Reporter Emily McAuliffe's Multi-Gen Visit to Japan is Kawaii (Cute)

Emily McAuliffe is a Melbourne-based travel writer who recently visited Japan for two weeks with her partner, 10-month-old baby and parents. She tells Graeme Kemlo about the places and sites they visited across Osaka, Tokyo and Nara, and the hotels they found to cater for a family group. The blonde child was a big hit with the Japanese people, who often commented he was "kawaii" (cute) The family-friendly hotels Emily stayed in were: OMO7 Osaka by Hoshino Resorts, where they had four king single beds with a large living area in the middle and tatami flooring https://hoshinoresorts.com/en/hotels/omo7osaka/ Swissotel Nankai Osaka, conveniently located above Namba station, providing easy access to major sites and the airport https://www.swissotel.com/hotels/nankai-osaka/ MIMARU Tokyo Ikebukuro, which was a rare find for Tokyo, given they had a large two-bedroom apartment with a kitchen and living area https://mimaruhotels.com/en/hotel/ikebukuro/ Novotel Nara, a modern hotel opened in 2024, with a public bath (onsen), massage chairs and children’s playroom https://all.accor.com/hotel/C166/index.en.shtml Places visited included: Osaka: • Shinsekai area and the Tsutenkaku tower, tasting Osaka’s local specialties okonomiyaki (cabbage pancake), takoyaki (octopus balls) and kushikatsu (fried skewers) in the surrounding streets • Dotonbori, Osaka’s main entertainment and dining district • Osaka Castle Tokyo: • Tokyo Skytree • Kawagoe (30 minutes on the train from Ikebukuro) • Asakusa and the Sensoji temple Nara: • Nara Park • Naramachi (Nara’s old town) They also took a day trip from Osaka to the waterfront city of Kobe.