Pokémon, Pirates & Pac-Man Family Odyssey
Fully customisable to suit group size, interests and schedule
The Pokémon, Pirates & Pac-Man Family Odyssey is a curated 15-day, 14-night itinerary along Japan’s Golden Route, designed for families with a mix of pop culture, theme parks, and cultural activities.
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Overview
The Pokémon, Pirates & Pac-Man Family Odyssey is a curated 15-day, 14-night itinerary along Japan’s Golden Route, designed for families with a mix of pop culture, theme parks, and cultural activities.
The tour features private guides, hands-free luggage transfers, and highlights including Pokemon centres, TeamLab Planets, a stay in a traditional Hakone ryokan, feeding wild deer in Nara, and visiting Super Nintendo World in Osaka.
Please note: This trip is fully customisable to suit group size, interests and schedule
Highlights
- Pokemon Locations: Japan is an absolute paradise for Pokémon fans, offering everything from immersive theme parks and character cafes to hundreds of unique retail stores and photo spots scattered across the country
- TeamLab Planets: A fully immersive, sensory museum where you wade through water filled with digital koi fish and wander through endless rooms of lights.
- Tokyo DisneySea: A world-exclusive nautical theme park featuing incredible styling, thrilling rides, and unique food options like flavored popcorn.
- Lake Ashi Sightseeing Cruise: A journey across a volcanic crater lake aboard a massive, novelty pirate ship with views of Mount Fuji.
- Traditional Ryokan Stay: A relaxing night in a countryside inn, complete with natural hot spring baths and traditional robes (yukata) for the whole family.
- Iwatayama Monkey Park: An uphill nature hike ending at a mountain summit where wild macaques roam free and eat snacks directly from your hands.
- Nara Park Deer Feeding: An interaction with hundreds of free-roaming, polite wild deer that actually bow to ask for special rice crackers.
- Miyajima Ropeway: A scenic cable car ride climbing high above the Seto Inland Sea, offering panoramic coastal views and quiet island walking trails.
- Super Nintendo World: A real-life video game environment at Universal Studios Japan where you punch blocks, collect digital coins, and ride a Mario Kart coaster.
Questions?
Please call us for a chat on (61) 2 6674 4185, or just email us here or click Quick Enquiry button below to submit query.
Whats included
- Accommodation & Transfers
- 14 Nights Hotel Stay: Handpicked family-friendly hotels in Tokyo, Kyoto, Miyajima, and Osaka.
- Traditional Ryokan Stay: 2 nights in Hakone with tatami rooms and private family hot spring (onsen) access.
- Airport Transfers: Meet & Greet service with a private vehicle transfer from the airport to your Tokyo hotel upon arrival.
- Domestic Transport: All bullet train (Shinkansen) and express train tickets (e.g., Tokyo to Hakone, Hakone to Kyoto, Kyoto to Hiroshima/Miyajima, and Hiroshima to Osaka).
- Guiding & Activities
- Private Guided Tours: Professional, English-speaking private guides for scheduled city day tours in Tokyo, Hakone, and Kyoto.
- Premium Interactive Tickets: Pre-booked admission to teamLab Planets, Tokyo DisneySea (or Disneyland), and Universal Studios Japan (including timed-entry access to Super Nintendo World).
- Regional Transit Passes: Hakone Freepass covering the mountain ropeways, cable cars, and the Lake Ashi pirate ship cruise.
- Excursion Transport: Round-trip ferry tickets to Miyajima Island and regional train tickets for the Nara day trip.
- Family Logistics & Meals
- Daily Breakfast: Included at all hotels.
- Traditional Kaiseki Dinners: Multi-course traditional dinners included during your stay at the Hakone ryokan.
Whats excluded
- Flights & entry
- International Flights: Airfare to and from your home country.
- Travel Insurance: Comprehensive medical, baggage, and trip cancellation insurance (highly recommended for families).
- Day-to-Day transport & Add-ons
- Local Commuter Transit: Daily subway, bus, or taxi fares for independent exploring outside of private guided hours (e.g., individual IC cards like Suica/Pasmo).
- Optional Activity Fees: Fees for spontaneous activities like the family samurai sword experience, ninja training workshops, or Tokyo Skytree entry (if not locked into the final guide day).
- Meals & Personal Expenses
- Daily Lunches & Select Dinners: All midday meals and dinners on non-ryokan nights (giving you flexibility to try Osaka street food or local Tokyo spots).
- Souvenirs & Extras: Budget for capsule toys (gachapon), crane games in Akihabara, snacks from vending machines, and deer crackers in Nara.
Itinerary
Arrive in Tokyo. Meet & Greet & Private Transfer Airport – Hotel. Explore the local neighbourhood, vending machine tasting, and an early bedtime.
Private Guided Tour of Tokyo spending the morning exploring the colourful streets of Shibuya & Harajuku: See the famous Shibuya Crossing and explore the vibrant teen fashion on Takeshita Street.
In the afternoon, dive into interactive digital art at TeamLab Planets.
Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo (Ikebukuro): Located in Sunshine City, this is the largest Pokémon Center in Japan. It features life-sized legendary Pokémon statues, a dedicated Pokémon GO Lab, and the Pikachu Sweets café.
Pokémon Center Shibuya (Shibuya): Known for its ultra-modern vibe, this location features an iconic Mewtwo incubator display. It’s the only store with a Pokémon Design Lab where you can customize and print your own t-shirt.
Pokémon Center Tokyo DX (Nihonbashi): Features a massive Snorlax photo op and sits directly next to the Pokémon Café
Explore the historic Asakusa district and visit Senso-ji Temple. Head over to Akihabara in the afternoon to try out multi-story crane game arcades and capsule toy machines or explore the traditional and take in panoramic city views from the TOKYO SKYTREE. OR
Spend the day at Tokyo DisneySea (or Disneyland). It is unique to Japan and features incredible styling that appeals heavily to both adults and children.
Take the Romancecar or Shinkansen bullet train to Hakone. Grab a Hakone Freepass to ride the network of cable cars, ropeways, and a fun pirate ship cruise across Lake Ashi. Check into a traditional ryokan (inn) featuring private family hot spring baths (onsen) and a multi-course dinner. Private Guide recommended.
Visit the Hakone Open-Air Museum, which features a massive outdoor playground made entirely of colorful woven nets for kids to climb on. Enjoy views of Mt. Fuji on a clear day before relaxing in the mountain fresh air.
Spend the night in a traditional ryokan
Send your large luggage ahead using Japan's hands-free luggage forwarding service (Takuhaibin) so you can travel light. Spend the afternoon wandering through the historic streets of Higashiyama. OR visit
Pokémon Center Kyoto: Heavily inspired by the Johto region, this location features local-exclusive merchandise and a striking Ho-Oh statue.
Head to Arashiyama early with a Private Guide. Walk through the towering Bamboo Grove, then hike up to the Iwatayama Monkey Park where kids can stand inside a safe hut and feed wild macaques up close.
Walk through the thousands of vibrant red Torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine (turn back whenever the kids get tired). In the afternoon, book an interactive family samurai sword experience or a ninja training workshop.
Take a short 45-minute train ride to Nara. Buy special crackers to feed the hundreds of polite, bowing wild deer roaming freely around Nara Park. See the colossal Great Buddha statue at Todai-ji Temple.
Take the Shinkansen down to Hiroshima. Visit the moving Peace Memorial Park and Museum. Take a short ferry ride over to Miyajima Island to stay overnight in a quiet coastal village setting.
Wake up early to see the famous "floating" Itsukushima Torii Gate without the crowds. Ride the Miyajima Ropeway up Mount Misen for spectacular views of the Seto Inland Sea.
Neon Signboards & Aquarium.
Travel to Osaka. Explore the bustling, neon-lit Dotonbori district and see the giant mechanical crabs. Visit the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, one of the largest public aquariums in the world, featuring a massive whale shark tank.
OR visit
Pokémon Center Osaka DX (Shinsaibashi): A massive, deluxe location housing one of Japan’s Pokémon Cafés and an interactive digital Pokédex.
Pokémon Center Osaka: Located in the Daimaru Umeda store, this is a highly accessible location, situated right next to a Nintendo Store.
Dedicate your final full day to Universal Studios Japan, ensuring you secure timed-entry tickets beforehand to visit the incredibly immersive Super Nintendo World. Fly home the next day out of Kansai International Airport (KIX) or take a bullet train back to Tokyo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Logistics & Travel Planning
The POKÉMON with YOU Train operates on the JR Ofunato Line in the Tohoku region (north of Tokyo). It is fully decorated inside and out with Pikachu motifs and includes a dedicated playroom carriage. It requires advance seat reservations via the JR East website.
The core gameplay is identical, but Japan features exclusive regional Pokémon like Farfetch'd. Major shrines, transit hubs, and Pokémon Centers also serve as official in-game Gyms and PokéStops, often hosting special local raid events.
Yes, most Pokémon Centers are located inside modern, spacious shopping malls that offer excellent stroller accessibility, clean nursing rooms, and family-friendly facilities.
Itinerary & Sightseeing
Book these exactly 30 to 60 days in advance online. Popular slots for teamLab and Disney premium access passes sell out within minutes of release.
Yes, it is highly recommended. It covers your round-trip transit from Tokyo, plus unlimited rides on the Hakone ropeway, cable car, and the iconic Lake Ashi pirate ship cruise.
The walk up is a steep, 20-minute hike uphill. It is entirely safe if you follow the rules: do not look the monkeys directly in the eyes, and only feed them from inside the designated enclosed hut.
Food & Dining
Not at all. Japanese convenience stores (7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart) offer high-quality, fresh options like fried chicken (Karaage), fruit sandwiches, and rice balls (Onigiri).
Look for Kura Sushi or Sushiro (conveyor belt sushi places where food arrives on mini-trains), CoCo Ichibanya (customisable Japanese curry), and Department Store Dining Halls (Depachika) which offer massive variety.
Reservations open online exactly 31 days in advance at 6:00 PM and Japan Holidays will arrange.
Culture & Comfort
Many family-focused ryokans offer private onsen baths (Kashikiri) that you can reserve for 45 minutes, allowing your whole family to swim and relax together without splitting up by gender.
Generally no, but booking a ryokan with a private in-room bath or a reservable family bath completely bypasses this rule.
Public toilets are exceptionally clean and everywhere (stations, parks, convenience stores). Public trash cans are almost non-existent; always carry a small plastic bag in your daypack to hold your family's rubbish until you return to your hotel.
Shopping & Official Merchandise
Pokémon Centers are massive, flagship mega-stores featuring exclusive merchandise, giant character statues, and unique photo opportunities. Pokémon Stores are much smaller, boutique-style shops typically located inside major train stations or airports, focusing primarily on travel-friendly souvenirs and popular items.
Yes, almost every Pokémon Center has location-exclusive merchandise. For example, you can find Pikachu dressed as a traditional geisha in Kyoto, or a Pikachu wearing a pilot uniform at Tokyo Haneda Airport.
You must bring your physical passport to the store. Spend over ¥5,000 (before tax) in a single transaction, and present your passport at the designated tax-free checkout counter to have the consumption tax waived immediately.
Dining & Pokémon Cafes
You can visit a Pokémon Cafe Takeout Counter (such as the one in Tokyo Bay) or check out Pikachu Sweets by Pokémon Cafe in Tokyo Sunshine City, which do not require reservations and offer themed desserts, pastries, and drinks.
The cafes provide detailed allergen matrices (covering major allergens like dairy, wheat, and eggs) on their digital ordering tablets. However, cross-contamination is possible, so families with severe allergies should exercise caution.
Attractions & Experiences
Poké Lids are beautifully painted, custom-designed utility hole covers featuring different Pokémon. There are hundreds scattered across Japan, often placed in scenic or historic locations to encourage families to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations.
Yes, Pokémon is part of the No Limit! Parade at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka. You can see massive Pokémon floats, interact with dancing performers, and purchase exclusive park-themed Pokémon snacks and merchandise.
Enquiry Form
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You can also call us directly on 61 2 6674 4185, or just email us at info@japanholidays.com.au