Tokyo toddlers

YouTube 18K Subscribers. Looking for more Japan with kids inspiration? Contents show. KidZania Tokyo. TeamLab Borderless. Oedo-Onsen Monogatari. Legoland Discovery Center Tokyo. Disneyland Tokyo. DisneySea Tokyo. Sumida Aquarium. Tokyo Solamachi mall. Ueno Zoo. Tokyo Fire Museum. Tokyo Toy Museum. Shinjuku Chuo Park Playground. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. Kawaii Monster Cafe. Yoyogi Park. Rent a four legged friend at Dog Heart.

Sanrio Puroland. Edo Wonderland. Fujiko F Fujio Museum. Tokyo Sea Life Park. Want more insider tips for planning your Japan trip? Book Oedo-Onsen Tickets. Buy Discounted Tickets on Klook. Get Disneyland Tokyo Tickets. View this post on Instagram. Get DisneySea Tokyo Tickets. Book Discounted TIckets on Klook. Get Discounted Tickets on Klook. Book Fujiko F Fujio Tickets. Book Harajuku Food Tour.

The most extra ice cream we ever ate. Feel free to ask in the comments below. Get more out of your Japan Trip Take a look at our Travel Resources to find the best deals on flights, accommodation and attractions. Looking for some sweet deals in Melbourne? Hanegi is popular during plum blossoms, but here are a few different areas here where your child can play while you sit back on a picnic blanket or even a small tent or tables and chairs and relax.

Robots are always such a big hit, even for the little ones, and they will surely love this robot-themed outdoor playground! This 1,square-meter large park was designed by Korean artist Choi Jeong-Hwa and is located in a residential area so you can expect it to fill up with kids easily, especially in the afternoons. Toddlers can be especially fond of climbing and doing all the dangerous things that scare moms off.

If you happen to stay in Tokyo, be sure to visit this park, which has a wide variety of equipment. It features a tower and a slide, a sandpit, a trampoline, and many others for climbing and bouncing around.

You can also bring food with you and eat lunch in the shaded tables or in one of the restaurants nearby. Shinjuku Gyoen is one of the largest and the most popular park in Tokyo. It is among the best places in the city for cherry blossom watching in spring.

The acre park basically has three types of gardens: the traditional Japanese landscape garden, the French garden, and the English landscape garden. There is even a huge greenhouse, which is home to several tropical and subtropical plants. Families love visiting this park because it is huge and has plenty of space for running, walking and crawling around.

Picnic blankets are allowed inside and you can also bring small tents, tables, and chairs. The park also has baby-friendly restrooms as well as nursing rooms for moms with infants. Getting there: 5-min walk from Shinjukugyoenmae Station Opening hours: — Hibiya Park is the oldest Western-style garden in Japan and is home mainly to tulips and roses.

The park has a lot of history: during the Second World War, nearly all its trees were cut and its fences taken down in order to aid the war. Today, it is a popular place for open-air concerts as well as a place for relaxation. There are numerous benches scattered around the park and picnic blankets are also allowed inside, but only in designated areas.

Families with infants and toddlers will love that the park has baby-friendly facilities such as restrooms and a nursing room. Founded in , Ueno Zoological Gardens is the oldest in Japan and is currently home to 3, animals across different species. The huge number of animals make it an ideal place for families, especially those with small kids, to stroll around and explore. You can easily bring kids in strollers or rent one at the entrance, and restrooms come with diaper changing tables.

There are also three nursing rooms available within the vicinity. Getting there: 5-min walk from Ueno Station. Opening hours: — Closed Mondays. Little kids will love the variety of animals that can be found here including deer, elephants, lions, zebras, and various insects and Japanese animals. The zoo also has several picnic areas for families to rest and enjoy lunch, but restaurants are also available inside.

Restrooms are equipped with diaper changing tables and there are three nursing rooms scattered all throughout the park. Free admission every May 4 and 5, and October 1. This attraction is made for smaller children aged and everything is kid-sized. KidZania is a city founded by children of the world, where children can role-play as adults in over occupations. Learn about society while having fun and earn kidZos the local currency.

As an adult, you are not allowed to participate in activities, but can watch from monitors or special viewing areas. Most of the activities are in Japanese, but limited English language programs are available daily. Check the website for more details. Harajuku girls will guide you to your table! Zauo is a unique restaurant where you catch your own fish! When seated, hosts will give you rods and bait. If you catch a fish, staff will come to your table, and cook your fish how you like e.

No luck at fishing? You can still order off the menu. In Tokyo there are several branches, including one at Shinjuku and Shibuya. See the full list here. Online bookings available in English via OpenTable. Weekday lunch last order Weekday dinner last order Weekends and holidays lunch last order Weekends and holidays dinner last order The park boasts views of Mt Fuji. From Tokyo, you can get there by train or bus in around two hours. Fuji Q Highland is home to some terrifying and thrilling rides and attractions like Takabisha with one of the steepest drops in the world, Dododonpa with the fastest acceleration and the Super Scary Labyrinth of Fear , a walk through house of horrors.

For families with smaller children or the elderly, Thomas Land is a good option. Tokyo can easily fill a week of interesting kid-friendly things to do. Kyoto and Osaka are each good for 2 or 3 days of quality sightseeing. With that in mind, I would do 3 days in Tokyo, 3 days in Kyoto with a day trip to Nara , and 2 days in Osaka.

Other options between Tokyo and Osaka include the Hakone Loop with a stay at a Ryokan in one of the small towns in the area and Kamakura which is an enchanting area with some cool sights and walks. The Odaiba option is near the Ariake train station and a minute walk from 2 other stations.

Ginza looks very busy and the accommodations are smaller. We have an 11 year old who was there when he was 4 and loved riding the trains. This trip we will concentrate on all things Tokyo. Tracey Nakakura. In terms of convenience, Shibuya and Ginza have many more subway and JR connections, which means you may be able to travel directly to destinations without having to change trains for example, the Ginza Line travels from Shibuya through Ginza all the way to Ueno and Asakusa , which can save time.

There are buses, but they tend to be slow. I would therefore recommend staying closer to the center of Tokyo.

Your son will have plenty of chances to ride the train and it will save you both time and money. That said, Odaiba does have a lot of kid-friendly attractions e. Legoland, Joypolis, Miraikan Science Museum so if you were primarily interested in those then Odaiba would be a fine choice.

Thank you so much for the great information! My husband and I are planning a last minute trip to Japan with our 14 month old son. Out of your recommendations do you have any standouts that are better for toddlers? Also do you have any insight around stroller usage or etiquette? And finally we want to take a side trip to go skiing.

Do you have any suggestions on places to do this that are closer proximity to Tokyo? And again, any spots that will be better for little kiddos is better. Thank you so much! Although it certainly can be done, keep in mind that there are plenty of stairs to traverse, from pedestrian bridges over busy streets to subway stairs. Although most Tokyo stations now have elevators, note that they may be inconveniently located at stations with more than just a few entrances; in addition, signs prohibit using escalators with strollers.

As for restaurants, those that are too small or busy with customers do not allow strollers. Rather, you should fold it up and leave it at the entrance.

For reasons listed above, you might find a baby carrier an easier alternative or, bring it in addition to a stroller , though it does make it more difficult for those all-important naps.

As for skiing, there are several possibilities near Tokyo, all theoretically close enough for a day trip. The two closest are GALA Yuzawa Snow Resort 75 minutes by Shinkansen bullet train, with lifts right outside the station; and Karuizawa Prince Hotel one hour by Shinkansen, then Prince resort bus, but note that runs here are not for serious skiers.

I have decided to do a last minute trip to Japan. I will arrive on March 25 and depart April 1st. I know we want to go to the Disney Parks. Given our time frame, what cities are a must between Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and how long should I spend in each place and where to go? You have 6 full days. If you spend 2 days at Disney 1 day for each park you have 4 left. I would do 2 days in Tokyo, 1 in Kyoto, and 1 in Osaka.

I just stumbled upon your website and have enjoyed reading through your posts. My family 3 adults, one 7 year old, and one 2 year old will be traveling to Tokyo Japan for the first time, within a short time-frame, from April , into Narita Airport. We do not speak Japanese, but we do know Chinese. We are traveling on a budget. We need some guidance and recommendations and hoping you could help.

We will go directly to Airbnb lodging that is within minutes from Disneyland. Is it possible to bring our own food? Questions: — In terms of attractions and family activities, would you recommend this area? Is this a good area?

April 15 — Going to the airport. Our flight leaves late in the evening, at 6PM. Questions: — What is there to do in Tokyo in the morning and afternoon before our flight? The last bus, however, departs around 6pm, depending on the airport terminal.

Two hours should be enough time to pass through customs at Narita. Transportation: The best way to travel in the Tokyo area is via the Suica card, which you can buy at any station for the amount you wish.

Since Disney caters to people from all over the world, you will find vegetarian options, though not a vegetarian restaurant per se. You mention SkyTree , which also has a Pokemon Center. You also mention Tokyo Tower, but not sure you want to visit both observatories.

Since you seem to like observatories, a cheaper alternative is the free 45th-floor Metropolitan Government office in Shinjuku. Otherwise, there are lots of things to do in Tokyo with kids. A 6pm flight does not give much time for sightseeing, as you will want to arrive at Narita a minimum of 2 hours before 3 hours is better and it takes a minimum of about 1 hour from Ikebukuro. You might wish to save something to do in Ikebukuro on your last day like the aquarium so you can then return to your hotel to retrieve your luggage or from lockers at Ikebukuro Station.

The fastest way to get to the airport from Ikebukuro is to take the Yamanote line to Nippori, and from there take the Keisei Skyliner to the airport. Leaving Ikebukuro at pm, for example, gets you to to airport at pm.

Hi David We 5 are travelling to Narita in early April for 11 days with 2 children 6 and 3. We have booked accommodation in Urayasu, Tokyo Bay.

We arrive at approximately 8. We plan on doing Disney sea and Disneyland and then travelling in to Tokyo and surrounding areas for the period of stay and I am unsure what to purchase in regard to train travel passes.

We were also contemplating the possibility of hiring a car……what would be your thoughts on this please? Kind regards Debra Gray. Hi David, Thanks so much for your awesome info. My 11 year old is a huge anime fan. Beside the Pokemon Centers and the Ghibli Museum, have you heard of any animation studio tours around Tokyo? Warm regards! Claudia P. S: Any Godzilla sightings too? Tokyo is the right place for young anime fans! Less well-known is the Suginami Animation Museum , which is on the same train line going to Ghibli.

It describes the history of Japanese animation, has videos describing techniques used to create rain and other special effects and shows past and present anime in its theater and more.

Make the free Tokyo Anime Center website is Japanese only your first stop for map of Akihabara and to check out temporary displays and the merchandise shop. Another popular shopping destination is Nakano Broadway next to Nakano Station, a rather dingy but fascinating mall with two floors of cubby-hole-size shops selling new and retro manga, figurines, software, games and more. Robot Robot on the third floor has a large selection of figurines, including Godzilla and Ultraman.

While in Ikebukuro, you might also want to check out Namja Town in the same building. Note, however, that it is closing in early April and its robotic ft. I would like to take my kids 12, 11 and 9 to Japan in January. I am a little concerned about the weather being too cold for Disney and Tokyo however. Maybe we should re consider maybe a April visit to take advantage of nicer weather. What do you think?

January is cool but skies are clear and weather dry. Hey David, We are traveling to Japan at the end of May. We will be traveling with are two kids 8 and 6. We are going for 8 days. Do you have any suggestions for other cities to visit? We were thinking about Osaka. Our kids are not really into temples so not sure they would enjoy Kyoto.

Also do you recommend the JR rail pass for travel from Tokyo to Osaka round trip? Also can I use the JR pass to get around Tokyo on the subway? Yes, Osaka is great and has lots to do for families. JR Pass is not worth it just for Tokyo to Osaka return trip. Also, the Tokyo subway is very cheap. Hi David Thank you for your informational website. We are a family of five 2 adults, 3 children age 11, 10, and 9 planning to travel to Japan April 7th to 17th.

So for the week Monday 10th to Friday 15th, we plan to explore and visit another friend one night in Saitama, sight-see Tokyo, and somehow if possible, fit in a visit to the Universal Studio Osaka as the kids are Harry Potter mad. Then return Friday night which will then be Easter back to Kofu to spend the weekend again with our friend. Wednesday morning head to Kyoto for a quick visit, and then to Tokyo to stay the night.

Thursday and Friday sight-see Tokyo museums or nature based , and then back to Kofu Friday night. Your knowledge and advice will be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! Just reading your itinerary makes my head spin!

Planning to visit Universal Studios, Kyoto and Tokyo is nearly impossible in just 3 or 4 days, and your three children and their parents could well end up frazzled. If you left Tokyo very early, you could possibly be at Universal Studios by noon or 1pm.

The Harry Potter section is insanely popular, so the only way you might all get in by a reasonable time would be to spring for Express Passes for everyone, which comes on top of admission, but know that by arriving later in the day all available times for Potter might already be taken. To save time, I suggest staying at one of the hotels near the park; that way you could drop off you bags and then proceed to the park open to about 9pm on week nights.

Otherwise, a better plan of action would be to check in to your hotel near the park, then take the Captain Line shuttle boat from the dock near Universal Studios 10 minutes to Osaka Aquarium and spend Tuesday afternoon there. There are other things to do there, including a huge indoor mall and lots of restaurants. Then you could visit Universal Studios the next day on Wednesday.

In this scenario, you could use the 7-day rail pass from Apr You could also use it to get to and from you friends in Kofu. If it were me, however, I would probably nix Osaka. There is so much to do in Tokyo with kids that you could easily spend Tuesday-Friday there maybe you could placate the kids with a trip to DisneySea, the only one of its kind in the world. Hello, Thank you for your great posts.

I would like to experience a modern capsule hotel with my children 14 and 11 years old , either in Osaka or Hiroshima. Would you have any advice? Thank you Cecile. Capsule hotels originated as a cheap place for businessmen to crash when they missed the last train home. As such, few accepted women. In recent years, capsule hotels began devoting floors also only to women; a capsule hotel only for women has even just opened in Tokyo.

In any case, there are caveats that would make me advise against it. For one thing, capsule units are large enough only for one person, so children would have to each sleep in their own unit fine for 14 and 11 year olds but could be a problem for younger kids.

Because people enter at all hours, they can be noisy and you can be sure some guests will be inebriated.

In addition, facilities like showers and toilets are shared. Besides Tokyo, which other cities do you suggest us to go that might suit for the kids not temple kind of place and easy transportation and accomodation Thank you.

Hakone is a good spot to do it. Thank you for the thoughtful and detailed info about traveling with kids in Tokyo. His latest excuse was because our son is too young. Reading him your blog proved to him that there were plenty of attractions for children. Japan is a great taste for foreign travel. Thanks for such a detailed post! Is 10 days enough time to do Tokyo? Is it possible to do day trips to outside of Tokyo and where would you suggest? Or would it be better to take the bullet train which my boys would love to Kyoto and stay a couple of nights there?

At first I was considering Shinjuku or Shibuya to stay in but after reading your articles am thinking it might not be as easy with kids? Any advice? If Shinjuku or Shibuya are too busy then Asakusa is a great area Sadachiyo Ryokan has some large rooms and beautiful Japanese baths. Your easiest option is to find out whether your accommodation offers laundry service.

Some hotels and budget accommodations like business hotels, inexpensive Japanese inns or guest houses offer self-operated coin washers and dryers. Many companies also offer pick-up and delivery service. Ask your hotel where the nearest laundry service is. If you do use a coin laundry, be aware that instructions will likely not be in English, though there will be an attendant on hand who might assist you.

Coin laundries are open late, sometimes 24 hours, and are clean and pleasant. Otherwise, probably the easiest way to deal with dirty laundry is to travel with clothes you can hand wash and dry quickly in your bathroom. Many Japanese hotels have a laundry rope you can pull to extend over the bathtub. Thanks for the awesome blog.

We are travelling to Osaka and Tokyo in December for 10 days mother and son trip and was wondering excluding accommodation, how much you would put aside for each day approx.

We have booked a 3day Disneyland pass whilst we are in Tokyo, and I know my son will be hugely interested in the lego museum and the RiSuPia museum. Is there anything else that would be top of the list to visit in Tokyo. Also other than a soccer game, we have no set plans for Osaka. Your son can travel on public transportation for half fare, get reduced admission to most attractions and opt for kid meals at restaurants that offer them.

And although you are going in December, the weather in both Tokyo and Osaka is generally mild with little snow. As for additional sights in Tokyo, there are lots of good places for families. In fact, you might find it more worthwhile to visit the much larger Miraikan—the National Musum of Emerging Science and Innovation, which also has a neat section on androids and robots.

Here, too, is Gundam Front Tokyo, with a robotic foot Gundam statue out front, a Gundam Cafe with food shaped like Gundam characters and a display of Gundam toy kits. Thanks so much for this blog! Our family with 3 kids are very much into Pokemon, Anime, Dragon Ball, etc.

Are there places in Tokyo to go to see this? While Pokemon may not be as popular as it once was, anime is very much a part of Japanese popular culture, with an almost cult following. You could probably spend a great part of your time and money in Tokyo pursuing this side of Japan, but places you will want to hit include: 1. And since Ikebukuro is slightly out of the way from most Tokyo attractions, you might wish to combine it with the small but sweet Sunshine Aquarium in the same Sunshine City complex.

Gundam Front Tokyo Look for the robotic ft. Gundam statue in front of DiverCity, and you know you are close to this indoor amusement center devoted to this anime action figure. In addition to 3D movies, displays explaining and showing how Gunpla Gundam toy kits are made, virtual reality experiences and a display of every Gunpla model ever made, it has—of course!

Bonus: There are many other worthwhile sights to see in Odaiba, including the Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation , a free Panasonic showroom, the free Megaweb Toyota showroom, numerous shopping malls and the Maritime Museum with a public swimming pool beside it.

Teenagers will also like Don Quijote, packed to the rafters with all kinds of useful and not-so-useful stuff cosmetics, food items, clothing and a nail salon that does anime characters. I think it would be important to add that kids ride free on the trains when they are under 6 school age.

We plan on going to Japan in the beginning of July for 10 days. I have 2 four year olds and a 10 year old. I would like to spend half of my time in Osaka and then the other half in Tokyo.

What rail passes do you recommend? On the other hand, the Japan Rail Pass includes free seat reservations, can also be used on the JR loop lines around both Tokyo and Osaka though often times the subway is the better choice and might even end up cheaper if you think you will be traveling outside the cities say, to Kamakura or Nara.

So it depends on what you decide fits best with your plans; just the convenience of not having to buy individual train tickets might be worth the cost of a rail pass. If, however, you are not completing your round trip within a week, the cost of a two-week Rail Pass is significantly more than the cost of individual tickets. Hi David, Great resource. My wife and I will be visiting Japan August 10 — 20 with my almost 6 year old boy. We plan on a week in Tokyo and 4 days on a short trip outside.

Do you have any special must visit sight for us at that time in Tokyo? And, If you were to do a 4 day trip with a 6 year old old outside Tokyo, in mid August, where would you go? Thanks so much, Christian Berkeley CA. There are no major festivals in Tokyo in August, as this is the school holiday time for Japanese families.

There are, however, plenty of attractions geared toward children. Museum of Maritime Science — lots of hands-on, model ships, etc and a public swimming pool right beside it. Fukagawa Edo Museum — A bit out of the way, but a great replica Edo-era village inside a hangar-like building that appeals enormously to kids. As for 4 days outside Tokyo, Nikko might be a good option.