Exploring Tokyo with kids is just so much fun – this dazzling, energetic city is filled with kid-sized adventures and treats that the whole family will love. There are so many fun things to do with kids in Tokyo  – wandering the streets and discovering parks, temples, markets and exhibitions, watching spontaneous performances from local bands, discovering traditional food like sushi and ramen, playing in games centres and eating all the rainbow food in Harajuku is just a small sample of the fun you can find here.

Tokyo is safe for families you can relax and let the kids run around and enjoy the parks and arcades, and rather than find them annoying, locals will think they’re cute and fuss all over them. Just 90 minutes north by plane are the snow fields of Hokkaido – we just had our very first time skiing holidays (ever) at Club Med Tomamu, and we are going back for more skiing next season! 

Getting around metro Tokyo by train is super easy, and Japan Rail passes are excellent value for exploring further around Japan – Check out Klook for discounts on all Japan Rail passes.

Here are our favourite things to do with kids in Tokyo!

Kawaii Food Fun in Harajuku

Japanese people just love everything kawaii or cute, and the popular pedestrian street, Takeshita-dori in Harajuku is famous for its kawaii trinkets, clothes and food. Want to eat a rainbow? Then grab a grilled cheese sandwich like this one.

We found these sweet animal ice creams at The Zoo…

…and there are giant fairy floss shops along Takeshita Street – this is the regular size!

This cookie  is from Cookie Time, at the top of Takeshita Street. They make amazing monster shakes too. 

Adults and kids alike will love trying all the tasty and colourful kawaii treats, and while you may have a bit of a sugar overload after eating your way through Harajuku, you can balance it out with lots of walking as you explore the area.

 

Lunch at the Kawaii Monster Cafe

Visit the outrageous Kawaii Monster Cafe for a show and lunch, and explore the psychedelic rooms. Your hosts will dance, perform and entertain you while you enjoy your meal – it’s all part of the show. Kids can dance on stage at the end of the performance, and photos cost a little extra. 

Nearby you’ll find Tokyo’s most popular children’s store Kiddy Land for collectibles, popular toys, stationery and so much more – from Star Wars to Hello Kitty, Muffy and Little Twin Stars, you won’t walk out empty handed.

Sumo Wrestling

This was my biggest surprise of our trip – how incredible the sumo wrestling was. We were absolutely captivated, it really is an incredible sport and if you can see a match then make sure to go. We took this tour and watched a Grand Sumo Tournament and I can’t recommend it enough. It was really helpful organising tickets and getting us there, plus our guide was awesome and gave us so much information about each competitor, the moves and the traditions that form this amazing show. A must do, I promise you’ll be a fan for life!

Games Centres: Photo Booths and the Claw

You can find games centres and arcades all over the city but our favourites were in Ikebukuro, a family area known for its anime and manga cafes and stores. Try and win a prize by moving a claw around and clutching toys from inside a class cage – it seems impossible but Emmie won two hedgehogs and a chipmunk…I don’t know how she does it. Be careful, these games are addictive and so much fun to play together.

There are so many video games to play in these centres, but our favourites were the drumming and dancing games. Just follow the instructions on screen to drum to your fave songs or learn some new dance moves. Lots of fun and exercise too!

 

Photo time at Purikura

Our absolute favourites though are the purikura machines – Japanese photo booths where you pose for photos and can then decorate them with drawing, pictures and images including love hearts, stars and cat whiskers. Some centres have costumes you can hire for your photos, as well as make-up areas with hair curlers and straighteners. Once you’re ready for your photos step inside the photo booth and follow the instructions – your finished product will be a vastly unrealistic yet highly improved version of yourself!

Way up high at Tokyo Tower

If you’re happy to pay for views of Tokyo’s skyline then we recommend the amazing Tokyo Tower. We absolutely loved our time here and not just for the beautiful outlook – it really is a fabulous experience and has its own trademark greeting –Weio!  The deck areas are well sized and not crowded so you can find space in front of the windows and take your time gazing out over the city. The hosts are lovely, there’s an excellent audio-visual guide and a video introduction on the history of the tower told by its owner Hisakichi Maeda and designer Tachū Naitō.  Em absolutely loved this adventure and so did I.

There are two observation decks – we went right to the Top Deck (and were given refreshments along the way) which is dazzling, and much like the Eiffel Tower the lift travels along the outside of the structure. Once we were at the top we used the city map on our guide to spot landmarks across the skyline, Em tried to communicate with a robot and we took awesome pics out over the city.

TIP: Time your visit for just before sunset for views in the day light, as the sun sets and night time. Adults cost 2,800 yen and children 1,800. Kids four years and under are 1,200 yen.

Super outdoor fun at Heiwanomori Park

If you can imagine the best park ever for your kids then this park atHeiwanomori would fit the bill. Nestled within the leafy grounds is a community athletic field, with more than 30 pieces of climbing, balancing and play equipment, two ziplines, a pond and tubs to paddle on. At only 100 yen for kids and 360 yen for adults its a super cheap and amazing day out.

On our way out of the park we stopped in unexpectedly at a little community craft centre within the grounds where we made craft with dried flowers, nuts and seeds collected from the park grounds. It was so lovely. Each activity also cost 100 yen, and the elderly people helping us were just so sweet and kind. I reckon you could spend an entire day at this park. Just take the train to Omori station and follow the directions in google maps – it’s about a 15-minute walk to this amazing outdoor fun.

Happiness at Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo is home to two Disneyland theme parks – Disney Sea and Tokyo Disneyland. Our favourite was Tokyo Disneyland – quite possibly because it is just like the original Disneyland in Anaheim but with rides just a little more modern, shinier and fancier. The parade here is one of the best we’ve seen – full of happiness, energy and joy and if you use a crowd checker (we like this one) you can plan your trip for quiet days. Buy your tickets online,  at 7-11 stores (one day tickets only) or at the park gates. If you’re staying for more than one day we recommend overnighting at one of the Disneyland hotels, however the parks are so close to Tokyo you can easily take the train there and back from your hotel. Have a magical day!

Pay your respects at Meiji Shrine

A short walk from Harajuku is the ancient, serene and beautiful Meiji Shrine, dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. It’s a replica of the original shrine completed in 1920 but destroyed during the Tokyo air raids of World War II but nonetheless is beautiful  and the atmosphere here is peaceful.If you’ve just been scoffing rainbow food and dancing to the Grease soundtrack with the rockabillies then it’s a good option to balance out your day! The short walk to the shrine is through protected evergreen forest and is calm and peaceful –  tourists talk in hushed tones and everyone is respectful.

Wander through the torii gate, apparently the biggest in Japan, and wash your hands in traditional pools before entering the complex. Explore the temples and write your wishes onto a wooden block and hang it onto a wishing tree. is is fun for kids and costs $5

Yoyogi Park

You’ll walk through or right near Yoyogi Park to get to Meiji Shrine and if you’re there on a Sunday you may be lucky enough to see the rockabilly dancers, all dressed up in their 60s gear dancing to their favourite songs.

 

We also saw an impromtu performance by local band called We Are Prank Room. It was a lot of fun and such a contrast to the ritual and ancient beauty of Meiji Shine.

Shibuya Crossing

Shibuya Crossing is a short walk from Harajuki and is another must-see on the list. It;s said to be the businest intersection in the world and is a famous Tokyo landmark –  for watching people cross and weave their way through the crowds and of course for taking photos. Take your chance crossing te street nad manoeuvere your way through the crowds before returning to where you started.

We found a great view of the crossing from Starbucks,  upstairs in the Q-front Building (take the escalators inside the bookstore). It was a little crowded but we were patienct and nabbed two seat right at the window.

You’ll love watching tourists and locals converging – tourists posing for photos in the middle of the crossing while locals are just trying to go about their business and get home from work. Friday and Saturdays at peak hour are the busiest and so are the most entertaining. Gran a coffee and watch it all unfold below.

 

If you’re an early riser make sure to check out these 13 cool things to see in Tokyo in the morning…there’s so much to see before the city wakes up, and read Vanessa from Wanderlust Crew’s guide to What to do in Tokyo  And, as always make sure to get your monthly VPN – or longer –  before you go to keep your data safe and help you get around any blocks.

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