Tokyo Station for First Time Visitors: Easy Navigation, Food & Kid-Friendly Tips

Traveled in October 2025

Tokyo Station is one of the largest transportation hubs in Tokyo. Needless to stay, most first time visitors to Tokyo will pass through Tokyo Station at some point during their stay. But there is plenty to do in Tokyo Station besides catching the next train, especially for families! It’s a super convenient base for exploring the rest of Tokyo. While it can seem daunting to navigate such a big station, this guide breaks down how to navigate the maze and take full advantage of this one-stop-shop. Read on to find out how to tackle Tokyo Station like a pro!

Why Visit Tokyo Station

Most people think of Tokyo Station as just a transportation hub. But Tokyo Station is actually also a super convenient base for families and first time visitors to Tokyo! It has everything travelers need, from food for picky eaters to shopping and entertainment. Besides that, it also has convenience stores, a supermarket, endless options of casual restaurants with table seating for families, and a whole corridor of stores dedicated to toys and cute Japanese characters. Most visitors transit through Tokyo Station at some point during their visit to Tokyo, but it can definitely be a destination in itself!

How to Navigate Tokyo Station for First Time Visitors

Tokyo Station is HUGE. When I was initially researching it, navigating Tokyo Station felt very overwhelming and confusing because the maps made it look like such a maze. However, once we were there, I realized that there are ways to simplify it once you orient yourself.

Tokyo station itself is basically separated into two sides, the Yaesu side and the Marunouchi side. The Yaesu side is the east side of the building while the Marunouchi side is the west side of the building. If you want to walk between the two sides of the station, there is a corridor on the north side of the station that connects the Yaesu side to the Marunouchi side.

The first step is figuring out which side of the station your destination is. Then figure out which floor of the station your destination is (first floor or basement). We realized that once we were on the correct side of the station and on the correct floor, then we could usually find and follow overhead signs that pointed us where we wanted to go.

Another confusing aspect of navigating Tokyo Station is that some businesses are outside the ticket gates, while others are inside the ticket gates. Unfortunately, you can only access the businesses inside the ticket gates if you have a ticket or use your Suica card. I learned the hard way that the address of the business doesn’t always tell you if it’s inside or outside the ticket gates. So it’s best to just Google whether not the business is inside or outside the ticket gate to avoid disappointment.

Yaesu Side Highlights:

• Tokyo Character Street (1F and B1 floor): corridor with many of Japanese character and toy shops.
• Ramen Street (B1 floor): corridor with a collection of some of the most popular ramen in Japan.
• Tokyo Okashi Land (B1 floor): stores selling Japanese snacks like flavored kit-kats and limited edition Calbee snacks.
• Daimaru department store: Japanese department store. Tokyu Hands is on the 8th floor.
• Tokyo Gift Palette (1F): a collection of stands selling popular food souvenirs, like Tokyo Banana (like a twinkie with banana cream filling).
• Supermarket (1F)
• Expressway bus terminal (1F, outside the Yaesu South exit): Buses that take you to Kawaguchiko and other neighboring cities not easily reachable by train.
• Gransta Yaekita food court (1F): a corridor filled with casual restaurants featuring all types of cuisines.
• Shinkansen ticket gates (1F)

Marunouchi Side Highlights:

• JR East Travel Service Center (1F): for purchasing Suica Welcome card, exchanging JR Rail Pass, and buying train tickets from agents.
• Gransta Tokyo (1F and B1 floor, inside ticket gates): area with many casual restaurants and shops.
• Regular JR trains ticket gates (1F)
• Tokyo Metro Marunouchi line station (B1 floor)
• Tokyo Station Marunouchi Building (the iconic red brick building) (outside Tokyo Station)

Types of Trains at Tokyo Station:

There are 3 different types of trains that run through Tokyo Station.

• Shinkansen
• Regular JR trains
• Tokyo Metro

Each has a different ticket gate. If you are transferring between the shinkansen and the regular JR trains, you will have to exit the shinkansen ticketed area, and walk through the station a ways to enter the JR train ticket gates. Don’t underestimate how long it takes to walk through the station!

The shinkansen requires shinkansen tickets (buy online through SmartEx or Klook, or at the ticket machines outside the gates). For regular JR trains and the Tokyo Metro, you can tap in with a Suica card or buy paper tickets from the machines outside the gates.

Kid-Friendly Attractions Inside Tokyo Station

Tokyo Character Street

• Location: 1F and B1 floor on the Yaesu side, near the Yaesu North Gate.
• Hours: 10am – 8:30pm

The Tokyo Character Street is a collection of stores featuring Japanese anime characters and toys. Not only is it fun to browse, it’s also a great place to pick up a toy souvenir to keep your kids occupied during down time in the hotel. The Plarail and Tomica store has a small train diorama that kids are always crowded around. And you can build your own custom Tomica car in the store!

Some popular stores at Tokyo Character Street include:

• Plarail and Tomica store: can create a custom Tomica car! (B1 floor)
• Pokemon store (1F)
• Lego store (B1 floor)
• Star Wars store (B1 floor)
• Studio Ghibli store (B1 floor)

Gachapon Machines

• Location: Yaesu north exit Gransta Yaekita area, near the Nihombashi exit on 1F

There is a store full of gachapon machines in Tokyo Station. These toy and trinket vending machines can be super fun! Or super frustrating for kids that are set on getting certain toys. Beware how much money you could be sucked into spending here!

Tax Refunds at Tokyo Station

If you’re planning on spending more than 5000 yen in one store in Tokyo Station, make sure to save your receipts and bring your passport so that you can get your tax refund! Some stores process the tax refund directly in the store, while others will require you to go to the tax-free counter to process the refund. Keep in mind that you have to go to the tax-free counter on the same day that you make the purchase, and the counter is open from 10am-9pm.

• Stores where tax refunds are available have a tax-free logo. Or you can check the list of stores in Tokyo Station here.
• The tax free counter in Tokyo Station is located in the Yaesu side North gate on the first floor, near the Pokemon Store.
• The tax refund is processed as a refund to your credit card. There are no cash refunds. Also, the refund may be subject to foreign exchange fees. Because of this, I always recommend using a credit card with no foreign exchange fees! We use the Chase Sapphire cards, American Express Gold, and Capital One Venture X (use my contact form if you would like a referral with extra bonus points!).
• No returns are allowed after applying for the tax refund.

Where to Eat in Tokyo Station With Kids & Picky Eaters

Rokurinsha

Rokurinsha is known for it’s dipping ramen, but they also do have regular ramen. It’s one of the more popular places in Tokyo Station Ramen Street, so there always is a line outside. We waited about 30 minutes at around 5pm on a weeknight.

Ordering is through a vending machine at the restaurant entrance. There is an English menu, so ordering is easy. They did not have a kids’ menu. But they were ok with us sharing our bowl of ramen with our kid. I was surprised that they had kids bowls and utensils. There are a few small tables but mostly counter seating. We were seated on the tall stools at the counter. Luckily, our kid was able to sit on his own on the high counter stools. But it may be tricky for younger kids to balance.

Mugi to Tamago

Pasta in Japan?? Trust me, it works. This restaurant uses ingredients from Hokkaido to make the pasta because Hokkaido is at the same latitude as the Italian cities that supply ingredients for pasta in Italy. The fresh pasta is perfectly al dente, and perfect for kids who are missing Western flavors while in Japan. While you can get traditional Italian pastas like spaghetti with meat sauce, they also have uniquely Japanese fusion pastas like shrimp and corn with butter soy sauce. Sounds weird, but trust me, the flavors really work!

Ordering is through a tablet with an English menu. They did not have kids’ settings or a kids’ menu. But they were ok with us sharing our pastas with our kid. There is plenty of table and booth seating. There was no line when we visited around 8pm on a weeknight. However, we did notice a line outside when we walked by on other nights. Fortunately, it’s a fairly big restaurant so the line moves quickly. The vibe is very casual.

Rokumei

My husband needs to start the day with coffee. Because of jetlag, we were up early and Rokumei is one of the few places that is open before 8am (besides the pricey hotel breakfast buffet, which we opted to skip). Most people associate Japan with tea, but they also have a pretty strong coffee game. My husband enjoyed the coffee and the breakfast croissant was a tasty and filling start to the morning.

The menu has English translations so it was easy to order. They have a couple seats in the cafe. But we opted to take our food to go back to our hotel room.

The Front Room Deli Restaurant

We were looking for some hot breakfast that was open before 10am when we found The Front Room. The fluffy french toast fit the bill and was a hit with our kiddo! Their specialty is sweet french toast with fruit and savory french toast with egg and sausage. But they also have a large selection of sweet and savory pastries.

There is an English menu. Breakfast is order at the counter, then open seating in the lobby area. We visited shortly after opening on a weekday and there was only two parties ahead of us in line. However, reviews mention that this place is busy on the weekends with long lines.

Truffle Mini

This little bakery stand was our go to bakery for buying breakfast pastries in Tokyo. The smell of truffle just draws you in like bees to honey as soon as you walk into the area. The melon bread was our kid’s absolute favorite. Even now that we’re back home, he’s STILL talking about the melon bread from Tokyo Station. Although the white truffle salt bread is the best seller, I really liked the seaweed bread too. My husband liked the sweet pastry options.

All the descriptions for the pastries have an English description. So it’s easy to point and order. The popular pastries and breads sell out by evening, so we would usually stop by in the morning since it was close to our hotel.

Fruit Parlor Kajitsuen

I had not initially planned to visit any fruit parlors. However, we passed by this fruit parlor every day on our way to and from our hotel and we were intrigued! Because there was often a long line of locals, we figured it was good. Luckily, we happened to walk by when there was no line on our last day in Tokyo, so we stopped in for dessert. The fruit parfaits are piled high with seasonal fruits and ice cream. Unsurprisingly, this was a favorite for our kiddo. Fruit, whipped cream, and ice cream? What’s not to love for a kid!

They have an English menu. They did have kids’ utensils. The restaurant has plenty of table seating. There is a limit to how long you can occupy your table, especially during busy hours.

Other kid-friendly restaurants in/near Tokyo Station I bookmarked but did not try:

• The City Bakery: breakfast cafe with coffee, pastries, and some hot breakfast options. Located on the B1 floor of Marunouchi Oazo building, directly connected to the Marunouchi North Exit of Tokyo Station.
• Kamatake Udon: Osaka-style udon (one of Tabelog’s top 100 restaurants and its main branch has a Michelin star). Located in Tokyo Station Yaesu North Exit Gransta Yaekita food court on the first floor. Had a long line almost every time we walked by.
• Nagomi Guransuta Marunouchi Ten: sushi restaurant with a children’s menu. They also have Japanese breakfast in the mornings. There is a standing area and a seated area. Located in Tokyo Station Marunouchi North exit.
• Nihonbashi Ichinoichinoichi: Izakaya with plenty of seating. Open for dinner only on weekdays and lunch and dinner on weekends. Closed on Sundays. Reservations available on Tabelog. About a 10 minute walk from Tokyo Station.
• Koko Head Cafe: Hawaiian brunch from Honolulu. Located on the 7th floor of the Shin-Marunouchi Building in front of Tokyo Station. Reservations available on Tabelog.
• Aroma Kissaten: Japanese old school style breakfast cafe with coffee and thick toasts. Very affordable breakfast sets. Located on the B1 floor of the Yaesu Underground Shopping Street connected to Tokyo Station.
• Sarabeth’s: Western breakfast, if you’re missing pancakes and eggs. Located across the street from the Yaesu North Exit of Tokyo Station. Doesn’t open until 9am. Reservations available on Tabelog.
• Burdigala Tokyo: popular bakery with breads, pastries, and coffee (one of Tabelog’s top 100 bakeries). Located in the B1 floor in Gransta Tokyo on the Marunouchi side, inside the ticket gates.

Supermarket

This small market inside Tokyo Station has a small selection of the essentials. Think in-season fruit, milk, bread, snacks, noodles, some prepared food. It won’t have everything you need to cook a meal, but it’s a step up from convenience store offerings.

Kid-Friendly Activities Near Tokyo Station

Imperial Palace Gardens

The Imperial Palace itself is not open to the public except on limited days. However, the extensive east gardens are free and open to the public. It’s a great open space for kids to run around and play.

Playgrounds

• Hibiya Park: next to the Imperial Palace and close to Ginza. The children’s play structure is small, with just a couple slides, zipline, and swings. The children’s play structure is open 9am-4:30pm. But the park also has a koi pond and fountains, and many festivals are held here throughout the year.
• Hanzomon Kids Pond at the end of Chidorigafuchi Park: a long narrow park along the moat on the opposite side of the Imperial Palace from Tokyo Station. Most popular for cherry blossom viewing. There is a small children’s play structure here. Open Mon-Fri 8am-8:30pm, Sat-Sun 9am-8pm.

Where to Stay Near Tokyo Station with Kids

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Marunouchi ($$)

The Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Marunouchi is actually connected to Tokyo Station, so it can’t be any more convenient for transportation. If you are a train enthusiast (or have kids that are), then you will love the train view rooms overlooking the train station tracks. This was the main draw for us in booking this hotel – easy entertainment for our train-loving kid! He loved opening the blinds in the morning and seeing the local trains and shinkansens running below, like a giant train diorama. And for everyone else, there are stunning views of Tokyo from the upper stories. The rooms are small by American standards but actually felt pretty large compared to other hotels we have stayed in in Japan. If children are sharing a bed with parents, then they can stay free in certain rooms. Breakfast is also free for kids up to the age of 3.

In addition, the hotel has a variety of kid-friendly amenities that you can request free of charge. However, you do need to contact the hotel in advance to request these items.

• Baby bassinet
• Bed rail
• Pajamas and kids amenity set (slippers, toothbrush, washcloth)
• Step stool

Mimaru Tokyo Station East ($$$)

If you don’t mind a 15-minute walk from Tokyo Station, Mimaru Tokyo Station East is the best family-friendly choice. The one- and two-bedroom suites come with kitchenettes, giving you way more space than the typical compact Japanese hotel room. The Mimaru brand has really changed the game for families traveling to Japan. Especially for those families from the US who are used to a little more space.

Honestly, if it were a bit closer to the station, this would be my top pick for its family-friendly amenities. But after staying a 15 minute walk away from a train station in our previous trip to Japan, I know that trek can feel endless after a long day, especially with a little one. If space and amenities matter more than walking distance, or you plan to take taxis, then Mimaru hotels are the best choice for families.

Up to two children under the age of 6 are free when sharing a bed with a parent. Some Mimaru locations have kid-friendly amenities such as kids slippers, baby bassinets, and high chairs. However, you do need to contact the hotel to request these items after booking.

For an extra fun stay, check out Mimaru Tokyo Hatchobori (just five minutes away) where you can book Pokemon-themed rooms.

Karaksa Hotel Tokyo Station ($$)

The Karaksa Hotel Tokyo Station is just a 5 minute walk from Tokyo Station. This hotel is great for families because of the larger room types available. They have Japanese style rooms that can house families for 4 or 6, quadruple rooms with Western beds, and connecting rooms for families of 4 or 6. The rooms are fairly basic and not particularly luxurious. But for family-style accommodations in such a central location near Tokyo Station, the price is pretty reasonable.

Children 6 and under are free if they share a bed with a parent, with a maximum of 2 children per room. The Karaksa hotels have a bunch of kid-friendly amenities that can be borrowed free of charge, which are especially helpful for those traveling with younger kids. However, I would recommend contacting the hotel to request them after booking as supplies can be limited.

Karaksa Hotel Colors Tokyo Yaesu ($$)

Another good choice for families nearby from the same brand is the Karaksa Hotel Colors Tokyo Yaesu. This hotel has an underground connection to Tokyo Station so it’s very convenient for transportation. And it also has triple, quadruple, and connecting rooms, which is great for families. Another family-friendly perk is that the lounge has a little kids space with some toys and books for kids, with snacks and drinks for the adults while kids play. If you don’t want to play in the lounge, there are some games that kids can borrow for the room. And the rooms have kid-friendly amenities by request, like kids toiletries, pajamas, and bed rails. Some rooms even have a washer/dryer, which is super convenient for families! Children under 6 stay free if they are sharing a bed with parents, with a maximum of 2 children per room.

Oakwood Premier Tokyo ($$$$)

For a splurge (or if traveling with a larger family), look for an apartment at the Oakwood Premier Tokyo. These serviced apartments are a 2 minute walk from Tokyo Station. We actually walked by these apartments often during our stay. They have the privacy and amenities of an apartment, but with the services of a hotel. The apartments have a kitchen and washer dryer. The suite style rooms are great for families who need more space. It’s one of the few larger hotel room options that is just a couple minutes walk from Tokyo station.

Hotel Ryumeikan Tokyo Station ($)

The Hotel Ryumeikan Tokyo Station is about a 3 minute walk to Tokyo Station. It is a moderately priced option for this expensive area. The restaurant at the top of the hotel has sweeping views of Tokyo. Some rooms include a small sitting area, making them feel a bit more spacious than typical Asian hotel rooms. These are best for smaller families with one young child who can bedshare, especially if you’re looking for a budget-friendly option in this area.

Children under 5 are free if they share a bed with parents. The hotel also has some kid-friendly amenities on request, like slippers, toothbrush, and pajamas.

If those stays are all booked up, check out these other highly rated accommodations near Tokyo Station!

Helpful Services for First Time Visitors to Tokyo Station

Luggage Storage

There are coin-operated luggage lockers and luggage storage services all over Tokyo Station. Since the station can get quite crowded, it’s much easier to explore without lugging your baggage with you.

• The ecbo cloak website (and app) can show you the locations of nearby luggage storage locations or coin-operated lockers.

Baby Care Rooms

First Avenue Tokyo Station (the area that contains Tokyo Character Street) has a baby care room on the B1 floor.

Tips for Families

Managing Crowds with Kids

Since it is a huge transportation hub, Tokyo Station can get VERY crowded during rush hour. Rush hour typically runs from 7:30am-9:30am in the mornings, with the worst crowds at 8am. In the evenings, rush hour runs from 5pm-7:30m, peaking between 6-7pm. Needless to say, it’s ideal to try to avoid these times when walking around with kids, especially if using a stroller.

Strollers

Speaking of strollers, Tokyo Station is generally pretty stroller friendly. Since all the hallways are pretty wide, it’s easy to navigate with a stroller when it’s not too crowded. The stores and restaurants can be quite small, so you may have to leave the stroller outside. But Japan is generally very safe and there is little risk of it getting stolen. Also, there are elevators to travel from floor to floor. Luckily, you don’t have to walk too far out of your way to find these elevators. Overall, we felt it was worth it to pack the stroller to Japan. But read our Japan family packing guide for the full pros and cons.