My family has been living in Japan since 2008, and in that time we have returned many times over to a region called Kansai because of the many family friendly things to do in its cities of Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Kobe. These attractions mostly show Japan’s fun, pop-culture side and provide …

The action in Thea Stilton and the Cherry Blossom Adventure moves between Tokyo and Kyoto. So we did, too, on a visit that the book inspired. You can make Kyoto a long daytrip from Toklyo with the Shinkansen Nozomi “bullet” train, but I recommend two days. Here is a roundup …

Believe it or not, we decided to go to Japan because we read a book. The action-packed Thea Stilton and the Cherry Blossom Adventure moved between Kyoto and Tokyo, offering cultural tidbits and city highlights and setting the stage for our visit there. Here are the Tokyo attractions that worked …