Confused and overwhelmed Tokyo trip

We will ve in Osaka on the 24th-27th of December. And USJ is our only thing listed to do there. Help please?

In Tokyo will be there for another 7 days. 28th December to 2nd January. We wanted to go where the powdery snows are. BUT not too far from Tokyo. As we have kids travelling with us. And we also want to try something that tourist don't do or go to much but is interesting for the locals. Help please?

Read the Tokyo and Osaka pages on this website for ideas. Things that tourists don't normally do might be tricky if you don't speak Japanese, as it's unlikely they'll have English services if they don't cater to tourists.

For snow, consider Karuizawa.

28th December to 2nd January is VERY busy term in Japan.
Everyone would like to go back their hometown, so
transportation which out to Tokyo, must be very hard to you and your children.
Powder snow, how about Nigata-pref snow sking .
Close to from JR-station, Gara.
But JR must be busy.

Thanks for your answers. Do I need to make reservations for our shinkansen? And do I need to pay extra for our luggage?

You can make reservations if you want. Note that it will cost extra if you not using a JR Pass (or other rail pass that allows for free reservations).

Luggage doesn't cost extra. You can store it behind the last row of seats in each car, put it in the overhead luggage rack if it fits, or have it in front of your legs while seated (there is a lot of room between the shinkansen seats, but this could get uncomfortable). There are not special large luggage racks on the shinkansen.

Normally, you don't have reservation for Shinkansen(JR).

But your planning days,( 28th/DEC-2/JAN)
Very bad time, for traveling out of Tokyo.

See as following News.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNBKR8lFkRQ

I suggest , you have to book.
Have a nice stay in Japan!

Thanks for the advices! Do you guys happen to know where we can eat around the city? We would love to eat in Yakitori houses in Tokyo that are child friendly? Yummy!

Also, I tried to get tickets for Ghibli unfortunately I cannot book at any online sites even in travel agencies. Any suggestions?

Yakitori places are all drinking place. You and your children will be exposed to smoke and drunk people. It's rude to ask them not to smoke, not to make noises as they're such kind of places.
I don't recommend you to take your kids to those places.

Ghibli Museum Tokyo - Did you check this page?
http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/ticket-information/

Did you just book flights and then wonder: "Why are we going and what shall we do when we get there?"

Nothing wrong with that, of course...

How old are your children? They might like Joypolis or Miraikan in Odaiba, Tokyo. And while you're in Odaiba there's a Ghibli gift shop in the Venus Fort Family mall. http://www.kanpai-japan.com/travel-guide/donguri-official-ghibli-shops.

You're probably too late for Ghibli tickets. They're very popular. Try looking at third-party websites - they might have some left at inflated prices.

Also, I highly suggest doing a lot more research yourself. You're asking a lot of questions that you could answer yourself if you did some reading on this website or used Google. We're not here to plan your whole trip for you.

I didn't think Niigata had powder as it is normally heavy, wet snow on the west coast - maybe more inland - Nagano maybe.

As for less usual things, get out of the central city is one thing - there is quite a lot in the different areas around Tokyo and a little further than many people do not bother with - also depends on yoe age of your kids.

Ghibli tickets - hard to get.

Thanks for your answers. Do I need to make reservations for our shinkansen? And do I need to pay extra for our luggage?

No need to be rude people.. We did book and made some planning but there are still vacant hours in between our itinerary so NO I'm not here for you to plan my own itinerary. Just asking.

If you're not interested to answer or there's no input don't comment. Aren't Japanese supposed to be polite people? Geez!

Anyway.. yeah. I asked a friend to buy tickets for us last October but they have been turned down because it's too early.

We're not all Japanese here. Many of us have simply travelled to Japan previously.

I'm not trying to be rude. I'm trying to point out that some of your questions don't require you to ask on this forum; it's pretty clear that you haven't tried to put them through Google or research them elsewhere yourself.