When my parents were young, action movies were about gunslingers, sheriffs and saloons. For my in-laws in Osaka, however, cinema was more about swords and samurai.

Usually set in the Edo Period (1603-1868), jidaigeki, or period dramas, follow the sagas and clashes of Japanese warriors and their steel. Despite a steady decline in production since the 1970s, there are new films being shot all the time for both television and the silver screen. At the Toei Kyoto Studio Park in Kansai, you can get close to the action and see what it's all about. According to their website, the sets here are used to shoot more than 200 productions a year, and the park itself offers an interesting opportunity show your kids he magic of filmmaking — all while exposing them to a little Japanese history.

Just after you arrive, I recommend checking the show schedules right away and heading directly to one. There is much to see and experience here, but some of it requires extra fees, so knock the performances that are included in the price of admission off your list first. These shows are unique to the park, and I feel the most entertaining activities you can do with the kids here, but they also finish a little earlier, so don't miss out like we did because of poor time management.