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 …