Lots of questions! I'll answer as many as I can.

http://www.japan-guide.com/ is a good source of information. Also http://wikitravel.org/en/Main_Page for some cities. What month is best? See http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2273.html I vote for late October, early November. During this summer it's not just hot, it's oppressively humid.

Not all will agree, but here's a possible itinerary:

Kyoto 3 nights. It's a simple 75-minute train ride from Kansai International Airport and it's far less confusing than Tokyo. One day of temples might be enough for the boys, but you can also spend time wandering around seeing how people live, eat and shop.

Hiroshima 2 nights. I have never been to the A-Bomb museum and don't know if it will be too intense for the young one, but you could go to the Peace Park. Miyajima, nearby has enough variety not to bore.

On the way to Hiroshima, stop for a couple of hours at Himeji to see the castle. The boys can imagine samurai and ninja.

Spend the rest of the time in Tokyo, where there's lots for all ages. Can you get an "open jaws" flight (into Kansai International, out of Narita) for a good price?

Take the Shinkansen ("bullet train") for all your intercity travel. If you fly into Kansai and out of Narita, the JR Rail Pass probably won't save you money. For sample fares and travel times, check out http://www.hyperdia.com/

Hotels: You should be able to stay for $250 a night. It can take some searching to find triple rooms. Search Japan Forums for "children hotel." Don't hesitate to send a Message through Trip Advisor asking people how they fared.

Thank you for your advise Roger, I will definitely start looking into your advise.

Cheers

Summerchik,

I have just finished planning out family holidays in Japan in December. We are regular travellers but Japan is more complicated that most and it was certainly tricky.Much of the accomodation is geared to couples and business travellers and family accomodation is rare, and a common request on this forum.

Have at look at staying in Ryokans ( Inns) - they are fairly traditional but represent good value for money as they can often accomodate large family groups in one room. see:

www.ryokan.or.jp/english

If you like warm weather ( and you live in Melbourne !) you need to go mid-year.

Most people with families head to Kyoto, which is full of cultural interests for all ages and you can do a trip to Hiroshima from there. Obviously Tokyo is also interesting but more expensive and we are only spending 3 nights there ourselves.

First and foremost when planning any big trip go and buy yourself a travel guide to Japan ( Lonely Planet, Eyewitness etc...) and what you cant work out ask on here.

good luck

Even if you like warm weather, it would be better not to go mid-year. We went fromm 22 June to 5 July this year, and even though we'd heard about the heat and humidity, were shocked at how bad it is. It's like walking around Brisbane in the middle of summer when it's building up to a storm, if you've ever done that. Which means really unpleasant and not nice to be sight-seeing outdoors. We were constantly bathed in sweat, and seeking out air-conditioning. The trouble is, the Japanese seem to like their air-con set quite high, or else they're trying to save money/energy, so often the shops, museums, trains etc, were still not cool enough.