Tokyo with Kids: a few favorite memories

After years of dreaming about visiting Japan as a couple, putting it off after having kids, and then being nervous to do the long journey with young children … we finally made it this year! While an adults-only trip would’ve been an entirely different experience, we still had an amazing time as a family, and I’m now deep in a post-trip “Japression” wistfully eating instant ramen and lackluster egg salad sandwiches at home. The food, the history, the culture… the cleanliness, the respectfulness and just how safe everything felt… it made such an impression on us.

What i packed

See my packing video and list here with links to everything! And this folder has a few travel looks and outfits I wore throughout the trip.

I did a mix of natural fibers for the summer heat (100% linen, cotton) and performance fabrics that are super lightweight, wrinkle-resistant and ready to wear right out of the washer/dryer. The two types of athleisure pants I packed were amazing for travel and I wore them on repeat thanks to having in-unit laundry. Even though summer is HOT in Japan, most locals still wear long pants and sleeves for coverage and sun-protection (similar to in other Asian countries), plus use sun umbrellas.

I must add that everyone unanimously warned us NOT to visit Tokyo & Kyoto in the summer due to unbearable heat and humidity levels above 90%. We went in mid June-first week of July and must’ve gotten lucky because it wasn’t too bad yet (got the rainy season, though). The weather sounds miserable in July through August, so def something to keep in mind when planning a visit.

Journey There & Getting around

Heading into the trip I was nervous about the long travel time, but the flight ended up being much easier than expected. Not sure if it’s because our kids don’t get much screentime at home, but they were zombied in to their shows and iPads and could’ve probably stayed on the plane long after we landed. If you’re helping younger kids with the bathroom or doing diaper changes, ask a flight attendant if there’s a bigger bathroom on the plane (there was a nice spacious one on ours!). We flew JAL direct from BOS to Narita, then booked a car service to our hotel per a friend’s recommendation (approx $120 USD each way for the 1 to 1.5 hours drive). Feel free to message me if you’d like the driver’s info.

From Tokyo we took the bullet train to Kyoto (planned to visit Osaka on a daytrip that never happened), Hakone, then back to Tokyo before flying out of Narita. Our first few days in Tokyo we almost exclusively took the train, then started using Uber since it often saved a lot of travel time. Uber pricing was a little less than in Boston, and the cars were very clean!

Where we stayed

Tokyo is HUGE, so this was a tough decision for a first visit. I got very differing opinions from y’all, though most responded that they enjoyed staying in Ginza (Hyatt Ginza was mentioned often) and the Shibuya / Shinjuku areas. We ended up splitting our Tokyo stay between Mimaru Suites in Asakusa and Four Seasons by Tokyo Station and loved both. Asakusa is a quieter (especially in the AM and PM), more residential area with historic and old-Tokyo vibes and kids walking to school each day. And the Tokyo Station area is very central and conveniently located, with lots of food and shopping right at the bustling station.

More on our hotels at the end of this post!

A few things we did

Senso-ji & Nakamise Street in Asakusa

Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple. Our hotel was minutes from here so we explored the temple grounds early AM before the crowds, had a ramen breakfast and playground break, then snacked our way through all the Asakusa street foods once the shops opened around 10-11AM. There’s also shopping malls including Don Quijote, Uniqlo, and much more in the area and Japan’s oldest amusement park.

Meiji Jingu

Beautiful sprawling shrine grounds with over 100,000 trees and the iconic sake barrels dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Trees provide a nice canopy of shade and even coverage from light rain. Even though the sake barrels are a popular photo spot, it wasn’t overwhelmingly crowded. If exploring Harajuku after, start on the north side and walk south so you don’t have to back track.

Takeshita Street in Harajuku

Crowded, colorful street with retro 1960s Americana vibes. This is where you get the giant rainbow cotton candy. It was fine to detour through since we were in the area (at Meiji Jingu), but was overly touristy and skippable.

Shopping in Omotesando

Go a block or two over or past Takeshita street and the vibe does a 180º. Refined coffee shops, luxury boutiques, vintage shopping etc. I liked that this area had a more neighborhood-y feel than Ginza with some of the same brands. The flagship Onitsuka Tiger boutique is here with their kids shop across the street.

TEAMLABS PLANETS

We actually went to Teamlabs Biovortex in Kyoto (the kids loved it!), but if you’ll only be in Tokyo then everyone said Teamlab Planets was more popular for families out of the two options. Expect to wade barefoot through knee-deep water for one of the exhibits. Make sure you plan enough time for the more kid-friendly interactive areas toward the end, in the “Athletic Forest.”

Ginza

Felt like the Beverly Hills of Tokyo. Shopping of all kinds. Flagships like Uniqlo. High-end boutiques. Pricer vintage luxury shops. If you’re an Hermes fan, I read that the boutique in Ginza has a unique system where you line up before opening and can potentially shop non-quota handbags on an ipad.  

Anone Kids Club (Ginza)

A drop-in kids club for ages 4-10, open from 1 to 9 pm most days, but check for specific hours. Roughly $25/hr for per kid with a small sibling discount. You can communicate with them on Whatsapp to get video updates after dropoff.

Shinjuku

A high-energy, busy part of Tokyo. Lots of department store shopping (including two less-busy Onitsuka Tiger stores in the Shinjuku East station mall) and the free observation deck at the metropolitan government building. There is a large playground in this area that my kids liked by the Park Hyatt Tokyo, but it’s a ~15 minute walk from Shinjuku station so felt out of the way.

DisneySea

We were really on the fence about Disney in Japan after seeing how crazy long all the lines are! But I’m so glad went as the kids thought it was magical and had an amazing time. We checked the crowd calendars (generally, Tues-Thurs is lighter barring any local school breaks or holidays) and decided to go last-minute on a rainy Thursday. Took a taxi from our hotel from Tokyo Station to get there at ~8:30am and line up at the gate. We were in by 9:30 and able to ride most of the rides we wanted thanks to a handful of DCAs (skip-the-line passes). It was pouring rain in the AM and then cleared up, so experiences could really vart depending on when you go.

Pricing was pleasantly reasonable compared to US Disney. We spent about $50 per adult admission ticket, $30 per kid, about $120 total on fast lane passes (they averaged $10-12 per person, per ride) and park food was affordable as well! Check my Instagram highlight for the rides my kids liked best.

Traffic park playground

Traffic parks are apparently common in Japan, with working stoplights and realistic roads for little ones to navigate on (free) rental pedal bikes! Usually paired with a playground or splashpad on site. I would not go out of your way for these, but worth checking if any are in your area! We went to this one off the beaten path on a morning we’d left free for wandering. It’s about a 15 minute walk from Higashi-Mukojima train station (also went to the Tobu train museum here), a few stops from Tokyo Skytree.

Tokyo Skytree

Mega mall with a paid observation tower as a backup for a rainy or extra hot day. We didn’t do the observation tower, but explored the more kid-friendly shops and outdoor terrance. Not a must-do unless you need somewhere indoors to spend time.

And I’m sure any parents planning a trip have already come across her blog, but Tokyo Chapter is a wealth of a resource with blog posts dedicated to kid-friendly info around pretty much every popular area in Tokyo, Kyoto, and more. She also has posts on topics like what to pack and local customs and etiquette, ie no shoes touching seats on trains / ubers, not eating and walking, being quiet on trains.

Our Hotels

I’ll be creating a story highlight “Tokyo” on my Instagram where you can see my video tours of these hotels!

Mimaru

The Mimaru chain was overwhelmingly the #1 recommendation when I asked you guys for family-friendly hotels in Japan. The decor is minimal, but it was spacious and comfortable and we’d definitely stay at this chain again. We stayed at Mimaru Suites in Asakusa where each suite has 2 bedrooms (with multiple twin sized beds), 2 showers, a kitchenette and washer/dryer combo in unit (so useful!). Just be aware that Mimaru is not a full-service hotel chain, so the front desk staff left at 10pm and they only clean rooms every other day or so.

Since Asakusa had more of a neighborhood feel, it also had several playgrounds nearby for kids to get their wiggles out daily. Our kids’ favorites:

• Sumida Park Playground Big playground (by Tokyo standards) with a big retro whale slide, multiple small play areas, and an “obstacle course” structure with views of Tokyo Skytree. Parents can stop by Hatoya Matcha nearby.
• Hanakawado Park (North Side) a nicely shaded, large treehouse-style play structure that our kids enjoyed. Sandbox on the side. We saw a family with bentos from Okome to Gohan Sumidaya nearby so followed suit.

Four Seasons

For a luxury stay we tried both Four Seasons in Tokyo, located not far from each other. Otemachi is their larger location in the financial district, with triple the # of rooms plus a swimming pool. Marunouchi is their freshly renovated, smaller location right at Tokyo Station. We loved Four Seasons Marunouchi and would certainly stay there again if budget allows (we took advantage of a book 2 nights, get 1 free promo). Everything was brand new there when we visited and beautifully redone. The smaller hotel had a boutique-like feel, service was very personal and attentive, and the location was super convenient. Just note that hotel rooms listed with 2 beds in Japan are usually smaller beds meant for 1 adult each, so we added a rollaway cot (free of charge) for Nori.

Luggage forwarding

We were considering airbnb for part of our trip but realized we wanted to take advantage of luggage forwarding services, especially between Tokyo and Kyoto. Both our hotels made it easy to use same-day services that cost about $30 per piece of luggage. You drop bags off before 9AM and they arrive at the destination by 6PM, which made it much easier to travel by train without lugging around multiple suitcases!

Maybe Next Time

We didn’t make it to these popular attractions but wanted to share.

Kidzania

It was on our radar as something kids 7 and under enjoyed. Book at least 2 weeks ahead for the English Wednesday. We also didn’t make it to the area over here (Toyosu & Odaiba) where TeamLab Planets is also located.

Shibuya Crossing + Shibuya Sky glass elevator

We didn’t do the iconic crosswalk or viewing tower or even see the godzilla head! It wasn’t high on our list so we just didn’t get to it, but might check it out next visit.

Ueno Park, Zoo and Aquarium

We walked around Ueno but didn’t do the swan boats, Ueno Zoo or Sunshine City Aquarium. There’s also the smaller Art Aquarium Museum that was recommended by some.

Tokyo Toy Museum

Had read it was a hit with some younger kids

Sumo Club experience or Ninja Cafe (various locations)

We thought these looked a little gimmicky but met several families on our trip who had done both and enjoyed!

Themed/SPECIALTY Cafes

Our kids (and us) didn’t have a specific affinity for any characters so we passed on character cafes like Pokemon, Miffy, Sanrio. We were hoping to go to the Bushin Robot Cafe, which employs people with disabilities to work remotely through the robot servers. Just more things to save for a future visit!