8 Best Family Things to Do in Kyoto

Toei Kyoto Studio Park is a theme park where you can feel as if you were lost in Japan’s Edo period. The open set of 53,000 square metres recreates the town of Edo with kimono wholesalers, teashops, and Nihombashi. This set is actually used for shooting TV programs and films, so if you’re lucky you might catch some of the action. 

There are plenty of shows to enjoy, including anime character and superhero shows, along with interactive attractions like the Ninja Mystery House and 3D Maze. And if you need a break, you can stop by at restaurants that have the appearance of actual Edo period establishments. Ninja art classes, animal petting and other events are held regularly, so it's a good idea to check the event schedule before visiting the park with your family.

Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama is a monkey mountain where you can interact with wild monkeys. There are about 120 Japanese macaque monkeys living in this wild environment. It takes about 20 minutes on foot from the entrance of Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama to the hut where the monkeys gather. There are some slightly hard sections, but you’re free to take a break at resting places and walk at your own pace. 

Food for the monkeys is sold at the rest hut at the top of the mountain, and you can feed them from the inside the hut with wire net walls. There’s also an observatory at the top of the mountain, from which you can overlook the city of Kyoto at a height of 160 metres. On a sunny day, you may even be able to see Kyoto Tower. This is a great way to spend a relaxed day in a natural park.

Kyoto Municipal Science Center For Youth is a facility where young people can learn about science while having fun. Since opening in 1969, this has been a very popular site, receiving 160,000 visitors annually, mainly families with children from Kyoto. The facility is divided into the exposition area, planetarium and outdoor garden, and a Tyrannosaurus will welcome you at the first exhibition room just after the entrance on the 2nd floor.

There are 29 exhibits including a dinosaur area with models of restored dinosaur fossils. You’ll also find 32 exhibits focusing on science in the second exhibition room, and children can learn naturally while having fun. And then there’s the planetarium, which is popular not only with children but also with adults. The positions of the moon and planets of that day will be explained live in the general projection programme. The outdoor garden is grassy and has an artificial pond, while the butterfly house features rare butterflies from Okinawa.

Arashiyama Takao Parkway is a 10.7-km-long toll road that connects Arashiyama and Takao in Kyoto. There are various facilities along the Parkway. Hozukyo Gorge Observatory is said to have the best view of the road, as you can see the clear stream of Hozu River and the surrounding mountains. You can enjoy canola flowers and cosmos blooming in the Flower Park, and you can ride a cycle monorail at Kankudai Amusement Park.

There’s also a covered barbecue facility where you can eat and drink outdoors even in bad weather. Plus, you can fish trout in the Arashiyama Fishing Area. Arashiyama Takao Parkway makes for a great family trip as you can enjoy the views from the car as well as the various facilities en route.

The facilities at Coca-Cola Bottles Japan, Kyoto Plant, which manufactures Georgia Coffee and Kochakaden as well as Coke, are open to visitors. It’s no exaggeration to say that Coca-Cola is the most famous drink in the world. You can enjoy learning about Coca-Cola as you go through 6 areas in the plant. 

It’s a 90-minute tour that both children and adults can enjoy, and you’ll see old Coca-Cola bottles and watch the history of Coca-Cola in 3D. You’ll also see the manufacturing process of Georgia Coffee at the Kyoto Plant. The tour is held 3 times a day (4 times depending on the season). You'll need to book ahead because the tour is hugely popular.

Yonezawa Kobo should be on top of your list if you’re looking for a handmade crafting experience that you can enjoy with your family in Kyoto. It’s set in a quiet neighbourhood with old Kyoto-style townhouses, and pottery-making classes are held here every day. At the one-day pottery making experience, each group gets a private room, so you can take your time and work on making your pottery with care. You can choose to make several small pieces or try to complete a masterpiece. 

For families with small children, there’s a pottery-making experience with original stamps to use. After rolling out the clay and cutting it into shapes using a paper pattern, you can decorate your plate with these different stamps. There are 10 different colours to choose from. This is a great opportunity to make your own unique plate!

Kyoto Railway Museum is a very popular facility for railway enthusiasts and families with children. The facility opened in 2016 and became highly popular for its rich contents. Umekoji Steam Locomotive Museum, which was originally located here, was renovated with new exhibits, bringing together a total of 53 electric and steam trains. The museum has been transformed now into a totally new railway museum that is one of the largest in Japan. 

You can take your time and learn more about railways from the old trains that were actually used or the exhibition of the history of railways. You can have fun all day with the simulated experience of driving a real train with a driving simulator or riding a real C612 steam train. There’s also an old car originally used as a dining car where you can enjoy boxed lunches.

Diorama Kyoto JAPAN is one of the largest railroad dioramas in Japan, covering a total area of 285.15 square metres and with a track length of 2.7 km. Kyoto’s historical sites and scenery including Kiyomizudera Temple and Kyoto Tower are elaborately created. The diorama is a marvel to look at, but you can also operate model trains that run in the diorama from a control board that resembles a real train driver’s seat. 

You don’t have to be a railway geek to be fascinated by the stories that the diorama tells. The diorama of Kyoto turns into night in a popular astronomy show held every 30 minutes. Dazzling constellations in the night sky and the illuminated railroad tracks and streets of Kyoto are a must-see.