Travel Guide: Tokyo

{About}

My husband and I both love Tokyo, but we weren’t sure how our toddler would enjoy it, as it can pack quite a dose of sensory overload. But nearly two months after our trip, she talks about it at least several times a week! So, if you are on the fence about taking young kids to Japan and to Tokyo in particular, I say do it! 

As a mom, there are a few things that I find make any big trip easier: 

  • Easy access to clean restroom facilities

  • Easy access to healthy food

  • Easy to navigate public transportation

Japan and Tokyo, in particular, excel in all three of these categories and more. 

Every restroom is free, pristine, and often has ingenious setups and facilities for kids. Just remember to keep a stash of paper towels or a small washcloth with you, as hand towels aren’t common. Also, keep a bagie for trash with you too, as you won’t find many public trash cans. 

Japanese convenience/grocery stores, 7-11, Lawson’s, and FamilyMart, are truly next-level. You will find one every few blocks, and they run from tiny shops to full-scale stores and have an amazing array of ready-to-eat food, personal items, and more. You can get a healthy meal on the go that will satisfy just about every food preference imaginable. Many are also open 24 hours. 

The Tokyo metro is an integral part of the Tokyo experience, so even if you don’t regularly use public transit, I highly encourage you to take advantage of this incredible system. Plus, it is SO fun for kids. The colors, the signs, the ads… it is truly a feast for the eye and mind, and I swear my daughter had so much fun following the colored/numbered floor directions in stations all over Tokyo. See more metro tips below. 

And a few not-so-great things to note when traveling with small kids: 

  • Hotel rooms are small; see the accommodation section below for more on how to navigate this. 

  • Things don't open until late. Tokyo is a late-night town, and finding much of anything open before 10 am can be an adventure. Not impossible, but tougher than you’d expect. 

    • Pro tip: most shrines and parks are open 24/7 or early. You can always grab a coffee and snack at a convenience store and let the little ones out for a run in a park, or if they are in a carrier or stroller, you can enjoy the early morning quiet at a shrine.

  • This is a quiet, respectful, and highly tradition-oriented culture, which I find absolutely fascinating; however, your likely comparatively loud toddler will stick out. I never felt any strange pressures or attention, but just be aware that when your kid has a meltdown in the packed Tokyo Station restroom line, you will be the loudest thing around by far.

  • Crowds. This city is massive, and it will feel like it. Our daughter is near the end of her stroller days and wants to be out and walking more often than not. A few things we did to help ease the crowd-related anxiety around this: 

    • We had her practice saying her full name and our names very clearly and talked to her about what to do if she ever couldn't find us. 

    • We had her wear an AirTag bracelet. Definitely not foolproof, but it gave us some modicum of peace of mind. 

    • We were very verbal about who was holding her hand when entering metro stations or crowded places. 

    • If we were ever moving too slowly for the flow of pedestrian traffic, we’d simply pull off where we could to let people pass and then start up again. 

{Get There/Get Around}

The best way to get around Tokyo is the metro. There really aren't enough good things to say about the system - it is clean, efficient, and super easy to navigate, even for a non-Japanese speaker. Simply download the Pasmo or Suica app on your phone and add it to your Apple Wallet. Viola! You can scan in and out of any station, and the cost of the ride is simply deducted from your balance. Little kids ride free! Just have them go through the gate with you. You can even use these transit cards at convenience stores, many coffee shops, and grocery stores! 

My only notes when traveling with kids are that 1.) Rush hour is SUPER crowded. I would try to avoid traveling then for sanity's sake, and 2.) The walks to transfer between lines can be long and riddled with stairs, so if you can plot direct routes, it will make your journey significantly easier. Most stations will have these incredible maps that tell you which exit door to take to emerge to street level close to your destination! 

Taxis are quite expensive but can be very handy in a pinch. You can hail at a taxi stand (so old school!), or a hotel or restaurant will gladly call you one. Car seats don't seem to be mandatory for toddlers, but we used a RideSafer vest, and it worked so well for us. The driver will get out to help you get in and situated and will help put your bags in and out for you. Most will take credit cards or you can download the taxi payment app and pay in-app. There will be QR codes for the app in the taxi. 

{Stay}

One thing that was quite different about this trip to Tokyo with a little one was the hotel search. Hotel rooms in Tokyo are notoriously small and expensive - two things that do not lend themselves to a comfortable stay with a toddler! After extensive research, I found out a few things: 

  • Co-sleeping is quite common in Japanese culture thus, most hotels state that they won’t rent cribs or pack ‘n plays to children over 1 year old.

  • Airbnb and short-term apartment rentals aren’t very common, I think, due to a mix of local regulations and the local housing shortage. 

  • You can sometimes find connecting rooms at some of the larger chains, but this might not be the most cost-effective route as you’re essentially paying for two small rooms without any “extras” (i.e. a kitchenette). 

I found two hotel groups that we used for all of our accommodations in Japan, and I would use both again on future trips. Both fell into the “serviced apartment” category, and it was so helpful to have access to a kitchen and laundry facilities during a long trip. Both groups have several properties in Tokyo and other cities in Japan, and with Mimaru in particular, different locations have different room styles, so I’d recommend poking around their site a bit and reading reviews to narrow in on which location might suit you best. 

{See & Do}

{Neighborhoods}

During this trip, we prioritized spending time in a few of the slightly off-the-beaten paths, but still central Tokyo neighborhoods. We found a delightfully slower pace, great family-friendly accommodations, and plenty of gems to discover. 

Asakusa:

  • Sensoji Temple

  • Nakamise Shopping Street

  • Kappabashi Kitchen Utensil Street

Ueno:

  • Ameyoko Market Street

  • Hanazono Inari Shrine

  • Nezu Shrine

Akasaka:

  • Hitotsugi Park

  • Meiji Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue

    • Meiji Jingu Gaien Nikoniko Park (check hours)

  • Meiji Jingu Shrine

  • Yoyogi Park

  • Hie Shrine / Tori Gates

{Icons}

  • Imperial Palace

  • Meiji Jungu Shrine

  • Shibuya Sramble Crossing

  • Tsukiji Outer Market (open from 5am)

  • Harajuku (Takeshita St)

  • Omotesando & Aoyama (these are two of my favorite areas in Tokyo)

{Museums}

{Kids}

{Shop}

  • Bornelund (kid's store with a nice indoor/outdoor play area)

  • Daiso, Seria (100 Yen shops!)

  • Kiddy Land

  • Tokyo Midtown Center (Roppongi)

  • Takashimaya Times Square (Skinjuku) (kids area on floor 9)

  • Keio Department Store

  • Don Quijote (discount items)

  • Shibuya 109

  • Itoya (Ginza)

  • Hankyu

  • Muji Ginza Flagship

  • Loft (Ginza)

  • Porter

  • Tabio

  • Aoyama Flower Market Green House

  • Hakuhinkan Toy Park (Ginza)

{Eat}

  • Kurasushi sushi train restaurant

  • Kaikaiya by the Sea

  • We are the Farm

  • Nabezo in Asakusa (reservation)

  • Afuri (Roppongi)

  • Suju Dining Rokkak (Tokyo Midtown Center)

  • Mr Farmer in Omotesando

  • Pelican Cafe (Asakusa)

  • Cicada (Aoyama)

  • Brown Rice by Neals’ Yard (Omotesando)

  • Trunk Kitchen (Omotesando)

  • Ivy Place (Daikanyama)

  • Gensoba Shingari Asakusa Honten (Asakusa)

{Drinks}

{Coffee}

  • Coffee Mameya (near Takeshita)

  • Little Nap Coffee Stand (Yoyogi Park)

  • Hoshino Coffee (chain, various locations)

  • Hat Coffee (Asakusa)

  • Crossing Cafe (Ginza)

  • Bricolage bread & co (Roppongi)

{Things to Know}

Luggage forwarding is a completely foreign concept to many of us, but this is one of those very common services that make travel in Japan so seamless! If you are changing hotels within Tokyo, traveling outside of Tokyo, or even just heading back to the airport, it is possible (and entirely common!) to forward your luggage. Most services provide next-day delivery, but it is possible to find same-day services. Simply pack your bag and fill out the paperwork your hotel will have on hand. They will measure your bag, request payment (usually around $20 for a medium-sized rolling suitcase), and give you a receipt. The next day, your bag will be at your next destination! This is especially important if you are taking the Shinkansen or bullet train, as you often need to pay extra for oversized luggage on those trains. This way, you don't pay for luggage, and you don't have to navigate the crowded train station with your bags! 

If you need diapers, formula, etc. I’d recommend packing as much as you think you need, but that said, it didn’t seem to be too difficult to track these things down. I saw them in many grocery stores and pharmacies. 

{What to Pack}

An empty suitcase for all of your shopping! 

Joking aside, comfortable shoes and light layers are my top recommendations. 

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