from our family adventures that show what exploring Japan feels like through a child’s eyes, filled with curiosity, humor, and unexpected moments of wonder.
- Hidden Gems Across Japan: Beyond Tokyo and Kyoto, we uncover family-friendly destinations many travelers miss, from seaside towns and local festivals to mountain parks and quiet temples.
- Luca & Nico’s Challenges & Travel Tips: Fun, hands-on ways to keep kids engaged wherever you go, plus practical advice that helps parents make sightseeing easier, educational, and memorable.
Join Us on This Adventure!
We believe travel builds connection, not just to places, but to each other.
At LuNi Travels, we invite you to discover (or rediscover) Japan through curiosity, play, and shared discovery. Whether you’re wandering Kyoto’s quiet streets, chasing trains through Tokyo, or discovering a local festival in the countryside, we’re here to help your family turn every trip into a story worth remembering.
Join our community of curious families, follow our adventures on Instagram, share your own travel stories, and find inspiration for the journeys still to come.
See you on the journey!
Nico, Luca, Mama & Papa
A Note About Privacy & Authenticity
Luca & Nico are at the heart of everything we share, but we have chosen to protect their privacy by not showing their faces online. All the photos on this site come from our real family adventures. If a destination seems light on photos, it’s probably because we were caught up in the adventure, or the boys were off discovering one of their own ‘secret missions’!
LUCA – born in Yokohama, Japan in 2017 and has been curious about the world around him ever since. A passionate soccer player and fan, he has an affinity for FC Barcelona and his hometown team Yokohama Marinos. His inquisitive nature drives him to learn something new every day, and he keeps a special notebook to jot down interesting words or facts he doesn’t want to forget.
Luca speaks both Japanese and English, has big dreams of becoming a professional soccer player, and approaches every adventure with energy, curiosity, and determination!
NICO – born in Brussels, Belgium in 2020 and is the mischievous and playful younger brother, always full of energy and imagination. He shares his older brother’s love of soccer, looks up to him as his favorite playmate, speaks both Japanese and English, and has a big love for Parmigiano cheese. Nico is always up to something, whether it’s building creative projects with origami paper and tape or gleefully destroying things he and his brother make.
Nico’s adventurous spirit often leads to fun and slightly chaotic situations, but it’s his laughter and sense of wonder that keeps the family smiling. With him, every moment is an adventure in its own right!
MAMA (Rina) – born in Tokyo and brings warmth and positivity to every moment. She loves her family and friends and is the heart of the household, ensuring that every decision benefits the entire family. Adventurous and open-minded, Mama loves experimenting with recipes from around the world and never hesitates to try new foods or explore unfamiliar places.
Her calm and go-with-the-flow attitude keeps the family balanced during their travels. Mama can always be found with her phone in hand, capturing moments (she is often the blog photographer) or staying connected, and she currently enjoys practicing yoga as a way to recharge. With her adventurous spirit and nurturing nature, she makes every journey unforgettable.
PAPA (Josh) – born in Texas but has lived in some of the world’s most exciting places, including Spain, Japan, Belgium, and Italy. His career has taken him on a journey across continents, but his greatest adventure is spending time with his two boys, Luca and Nico.
A man of many tastes, Papa is the creative mind behind the site, is passionate about investing, enjoys soccer, is a fan of the Patagonia brand, loves Spanish ham, and can’t start his mornings without an espresso. A self-proclaimed pizza connoisseur, he insists on authentic Neapolitan style every time. Through it all, his family is at the heart of everything he does, making every destination and meal more meaningful.
Fun Fact: Before Luca & Nico were born, part of Papa’s job was to travel around Japan with kids; he even coordinated two different month-long summer trips for teens who flew in to explore the entire country. Now, he just has fun doing the same thing with Luca & Nico. And that picture of him? It’s from one of those trips, taken at the very top of Mt. Fuji.