Why the five-hour USJ VIP tour is better value than the eight-hour one, how the wristband keeps working all day, and why the Ritz-Carlton Osaka beats the parkside hotels.

A family review of WITH THE STYLE FUKUOKA: seven minutes on foot from Hakata station, excellent food and lounge, and the one room layout to avoid if you are travelling with a child.

How to get from New Chitose Airport to Niseko with children: train, direct bus, hire car and private taxi compared with real prices, and the option that beat all of them.

A family review of Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Atami: forty minutes from Tokyo by Shinkansen, rooms over 60 square metres, and an activity programme you must book the instant you book the room.

A family review of Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Yatsugatake: cake making, the climbing wall, the treetop course, horse riding and the wave pool — plus the two things it gets wrong.

An honest, critical family review of SUGINOI HOTEL in Beppu: pools far beyond their capacity, and a flat refusal to provide any allergen information at the buffet.

A family review of Ryugujo Spa Hotel Mikazuki Fujimitei in Kisarazu: the pools, a surprisingly good buffet, the cheap bus from Tokyo Station, and the outlet park nearby.

A family review of HOSHINOYA Okinawa: the rooms and the year-round pool, honest notes on the food and the missing onsen, and which snorkelling and Blue Cave tours are actually worth booking.

A family review of Tateshina Tokyu Hotel in Nagano: a small beginner-friendly ski area, an old-fashioned classic hotel with a wood fire, and the shuttle bus you must not miss.