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Tokyo, Japan is a city I’ve always wanted to visit, and it’s probably a city you want to visit, but if you have kids you may wonder if they’ll enjoy a trip to Tokyo, Japan. In short, the answer is yes. There are so many awesome, unique & fun things for kids to do in Japan and I’m sure you’ll find some of these twelve I have listed that your kid will not only like but love:
- Disneyland/Disneysea: If you’ve been to Disney World or Disneyland here in the states or Disneyland Paris then you may think this is just a repeat, but the truth is there are a ton of rides & attractions completely unique to the Tokyo Disneyland Resort, including the theme park DisneySea, which is not found in America. It is a theme park with fun rides for all ages and it is absolutely beautiful – you’ll love the different sections of DisneySea, like the Mediterranean Harbor & the Arabian Coast – it’s almost like getting to visit more places than just Tokyo! You can get discount tickets to Tokyo Disneyland & Disneysea through Klook and you can get a private transfer from your hotel in Tokyo as well as Disneyland & Disneysea tickets here.
- JOYPOLIS: Here you don’t even have to worry about the weather, because JOYPOLIS is Tokyo’s largest indoor amusement park! It features arcade games & amusement park rides and it’s operated by Sega, which means you’ll see characters from Sega games (like Sonic the Hedgehog) and you’ll see the technology constantly being updated. You can enjoy some great rides like Wild Jungle Brothers (which is a jungle-themed Jeep simulator), Storm-G (which is a bob-sleigh simulator that rotates 360 degrees), The Room of the Living Doll (which is a haunted house attraction that utilizes VR technology), Halfpipe (which is a snowboarding ride set to music), Pirate’s Plunder (which is a shooting attraction where you help pirates and shoot skeletons) that older children should enjoy, and then for the younger ones, there’s Sonic Carnival, a section featuring carnival games themed to Sonic & his friends. You can buy your admission here.
- Railway Museum: If your kids like trains, even a little, then I’m sure they’d enjoy one of the biggest modern railway museums in the world! It’s located right outside of Tokyo in Saitama, and you’ll be able to see an amazing collection of conventional trains from decades past, a collection of bullet trains from then & now, express trains, etc., and many of these trains can be touched and even boarded. If you or your kid is tech savvy there are in depth technology displays, but if your kid just loves trains, there are fun model train setups, simulators & more. You can purchase a low-priced ticket through Viator.
- Owl Café: You may have heard of a cat café, but have you ever learned of an owl café? You can book an hour at a specialized owl café, where you can see barn owls, eagle-owls & more. This unique experience can be very interesting, calm…and make for a very interesting photo opp! Admission is on an hourly basis, and you can buy your admission here.
- Robot Restaurant Café Show: So what’s not to like about a show with dancing robot monsters & bright lights with traditional Japanese “Taiko” drums & techno music? You can book an afternoon show for you & your kids here.
- Edo Wonderland Tour: This is a great cultural theme park where you can be transported back in time to the Edo period, which lasted from around 1603 to 1867. You will get to admire the architecture, interact with staff members dressed in period attire & whose behavior & speech mimic the period, and experience what life would have been life if you had been a policemen, ninja, samurai swordsman, etc. The park has theatrical shows, parades, seasonal festivals and street performances that are not only fun but also help you understand the period. And if you purchase your admission through Expedia you can also get roundtrip transportation from a convenient public transit.
- J-WORLD TOKYO: This is an indoor theme park (which you’ll appreciate in certain types of weather) where you can enjoy the world of DRAGON BALL, ONE PIECE, NARUTO and more. Not only do they have fun attractions but you can also eat foods & desserts with a JUMP character motif. Definite fun for a kid, and you can purchase admission here.
- Fuji-Q Bus Tour: Another great theme park that’s not in Tokyo, but it’s not far away and if you purchase the Self-Guided Fuji-Q Bus Tour, you can get transportation to the theme park. And you will be glad you went, because even if you yourself don’t care for amusement park rides, you can enjoy the beauty of Mount Fuji, as the theme park lies at the foot of Mount Fuji. And your kids will enjoy award-wining roller coasters and a Haunted Hospital, the 2nd largest haunted attraction in the world. And if you have young kids, they’ll enjoy Thomas Land, a children’s area with a Thomas the Tank Engine theme.
- Full-Day Mt. Fuji Bus Tour with 4-D Flight Experience: Another fun way (and kid-friendly) way to see Mt. Fuji is this full day tour. You’ll take a guided bus tour from Tokyo around Fuji with audio commentary available in English. You’ll get to visit Oshino Shinobi no Sato to watch the acrobatic feats of ninjas. You will end your day on a 4-D flight simulator to feel like you’re soaring over Mount Fuji as you watch projections on a massive video screen. The ninjas and fun 4-D experience can liven up a day of sightseeing for your child.
- Mt Fuji Area Tour with Lake Cruise, Odawara-jo Castle Park & Lunch: Want to make an amazing cruise around Ashinoko Lake with views of Mount Fuji even more kid friendly? How about do it on a pirate ship? This great tour will take you from Tokyo in a comfortable & spacious coach where you’ll get to see the stunning architecture of a 15th-century castle at Odawara-jo, check out artifacts dating back hundreds of years & explore fascinating exhibits. You’ll then get to eat a delicious seafood restaurant. And if you are worried your kid will be bored, then their spirits may pick up once they get to Ashinoko Lake where you get to board a replica of a real pirate ship!
- TOKYO SKYTREE® & Sumida Aquarium: I’ve often found one of the best family experiences to be visiting aquariums, because people young & old can enjoy & admire the beauty of sealife. The Sumida Aquarium has some great exhibits, and this specific purchase also gets you admission to TOKYO SKYTREE, which has an observation deck which allows you to see across Tokyo & beyond, to Tokyo Bay & Mount Fuji’s immense peak.
- Universal Studios Overnight Experience: Universal Studios is not located in Tokyo, but you can enjoy a fun family excursion at Universal Studios Japan with the Universal Studios Japan Overnight Experience from Tokyo. You’ll be transported from Tokyo to Osaka via Japan’s famous high-speed bullet train, which will minimize the time you spend travelling. You’ll be able to spend a day at the parks, which has fun things to do for kids of all ages. There are enough attractions there that, no matter what your kid’s age is, you’ll be able to find something fun, from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Hello Kitty Fashion Avenue, Sesame Street Fun World, Snoopy Studios and amazing rides based on classic movies (Jurassic Park, Back to the Future, Shrek, Spider-Man, JAWS, etc.). At the end of the day, you can head back to your hotel, rest, and then (if you are rested enough!) you can see Osaka at night; then, the next day, you can return to Tokyo! A great activity for your last day before you leave Tokyo that I’m sure your kids (and probably you) would really enjoy. You can purchase this through Viator.
