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Contributed post.
If you're trying to learn Japanese, turning study time into game time can be a great way to make the process enjoyable. Many people look for games to practice their skills and boost their vocabulary. Sudoku often pops up as an option, but despite its name, the game isn’t Japanese at all. The word "sudoku" comes from the Japanese phrase "suji wa dokushin ni kagiru", meaning "the digits are limited to one occurrence." While fun, Sudoku won’t teach you any Japanese. To really learn, you’ll need games that actually engage with the language. But if you are up for a fun way of improving your language skills, you’re in luck. Here are some playful and effective ways to build your Japanese skills through games. Sing the Japanese Alphabet Song It might feel a bit silly, but singing the hiragana or katakana alphabet song is a surprisingly effective way to cement the characters in your mind. Think of it as the Japanese version of "A-B-C-D-E-F-G." You’ll get a rhythm going, making the sequence easier to recall. Even if you're not musically inclined, the act of singing helps reinforce what you’re learning in a fun and memorable way. Plus, it’s something you can practice anywhere without needing much preparation. Play Shiritori Shiritori is a Japanese word chain game. One player starts by saying a Japanese word, and the next player must say a word that begins with the last syllable of the previous word. For example, if someone says "neko" (cat), the next person could say "konpyūta" (computer), and so on. The challenge lies in avoiding words that end in "n" because no Japanese words start with this letter. Shiritori builds vocabulary and listening skills in an engaging way and works well with friends or as a solo activity. Use Flashcard Apps with Game Modes Flashcards may sound old-school, but many modern apps include game-like features. Some apps let you race against the clock to match kanji, hiragana, or katakana with their correct meanings or sounds. Others turn vocabulary building into trivia challenges. These timed exercises help with recognition and recall, while the game element keeps you engaged. Try Japanese Crosswords Japanese crosswords, or "kanji puzzles," are great for learning kanji and vocabulary. These puzzles are often found in beginner textbooks or on Japanese learning websites. They work like traditional crosswords but focus on matching kanji to their readings or meanings. Solving these puzzles reinforces your ability to connect the written symbols with their sounds and meanings, helping you recognize them faster in everyday use. Dabble in Japanese Video Games Video games designed for Japanese learners or even popular Japanese games with language settings can be incredibly effective. Games like "Animal Crossing" or "Pokemon" allow you to practice reading and recognizing common phrases. The interactive format lets you learn naturally while having fun exploring the digital world. Learning Japanese doesn’t have to be all textbooks and flashcards. Incorporating games into your routine keeps things lively and encourages consistent practice. Whether you’re singing your hiragana, playing Shiritori with friends, or diving into kanji puzzles, there’s a game out there that suits your style.
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Japan is a bucket list trip for many people, and many wonder whether or not it's worth taking the kids when they're young, waiting til they're older, or waiting til they're out of the next and just going with your partner! I'll say, any and ALL of these are excellent choices!! We're lucky in that my husband is from Japan so we get to go and have a place to stay basically whenever we want, but are limited in that the flights alone cost a good $7-10k for our family of 5... I lived there for 5 years pre-kids and we've been back with kids 3 times so far. This blog post will host videos from our latest trip, in the summer of 2023, featuring lots of Japanese cultural nuances and tidbits such as tours of a typical Japanese home, as well as touristy spots like Kyoto, Arashiyama, Arima Onsen, and Universal Studios Japan (hello NINTENDO WORLD!!!). If you have any questions or comments, throw them below!!!
PART 1:
Features: our flight to Japan on United), Obon Matsuri, Japanese house tour + Tatami Room explanation, Japanese katana + suriken, Japanese washlet (bidet toilet) demo, how they grow rice / rice field, garbage and recylcling in Japan, Japanese vending machines, Japanese cemetery / graveyard, Japanese conbini haul / convenient store tour, Japanese bath and shower explanation, Japanese genkan / entryway, Japanese tatami mats, shoji doors, home shrine, Japanese shrine, Kaiten Sushi / Revolving Sushi and ROBOT, Japanese McDonald's Menu, Karaoke in Japan (private karaoke party room), Japanese Temple, and jetlag in kids.
PART 2:
Featuring Japanese yen lesson, Yamaguchi-cho town hall children's center & shoe changing / bathroom slipper lesson, how to open Conbini Onigiri (rice ball packaging), Japanese shopping mall / Randoseru, Japanese food court / children's meals, squat toilet vs washlet in Japan, Rajio Taiso (morning TV exercise), me playing piano after 20 years!, Japanese babies and home BBQ, Japanese pinata "Suica Wari", Japanese bakery "Sanbonmatsu Pan", meeting 3 of our 4 Japanese nieces and nephews for the first time!, Buying & using train tickets / train to Kyoto.
PART 3: Kyoto + Arashiyama
Featuring: room tour of Kyoto Hotel Androoms, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Gion ward of Kyoto, Aloe Yogurt, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. Arashiyama Monkey Park, Kiyomizu Dera Temple, How to take onsen / sento (public bath) in Japan, Higashi Hongashi Temple, Gatcha Gatcha Capsule Machines, Takoyaki, machinery for planting and harvesting rice, and local farmland, Mos Burger (japanese fast food hamburger), Okinomiyaki restaurant.
PART 4: Universal Studios Japan
Featuring our day at Universal Studios Japan, including Super Nintendo World (we even got to ride Mario Kart Koopa's Challenge), the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and much more!!
PART 5:
Featuring Danjiri Matsuri Festival Cart , Taiko Drum Demo, Japanese shoe and indoor slipper culture, Arima, 1 of Japan's Top 3 Onsen (Hot Spring) Towns, BBQ with Rio's friends from college, Japanese Fireworks (hanabi), Family & Cousins feat. Japanese B-Boy breakdancing, Nashi Somen (Noodle Slide / Flowing Bamboo Noodles), Japanese Middle School, Sushi & Robot, Playground, Yakiniku and trying beef tongue, Japanese Futon and Sleep Culture, Japanese public bathroom tour, Airport goodbye! Flying Osaka KIX - SFO San Francisco with United - Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz & San Francisco!
See our past Japan trips including:
See other helpful family travel tips, destination inspiration, and more here!! 
We just discovered an adorable new Japanese show on Netflix, stop motion Rilakkuma and Kaoru! You can watch it in English or Japanese (or a few other languages), and as it takes place in Japan, you'll notice tons of places and customs you recognize if you've ever been to Japan or happen to be a Japanophile, fan of Japanese Anime / Manga fan, etc.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links - you don't pay more but we earn a little commission on products you purchase to help fund the blog
Trailer in English:
Trailer in Japanese:
Official website by creators San-X (in Japanese).
SHOPPING!!
You can load up on adorable Rilakkuma wears over at shopkutame.com (affiliate link)!
Love all things Japan?
Don't miss the Japan Playlist on our YouTube Channel - featuring our Japanese product reviews and unboxings, our travels to Japan, cooking Japanese food with our kids, and more!! 
Do you love Japanese food? Sushi, okonomiyaki, ramen, tsukiyaki, tamagoyaki, onigiri, gyoza, curry rice, karagi... It's SO delicious, but depending on where you live, it can be hard to find a good authentic Japanese restaurant near you! But you're in luck!! You can make most of it at home, pretty easily, and without much skill!!
My Japanese husband (not a chef in any way shape or form) has recently started a series on our YouTube channel where he uses kits and mixes found at local Asian markets (or on Amazon - some affiliate links are included below) to make our favorite Japanese Dishes at home! He tries to get our kids involved, which always adds a bit of hilarity!! Now, my husband does not know his way around the kitchen, neither of us are chefs, we don't do a lot of cooking. So... you can trust these videos are suitable and inspiring for beginners! Have no fear, just watch, enjoy, and try yourself!!
Bonus: These videos are great if you're trying to LEARN JAPANESE (or if you're Japanese and trying to learn English, like my husband)! We hope you'll have fun picking up some useful words and phrases!
Below are the "Learning Japanese while Learning to Cook Japanese Food" videos he's done so far! Comment below with what Japanese foods (or activities, such as origami) you'd like to see him and our kids do next!!
Buy the okonomiyaki set, including the flower, sauce, kewpie mayo, bonito flakes, and dried seaweed on Amazon (affiliate link)
You can find some Japanese curry mixes on Amazon here (affiliate link).
Some of the products he used (affiliate links):
Here are some of our other Japanese-culture blog posts you might enjoy!!
My husband was born and raised in Japan, and I spent 5 years over there myself (2 years before meeting him and 3 years together). Our oldest child has visited twice and our twins just once so far, when we went in the summer of 2017 (don't miss our great 4-part video series of that trip to Japan here!!). So, when Japan Candy Box reached out for us to do an unboxing, we were totally psyched!! Watch it below, have some laughs, be inspired to try something new, see us demo and try out 2 of the crazy interactive candies at the end, get your own Japan Candy box with my affiliate link here! And ENTER TO WIN YOUR OWN JAPAN CANDY BOX in the app at the bottom of this page - it's open WORLDWIDE (giveaway ended Nov 13, 2018)!!
Enter to win here, and don't forget to leave us a comment to let us know what you think about Japan Candy Box, our video, our silly kids, Japanese culture, or anything else!!
If you're searching for a unique Halloween Costume, or an easy Cosplay idea for your next Comic Con, I've got a suggestion for ya! Kigurumi hooded onesie costumes from Kutame! From dragons and sharks to unicorns and pandas, they have a massive selection of costumes! You'll even find some Japanese ones such as Gudetama, Korilakkuma, Rilakkuma, Mega Man, Shiba Inu, and Pink Gloomy Bear. Not only does Kutame have tons of Kigurumi, they also have Pusheen, blind boxes, mugs and other great gifts.
And are you ready for this?! We're giving away a $150 store credit (US residents only; good for 2 - 3 Kigurumi costumes), and have a 20% off coupon code for everyone else!! Just read on and enter to win at the bottom of this blog post!! (giveaway ended) 
They are SUPER soft, and warm (made of 100% polyester, SAZAC's signature soft fleece), machine washable (just turn them inside out), and because they're so loose fitting they allow for plenty of layering underneath which makes them the perfect choice for Trick-or-Treating in chilly locations! Another thing that makes Kigurumi so great is there's no guessing game when choosing your size. They're meant to be loose fitting, and only come in 2 size options for adults: "regular one size" (what hubby and I got, we're both about 5'8") and "extra tall size" (for those over 6') and 2 size options for kids: 3-5 years old (what we got for our just turned 3 year old twins) and 5-9 years old (what we got for my small almost 6 year old son).
You can see that they're quite big on my kids, but the elastic wrists and ankles are great. Kind of harem pant style. Loose, comfy, and lots of fun to "monkey around in" as my son mentions in our HILARIOUS unboxing video, watch it here!! I can see them being a great costume during pregnancy and postpartum, as well, since they're so roomy!
Here are my husband and I modeling our "regular one size" Kigurumi. I got the "colorful skeleton" (only available in regular size) and he got the "skeleton" (available in regular & extra tall size), both have pockets and retail for $59 on shopkutame.com (don't forget to use code "USJAPANFAM" for your 25% off!!)
Here's our son in his Japanese monkey costume, with pockets, retailing for $45. He's almost 6 years old and about 43 inches tall, wearing the "5-9 year old size", it's also available in 3-5 year old size. I'm so happy he chose this costume, not only is it adorable and kinda hilarious with the red butt, but about 10 years ago his father and I actually drove out from our home in Yokohama to see the Japanese snow monkeys in the mountains of Nagano, lounging in the steamy natural hot springs! It was quite an amazing experience!!
Here are our twins modeling the pink unicorn and blue unicorn costumes. They just turned 3 and are about 36" tall, wearing the size 3-5 years (also available in 5-9 years). Both have pockets and retail for $45. The hoods were a bit difficult for them to manage at first, but after playing around in them for a while they figured them out. It's fun to pull them forward and be totally in character, but do make sure you and your kids can see well when necessary, or know to take their hoods down when crossing the road! Safety first!!
Suffice it to say, we are all totally in love with our new Kigurumi onesie character costumes, and think you will be too!!! US Residents can get 20% off their orders with code USJAPANFAM at shopkutame.com and can also enter to win $150 credit in the Rafflecopter box below. Don't forget you can earn more points daily with certain actions such as tweeting, watching our videos, and commenting on blog posts! The giveaway will end at 11:59 PM EST on Monday, October 15. Good luck to all, and be sure to comment below with your thoughts on these costumes, Japanese culture, or a fun Halloween/Costume-related story!!
We recently journeyed from our happy home in NYC (with our 3 kids under the age of 5, including twin toddlers) to Japan for 10 days to visit my husband's family in the rural valley of Yamaguchi-cho Nishinomiya (about an hour from Osaka). We lived (barely) to tell the tale!
In case you missed it, I'm embedding our 4 ten-minute long YouTube videos below for your viewing pleasure! (Links at very bottom to products and other things mentioned / recommended in the videos!)
Video 1:
Featuring our 30-hour travel day to Japan via 3 flights (2 of which got rescheduled during our travel!) and the beginning of a horrible stomach bug (i.e. me being puked on for 4 hours of our 2nd flight, yippee!)
VIDEO 2:
Featuring our first few days in Japan (with no clothes, thanks to our flights being rescheduled our luggage didn't catch us for 3 days!!), a tour of a 7-11 convenience store (I LOVE Japanese "Combini"), the beautiful scenery of mountains and rice fields near my husband's home, and a typical experience at a "kaiten" (conveyor belt) sushi restaurant! (The nasty stomach bug that hit our youngest on the flight returned to hit 3 more of us the night after our sushi adventure, and 3 more family members in the next couple of days...)
VIDEO 3:
Featuring our adventures after recovering from the stomach bug, including a fun afternoon at the Anpanman Children's Museum in Kobe (Anpanpan is a Japanese superhero just about EVERY Japanese toddler is OBSESSED with, including all 3 of my kids), a nature walk near my husband's home (we found frogs, kiwi, tomatoes, pumpkin, a praying mantis, and more!), shopping at the mall (always a tricky endeavor with toddler twins!!!), library and children's play center, and how amazing a typical Japanese public toilet is (with electric bidet toilet and child seat on the wall to contain your little one while you do your business!)
VIDEO 4:
Featuring our visit to neighboring natural hot spring town of Arima Onsen, a big family and friends BBQ at my husband's home (and my first odd and exciting experience with "Nagashi Somen" / "flowing somen noodles" / "water noodles"!!), a tour of the amazing bathrooms and nursing rooms at Kansai International Airport, and our 24-hour door-to-door travel home back to NYC, including our sweet ride with the kid-friendly car service Kidmoto that provides top of the line car seats and drivers TRAINED to install them properly (get $20 off all rides using code "USJAPANFAM"!!)
So, the stomach bug put a major damper on our time, taking us out of commission for a good 2-3 days. On the bright side, it kept us more local and relaxed, giving us more chance for good quality family time rather than running around trying to jam in as much touristy stuff as possible! We plan to take the kids every 2-3 years, and eventually they may start going and spending summers over there, even going to local public schools for a month or so! That's the plan, anyway... we'll see how things pan out!!
LINKS!!
So, what do you think? Did you enjoy following along with us!? What's the furthest you've traveled with your kids? Any hilarious horror stories, or fabulous tips to share?? Leave a comment below!!!
In case you're new to the blog, I should preface this post with the fact that my husband is from Japan. As in, I met him clubbing in Tokyo one night while I was teaching English in Japan for 2 years! We did a year and a half of long distance, then I moved back over there, we lived together in Yokohama for 3 years together, got engaged, married in Hawaii, moved to good ol' NYC, popped out 3 kids, and the rest is history! Suffice it to say, raising our kids to know Japanese language and culture is extremely important to both of us. Also important is taking a family trip back to Japan every other year (we would go more often if budget wasn't an issue...one ticket costs about $1500!!) We had decided this summer my husband would take our 4 year old son alone, and I would stay behind with the girls because we just couldn't fathom the difficulty of the 24 hour door to door journey and a week of jet lag in each direction with TWO toddlers! It was a nightmare when we took Kenzo in 2014 when he was 20 months old. Multiply that times TWO??? Ugh.... But, when hubby broke the news to his parents, apparently they weren't too thrilled, so we have decided we will suck it up and all 5 of us will be making the trek this coming summer (just before the twins turn 2, so they can get cheap lap child tickets, which cost 10% of the regular fare!!). So, as I embark on planning this epic journey with three children, I realized I never did a blog post or video recapping our last family vacation to Japan in 2014!! So, without further ado, check out our short and sweet video montage!! I'll be coming back and posting more articles about what to do in the various cities, tips for traveling to Japan with kids, and much more. So, stay tuned!!
Please feel free to leave a comment below with any questions about where we went, places or things you are curious about in the video, recommendations for places you've been in Japan, etc!! Here's a fun and catchy YouTube video through which you can learn the many "aisatsu" (greetings) you'll use and hear every day! You'll also learn some other handy vocab and a few of the vowel characters in the hiragana alphabet - score! Here's my attempt at a translation:
1) a i u e "Ohayo" - "Good morning" 2) ka ki ku ke "Konnichiwa" - "Hello / good afternoon" 3) genki ni aisatsu shitemiyou - let's try these cheerful greetings (??) 4) asa okitara, "Ohayo gozaimasu" - when you wake up, "Good morning" 5) onaka peko peko, "Itadakimasu" - when you're hungry, "Let's eat / bon apetite" 6) onaka ippai, "Gochisosama" - when you're full, "That was a great meal" (sorry, we don't really have a phrase for "gochisosama") 7) genki ni gakkoui, "Ittekimasu" - when you leave for school, "I'm taking off" 8) tomodachi ippai, "Konnichiwa" - lots of friends, "Hello" 9) shukudai wasurete, "Gomennasai" - forgot homework, "I'm sorry" 10) keshigomu karite, "Arigatou" - borrowed an eraser, "Thank you" 11) mata asoboune, "Sayonara" - let's play again, "Good bye" 12) ouchi ni tsuitara, "Tadaima" - get home, "I'm home" 13) papa no omukae, "Okaerinasai" - dad came home, "Welcome home" 14) omiyage moratte, "Arigatou" - you got a gift/souvinier, "Thank you" 15) ashitamo asobozou, "Oyasuminasai" - let's play tomorrow too, "Good night" 16) a i u e - "Ohyao" - "Good morning" 17) ka ki ku ke "Konbanwa" - "Good evening" 18) genki ni aisatsu tanoshine - cheerful greetings are fun! My son is 19 months and starting to speak English, he even knows a few letters of the English alphabet (O, P, B, C). It's all very exciting but at the same time a little sad that he's not doing any of these things in Japanese yet. It's no surprise as my workaholic husband does not even have a fraction of the amount of time with Kenzo as I do, as a work at home mom. So, I've been trying to find ways to supplement his Japanese exposure with none other than... YouTube! Ha! **update!! We have 3 kids now and I have adorable videos of them all learning this song embedded below from our YouTube channel!! So, this post will start my "Learn Japanese" series in which I'll recommend a video, book, or product that I love that helps kids and/or adults to learn Japanese in an easy and fun way. Japanese does not have an official alphabet song, as we do in English. They have do have a specific order for their 46 phonetic sounds (visually you have to learn two sets: one set in Hiragana and one set in Katakana, which makes 92 characters to memorize, not to mention the Kanji characters, of which you need to know at least 1,000 before you can read a newspaper, sheeeesh!). We recently came across a really adorable YouTube video that showcases a fun song for the Japanese alphabet. We LOVE LOVE LOVE it, and so does our son. He already tries to sing along. He always howls along with the dog at the end "Wa-O-N" part! So cute!!! Here's the video, with the Hiragana/Katakana chart below if you are interested! Never miss out!! Subscribe to our mailing list!! RELATED GUIDE: Family Travel to Japan  Photo Credit: Japanese Lesson A Day - click on photo to go to their page.  Our first child, Kenzo: Our twins, Emi & Mia: |
 
About ME:I'm a NYC metro area mom blogger living in NJ with my Japanese husband & our 3 kids (twins + 1), focusing on fun and honest product and travel reviews, helping busy parents find the best for their families! Find what you need in the menu bar or search section above! 
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