Research
What the Records Say About Japan With Kids
Japan, researched by LuNi Travels. Original research on Japan family travel, each study read from official rules, tables and venues' own pages, and dated so any figure can be checked and quoted.
Every study, A to Z
- Can You Still Shop Tax-Free in Japan After November 1?November 1, 2026
- Do Children Stay Free at a Ryokan in Japan?70% of the adult rate
- If We Lose Something in Tokyo, Will We Get It Back?83.0% of phones handed in
- Is Japan Cheaper for Families Now Than Before the Pandemic?13% less in US dollars
- What Age Is a Child in Japan?17 different ages
Tax-free from Nov 1
Can You Still Shop Tax-Free in Japan After November 1?
Yes, but no longer at the till. From purchases made on November 1, 2026, a family pays the full price in a tax-free shop and gets the tax back after Customs checks the goods at departure, before bag drop.
Inside this study
- What is the minimum spend?
- Do snacks and toys count together?
- Can my child use a toy before we fly home?
- Where is the Customs check, and when?
The sample here is the rules themselves.
Cite this study
LuNi Travels, "Can You Still Shop Tax-Free in Japan After November 1?", October 2026, https://lunitravels.com/japan-tax-free-shopping/
Ryokan child rates
Do Children Stay Free at a Ryokan in Japan?
Rarely, past the very youngest. Of 20 ryokan that print a child rate on their own pages, 18 charge an elementary-age child 70% of the adult rate, and even a toddler with no meal and no bedding often pays a flat fee.
Inside this study
- How much does a child pay at a ryokan?
- How much does a preschooler pay?
- Is a baby or toddler free?
- When does a child pay the full adult rate?
We started from the official inn lists of seven onsen towns: Hakone, Kinugawa, Gero, Arima, Dogo, Beppu and Noboribetsu.
Cite this study
LuNi Travels, "Do Children Stay Free at a Ryokan in Japan?", October 2026, https://lunitravels.com/ryokan-child-rates/
Lost and found
If We Lose Something in Tokyo, Will We Get It Back?
Often, if someone hands it in and you ask for it. In 2025, 83.0% of phones handed in to the Tokyo police and settled that year went back to their owner, and so did 67.2% of wallets and purses.
Inside this study
- What comes back most often?
- What rarely comes back?
- Why do jackets and umbrellas so rarely come back?
- Is it worth reporting a lost hat or toy?
The study is built on the Metropolitan Police Department's lost-property tables for 2025: the twelve data files behind its page, updated March 2, 2026.
Cite this study
LuNi Travels, "If We Lose Something in Tokyo, Will We Get It Back?", October 2026, https://lunitravels.com/lost-and-found-tokyo/
What age is a child
What Age Is a Child in Japan?
There is no single answer. Of the 395 age rules a family meets on a trip to Japan, some rule changes at 17 different ages between birth and 20, and the busiest edges are 6, 12 and 18, the edges of Japanese school.
Inside this study
- Is a 12-year-old a child or an adult on Japanese trains?
- Can a 2-year-old fly on my lap within Japan?
- When do children stop getting in free?
- Until what age can a child share our hotel bed for free?
We took every age rule from LuNi's own research and set them on one ruler: 190 rules from rail, bus, ferry, flight, IC card, car, hotel, hotel pool, ryokan, bath, park, tax, smoking, curfew and street rules, plus 205 entry rules at 112 attractions.
Cite this study
LuNi Travels, "What Age Is a Child in Japan?", October 2026, https://lunitravels.com/what-age-is-a-child-in-japan/
Trip cost vs 2019
Is Japan Cheaper for Families Now Than Before the Pandemic?
Yes, for most of the trip. The same seven-night family trip inside Japan costs about 13% less in US dollars than in 2019, about 18% less in pounds and about 14% less in Australian dollars, and the weak yen did all of it.
Inside this study
- Why is Japan cheaper if prices in Japan went up?
- Which parts of a Japan trip are cheaper?
- Are hotels in Japan more expensive than in 2019?
- Did theme parks and the Shinkansen go up too?
We priced one model trip in both periods: seven nights for two adults and two children.
Cite this study
LuNi Travels, "Is Japan Cheaper for Families Now Than Before the Pandemic?", October 2026, https://lunitravels.com/is-japan-cheaper-now/