Of course I was right. I know my kid! At 6am, we all wake up from L’s voice. Everyone except I, who is completely knocked out, not slightly disturbed by all the noises. The downside of everyone sleeping in one room. L. is trying to wake her cousins, who grunt sleepily and try to go back to sleep. Julien tries to calm L., but she is immediately all over the place. Too much adrenaline.

“She went to bed too late,” I say, perhaps a bit reproachfully. “Maybe take her to the bath before she wakes up the whole room?” 

Julien takes L. and her cousin, now awake, and leaves yawning. The rest of the people sleep again. I can’t, but that’s ok. I have my ereader, and when I. wakes up an hour later I go to the bath with her. 

“According to Katchan, Julien’s mother, writings from the Edo period describe foreigners visiting Tochigi and being impressed by how kindly people treated children.”

Tochigi is great with Kids!

According to Katchan, Julien’s mom, writings from the Edo period describe foreigners visiting Tochigi and being impressed by how kindly people treated children. The Edo period lasted from 1600 to 1868 and is considered one of the most peaceful and culturally rich periods in Japanese history. The writings also mention that visitors tried to tip after receiving services, but no one accepted. Japan still doesn’t accept tips today. If you go to a restaurant or if you take a taxi: don’t give tips, even if it’s just a few cents.

Tochigi with Kids: What to do?

Once we have all taken a bath and enjoyed breakfast, we leave the hotel. It’s rainy. (I took very little photos because of that.) I haven’t followed the plans since I was in bed early with I., but as we drive, I learn we’re going to Edomura, a huge film set-like amusement park referring to – obviously – the Edo period, situated along the Kinugawa river.

There is still some discussion going on, whether it’s really going to be Edomura, or a trick museum where one of the kids wants to go. I’m very allergic to amusement parks — you’ll hardly find any in the guide — but it seems the adults want to go to Edomura. It surprises me that my Japanese family wants to visit such a touristic place!

We drive along the river road. One side of the road shows the water, on the other side big, square buildings arise, and huge parking lots. It looks surreal. All these poorly maintained buildings – I’m sure inside it looks picture perfect – , against the backdrop of majestic mountains and deep green forests. A space Dinosaur park, Edomura, a huge maze, a monkey town, (You can leave an angry review here, it looks so horrible. Even in the photos on google the monkeys look deeply unhappy. Animal welfare and Japan are not a good match). 

Edomura is the biggest place. Lucky me — it’s fully booked! So we move on to the least popular (and therefore calmest) attraction: the Trick Museum.  And it’s actually great fun!! We all laugh a lot. Even I. enjoys it. It looks weathered on the outside and dated on the inside, but it literally does the trick.

Afterwards, we have lunch in a soba restaurant along the road. The kids sit together. I have decided to not get worried about L. today, who probably won’t eat sitting with her cousins but also can’t be forced to sit with me. We eat soba and drink some beer. Outside it is now pouring rain. I ask what the next step will be: Nikko Shrine. And after, we will drive towards Karasuyama where we have dinner with more family. 

Getting lost at Nikko Shrine

It’s another 30-minute drive to Nikko Shrine. The area is huge. Regardless of the rain, it is packed with tourists. There is less rain when we arrive, but it changes quickly. We walk up towards the various shrines. Make our prayers. Fortune, health, wisdom.
While we explore the area, it starts to rain heavily again. I. is sleepy and starts to complain. We walk slowly, because the kids are all over the place. We go to a small shop, packed with people and I just want to go to the car and leave. The kids and some of the adults are exploring the shop. I tell Julien I am going to walk back to the car already. He tells me to wait, but I can’t because I’m a bit overwhelmed. I tell him I. wants to sleep and I will walk slowly towards the parking lot and meet them there. Someone offers me an umbrella, but I refuse. I just need to go. Sometimes everything suddenly feels like too much. 

I’m walking and walking, my heart is beating. I. sleeps in a minute, but I walk too far. Driven by my beating heart. 

And then I am lost…  

In that big shrine area. 

I completely lost track of the way. I am at a parking lot that looks exactly like the one where we are parked, but there are so many buses. Where am I? I don’t have my phone on me. Why didn’t I think about the fact that I don’t know this place? Why did I panic? Now I’m screwed. I feel like a complete idiot, with my sleeping toddler, in the carrier, who I manage to keep kind of dry with my sweater. Me, soaked. Asking a bus driver in my worst Japanese, where I can find a cafe. What must he think? Who is this looney? He points in two directions, because there are two cafes. Ok, I say, and I walk. And while I walk I think: what did he say again? It’s not even that I didn’t understand. I just didn’t register. 

I walk over the parking lot, to another entrance of the shrine area. There I find some signage, and I look for the cafe. I find the cafe. And eventually, I find the car again, where everyone is waiting and Julien is worried. And I feel embarrassed, but they are all so sweet.

It is past 17:00 when we all in the car again. We have to drive for at least an hour towards Karasuyama, where Juliens family lives and where we will have dinner. On our way, Julien and Katchan decide on a place for us to sleep that night. A random onsen hotel not far from the restaurant where we are going. The drive is beautiful, past lots of rice fields and (abandoned?) houses.

A Thai Restaurant in Tochigi

Juliens’ flamboyant uncle picked out a Thai restaurant for the special family dinner. By the time we arrive, it’s dark. The restaurant is in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by rice fields. It’s a tiny place, and with everyone inside it’s almost full. They make me a special vegetarian dinner, and it tastes amazing and wholesome and very much needed after this long day. Julien, his brother and uncle are drinking shots together. It feels like the countryside here in Tochigi. 

Read more Japan with Kids HERE