Easy Things to Do in Tokyo with Young Kids for First-Time Visitors

Traveled in October 2025

If you’re visiting Japan for the first time, then chances are you’ll be spending some time in Tokyo. I’ve visited Tokyo many times pre-kids to explore Tokyo’s iconic landmarks and pop-culture highlights. But for our first trip to Japan with our toddler, I knew I needed to find more things to do in Tokyo specifically for kids to keep him entertained. Luckily, the city has plenty of kid-friendly museums, parks, and play spaces where toddlers and preschoolers can play and recharge between sightseeing. Best of all, these attractions are easy to reach from Tokyo Station with minimal train transfers – one reason it’s our top pick for where to stay in Tokyo with kids. Save this list for your next Japan trip to enjoy Tokyo with your young kids without feeling overwhelmed!

Tokyo Station Character Street

• Age Range: all ages!
• Cost: free to browse, but how much you spend will depend on how much you buy.
• Location: Tokyo Station
• How to Get There: Tokyo Station Character Street is on the B1 (basement) level of First Avenue Tokyo Station, on the Yaesu side of the station. Look for signs to the Yaesu North Exit, then look for signs to First Avenue and walk downstairs. There are some markings on the floor that you can follow to Character Street.
• Hours: 10am – 8:30pm

Tokyo Station is not just a transportation hub, it is also a shopping paradise. One of the best things to do in Tokyo Station with kids is browse the Tokyo Station Character Street. This is a cluster of stores selling all kinds of character goods and toys that are unique to Japan. It’s fun to browse, but you may also need to set expectations about how much you’ll actually buy.

Examples of stores are the Pokemon store, Lego store, Studio Ghibli store, and Plarail and Tomica store, just to name a few. My train-loving kid was fascinated by the Plarail and Tomica store, especially the train diorama, which kept him entertained for a while. One tip we love for traveling with kids: get them a small toy as a souvenir on the trip. We picked up a tiny Tomica train here on our first day in Tokyo, which kept him happily occupied during hotel down time throughout the trip so mom could have a break at the end of a long sightseeing day.

The Tokyo Station area is our top pick for the most convenient and easy place to stay in Tokyo for families. Check out our recommended family-friendly hotels here!

Tokyo Science Museum

• Age Range: best for 3-12 years old
• Cost: 950 yen for adults, cheaper for school age children. Kids 3 and under are free.
• Location: in Kitanomaru Park, next to the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station
• How to Get There: from Tokyo Station, take the Tozai subway line to Takebashi Station (stop T08) and take exit 1a.
• Hours: 9:30am – 4:50pm, closed some Wednesdays

The Tokyo Science Museum is a hands-on, interactive museum about science and technology, with plenty of buttons to press and levers to pull for kids. Exhibits cover topics like energy, physics, and robotics, with plenty of opportunities for toddlers and preschoolers to experiment and explore. Kids can pedal a bike to generate electricity, launch small air-powered rockets, control robots, and build simple machines to see how gears and pulleys work. Some of the exhibits are a little advanced if you really want to understand how it works and so are best for older kids. But if your toddler or preschooler just likes to press buttons and touch stuff (as they do), then there is still plenty to keep them occupied!

Hakuhinkan Toy Park

• Age Range: all ages!
• Cost: free to browse, but how much you spend depends on how much you buy.
• Location: Ginza
• How to Get There: from Tokyo Station, take the Yamanote Line (JY) or Tokaido Line (JT) to Shimbashi Station (stop JT02) and exit via the Ginza exit.
• Hours: 11am – 8pm

The Hakuhinkan Toy Park is not your typical toy store. There are multiple levels of different types of toys, and the best part is that they have samples of many toys that kids can actually play with. The highlight is the slot car racing circuit on the 4th floor, where kids (and adults) can pay a small fee to play race cars on this circuit. For train-loving kids, the 3rd floor has play areas with train sets. This is one of the best free things to do in Tokyo with kids, especially if you want to get some shopping done in Ginza!

Tokyo Police Museum

**TEMPORARILY CLOSED as of 9/15/25, relocating in 2026**

• Age Range: all ages!
• Cost: FREE!!
• Location: was in Ginza, closed as of 9/15/25 as it is moving to a new location in 2026.
• How to Get There: 10 minute walk from Tokyo Station Yaesu south gate, or 6 minute walk from exit A13 of Ginza Station
• Hours: Tues-Sun 9:30am – 4pm, closed Mondays and New Year’s Holidays (12/29-1/4)

The Tokyo Police Museum is an interactive museum that explores the history of policing in Japan. Right at the entrance, kids can dress up as police officers for an adorable photo-op. The museum has six floors, with the first three being the most engaging and interactive for kids.

On the first floor, children can climb into a real police car, helicopter, and motorbike. The second floor features interactive screens, a city diorama, and a cycling simulator that teaches crime prevention. The third floor focuses on forensics with hands-on exhibits. The upper floors (four through six) are mostly display exhibits.

Tokyo Fire Museum

• Age Range: all ages!
• Cost: FREE!!
• Location: Shinjuku
• How to Get There: from Tokyo Station, take the Marunouchi (red) subway line to Yotsuya-sanchome station (stop M11). Take exit 2 at Yotsuya-sanchome station, which is directly connected to the museum’s basement floor.
• Hours: Tues-Sun 9:30am – 5pm, closed Mondays and New Year’s Holidays (12/29-1/3)

If your little kid loves fire trucks (because of course they do), then they’ll have a great time at the Tokyo Fire Museum! This free museum has a collection of antique fire trucks and fire equipment for kids to admire, and a floor of interactive fireman-related activities and exhibits.

There are 5 floors to explore in this museum. The basement floor is where all of the shiny red historical fire trucks are parked. The museum entrance is on the first floor, and this is where we checked in with a volunteer to get a visitor’s badge. There is a fire helicopter on display on the first floor. Floors 4 and 5 are exhibits of historical fire-fighting technology in Japan. Since it’s mostly pictures and dioramas, we breezed through these floors pretty quickly.

The 3rd floor is the highlight of this museum for kids. This floor is where all the interactive exhibits are. There is a cartoon movie with a moving diorama about fire fighters in action, a firefighter helicopter simulator, an interactive fire truck simulator game where you drive a fire truck to a fire and then put out a fire, and an arts and crafts area where you can color a fire truck and see it driving on screen. There are also fireman dress up stations, and videos about firefighting to watch. Not surprisingly, we spent the majority of our time on this floor. Since we visited on a weekday morning, there weren’t too many other kids and we did not have to wait for any of the simulators. This museum was one of the best free things to do in Tokyo with kids!

Bookmark our list of delicious and kid-friendly restaurants in Tokyo near these museums to avoid a hangry kid!

Tokyo Toy Museum

• Age Range: 0 – 8 years old
• Cost: Adults 1100 yen online/1300 yen on site, child (6 mo-elementary school) 800 yen online/1000 yen on site
  • Buy tickets online here. I bought our tickets online the same day before we walked into the museum!
• Location: Shinjuku
• How to Get There: from Tokyo Station, take the Marunouchi (red) subway line to Yotsuya-sanchome station (stop M11). Take exit 2 at Yotsuya-sanchome station. The Tokyo Toy Museum is a 6 minute walk from the Tokyo Fire Museum so it’s convenient to combine the two museums in one day.
• Hours: 10am – 4pm (last admission 3:30pm), closed Thursdays

The Tokyo Toy Museum is a hands-on museum housed inside a former elementary school. There are exhibits and play areas here for all ages, from infants to elementary school aged kids. Because it is a museum of historical toys, most of the toys are wood-based, so it has a very Montessori feel. If you’re looking for fun things to do in Tokyo with kids, the Tokyo Toy Museum is a great stop for families.

The museum has three floors of play and discovery. The entrance on the second floor opens to the Good Toy Gallery, filled with popular wooden toys kids can play with, a Special Exhibition Room showcasing rare toys, and the Wood Toy Forest, an indoor play area with slides and a wooden ball pit that my kid loved. Downstairs, the first floor is designed for infants, featuring a Wooden Baby Room with toys for ages 0–2, a nursing room, and a cozy play space. The third floor caters to older children, with a Toy Factory for hands-on workshops and rooms full of traditional Japanese toys, instruments, and science games. We spent most of our time on the second floor since the third-floor activities were a bit advanced for our 3-year-old, but older kids were having a blast playing the games together there.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

• Age Range: all ages!
• Cost: 500 yen
• Location: Shinjuku
• How to Get There: from Tokyo Station, take the Marunouchi (red) subway line to Shinjuku-gyoemmae station (stop M10). Take exit 1 at the station. The Tokyo Toy Museum is a 10 minute walk from the Okido Gate of the Garden.
• Hours: 9am – 6pm (March 15 to June 30 and August 21 to September 30), 9am – 7pm (July 1 to August 20, 9am – 4:30pm (October 1 to March 14)

If you’re looking for a green escape from Tokyo’s concrete jungle, then the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is a peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. While there aren’t any play structures, the wide open lawns are perfect for kids to run and play. In spring, it’s also one of the best spots for cherry blossom viewing. It’s the perfect place for little ones to burn off energy, or even nap, while parents can relax. The garden opens earlier than most other attractions, which was perfect for us with jet lag. I much preferred letting our kid run free here than trying to keep him entertained and quiet in the hotel room!

Tokyo Disneyland

• Age Range: all ages!
• Cost: Dynamic pricing based on expected crowds ranging from 9400 yen – 10900 yen for adults. Kids 3 and under are free. Juniors (age 12-17) and child (age 4-11) are cheaper.
  • See my post on how to visit Tokyo Disney with kids for all of the details on buying tickets.
  • TL;DR: tickets on the official Tokyo Disney website go on sale at 2pm Japan time 2 months before. Buy tickets online as soon as possible, because they can sell out. Tickets are not sold at the gate. You must buy them ahead of time online!
    • Buy tickets online through Klook here if the official Tokyo Disney website does not accept your credit card. The official website often has trouble accepting foreign credit cards.
• Location: Tokyo Bay
• How to Get There: from Tokyo Station, take the Keiyo Line (JE) train to Maihama Station (stop JE07). It is a looooong walk to the JE line, but there are helpful markings on the floor of Tokyo Station that you can follow to the train platform. Follow signs for Tokyo Disney (or just follow the crowd) after exiting the train. Turn right after exiting the station to walk across the walkway to the entrance.
• Hours: generally 9am – 9pm, but check the official Tokyo Disney website for daily operating hours as the park can close early on some days. Make sure to check the operating hours before booking your tickets!

Let me preface this by saying we are not a hardcore Disney family. So our visit to Tokyo Disneyland was more lowkey since we didn’t need to go on every ride. Plus, some rides have height restrictions, so little kids can’t go on them all anyway. Still, Tokyo Disneyland is absolutely worth visiting because it’s Disney with a distinct Japanese flair! You’ll find rides, snacks, and souvenirs you won’t see at any other Disney park. Fun fact: it’s unique because it’s not actually owned by Disney. Visiting a Tokyo Disney park is one of the must-do things to do in Tokyo with kids. Especially because it’s so much more affordable than Disney parks in the US!

See my post about visiting Tokyo Disney with toddlers for all the details on which rides young kids can go on, strategies for minimizing waiting in lines, and can’t miss snacks!

Tokyo DisneySea

• Age Range: all ages!
• Cost: Dynamic pricing based on expected crowds ranging from 9400 yen – 10900 yen for adults. Kids 3 and under are free. Juniors (age 12-17) and child (age 4-11) are cheaper.
  • See my post on how to visit Tokyo Disney with kids for all of the details on buying tickets.
  • TL;DR: tickets on the official Tokyo Disney website go on sale at 2pm Japan time 2 months before. Buy tickets online as soon as possible, because they can sell out. Tickets are not sold at the gate. You must buy them ahead of time online!
    • Buy tickets online through Klook here if the official Tokyo Disney website does not accept your credit card. The official website often has trouble accepting foreign credit cards.
• Location: Tokyo Bay
• How to Get There: from Tokyo Station, take the Keiyo Line (JE) train to Maihama Station (stop JE07). It is a looooong walk to the JE line, but there are helpful markings on the floor of Tokyo Station that you can follow to the train platform. Follow signs for Tokyo Disney (or just follow the crowds) after exiting the station. Turn left after exiting the station and head towards the Disney Resort Line station. Ride the Disney Resort line to the Tokyo DisneySea stop.
• Hours: generally 9am – 9pm, but check the official Tokyo Disney website for daily operating hours as the park can close early on some days. Make sure to check the operating hours before booking your tickets!

If you can only visit one of the Tokyo Disney parks, make it Tokyo DisneySea. It’s completely unique to Japan, with rides and attractions you won’t find at any other Disney park in the world. It’s also amazing for families with young kids, since it has more kid-friendly rides than Tokyo Disneyland. Our little one absolutely loved Mermaid Lagoon, and the Fantasy Springs rides were so enchanting and mesmerizing that even I was completely spellbound as an adult.

Tokyo teamLab Borderless

• Age Range: all ages!
• Cost: Dynamic pricing based on expected crowds ranging from 3600 yen – 5600 yen for adults. Kids 3 and under are free. Juniors (age 13-17) and child (age 4-12) are cheaper. Buy tickets at least a month in advance because they often sell out!
  • Buy tickets online on the official website here.
  • Buy tickets through Klook here if the official website does not accept your credit card. Some Japanese websites have trouble processing foreign credit cards.
• Location: Azabudai Hills
• How to Get There: from Tokyo Station, take the Marunouchi (red) subway line to Kasumigaseki station (stop M15). Follow signs to transfer to the Hibiya (grey) subway line. Take the Hibiya line to Kamiyacho station (stop H05). Take exit 5 and take the underground passage to the B1 level of Garden Plaza B building (do not go up to ground level).
• Hours: varies depending on the month, but generally from 8/8:30am – 9pm.

I’m sure that you have seen the stunning photos of floating lights and digital art from Tokyo’s teamLab Borderless. But experiencing it in person is something else entirely! I had read that it is an art museum kids will actually enjoy since the exhibits are dynamic and constantly changing. After visiting with our child, I’d say that’s true – unless your kid is afraid of the dark like ours is right now. It was just bad timing for us since he just reached this developmental stage.

The museum is almost completely dark to enhance the light-based exhibits, and some rooms go entirely dark for a bit during transitions. There’s also no set route, so exploring feels like wandering through a dark maze. Our kid’s favorite rooms were the one where you can color a sea creature and watch it swim across the walls, and the big room with a hill that kids were sliding down. Overall though, he found it more spooky than mesmerizing because of the dark. But we were absolutely captivated!

Tokyo teamLab Planets

• Age Range: all ages!
• Cost: Dynamic pricing based on expected crowds ranging from 4000 yen – 4800 yen for adults. Kids 3 and under are free. Juniors (age 13-17) and child (age 4-12) are cheaper. Buy tickets at least a month in advance because they often sell out!
  • Buy tickets online on the official website here.
  • Buy tickets through Klook here if the official website does not accept your credit card. Some Japanese websites have trouble processing foreign credit cards.
• Location: Toyosu
• How to Get There: from Tokyo Station Marunouchi South exit, take the Toei bus 都05-2 for 11 stops to Shin-Toyosu Station. To use the train from Tokyo Station, take the Tokaido Line (JT) to Shimbashi station (stop JT02), transfer to the Yurikamome line and get off at Shin-Toyosu Station (U15).
• Hours: 8:30am – 10pm

Tokyo teamLab Planets is the newer digital art museum from the teamLab group. teamLab Planets is more of a sensory experience, with more interactive exhibits that you experience with your entire body. Instead of just watching the art flow across the walls, you interact with it. Another difference is that there is a set route for the exhibits at Planets. The exhibits include trampolines, balance beams, slides, and even a room where you wade through water. Sometimes the water can be up to knee height for adults, and if your clothes get wet you will be asked to change before moving to the next room. It feels a bit like an indoor playground, except that it’s dark, glowing, and alive with light-based art.

For kids, these interactive exhibits can be incredibly fun. For parents trying to keep track of little kids in the dark, it’s much more nerve-wracking. Between the darkness, water, and excitement, it’s easy to imagine little ones running off in all directions. Knowing how hard it is to keep track of our kid even in a brightly lit indoor playground, I didn’t want to risk him running off in the dark. He would also definitely splash and get wet in any situations with water, so we didn’t want to have to keep changing him. We opted to save Planets for when he is a little older. But if your kids love hands-on, high-energy experiences, Planets is amazing.

Kidzania Tokyo

• Age Range: best for 3-12 years old
• Cost: varies depending on weekday vs holidays. More expensive for the first shift (9am-3pm), cheaper for the second shift (4pm-9pm).
  • Buy tickets online through Klook here to book ahead for a Wednesday for activities led in English!
• Location: Toyosu
• How to Get There: from Tokyo Station, take the Keihin-Tohoku line (JK) to Yurakucho Station (stop JK 25) and transfer to the Yurakucho Line. Take the Yurakucho line to Toyosu Station (stop Y22) and exit via 2a.
• Hours: First shift 9am – 3pm, second shift 4pm – 9pm. If you don’t speak Japanese recommend visiting on Wednesdays when half of the activities are in English.

Kidzania Tokyo is an indoor theme park where kids can try their hand at a variety of different jobs. Popular activities for little ones that are available in English include the fire department, subway, pizza shop, police department, and airplane, just to name a few. Keep in mind that this isn’t just free play though. These kids are actually “working” a shift, so they will need to follow directions from staff. Because of this, some of the activities have a minimum age to ensure kids can participate fully.

Little Planet

• Age Range: best for 0-5 years old
• Cost: Time-based pricing with different prices for weekdays and holidays. 30 minutes, 60 minutes, or a 1 day pass available. An annual membership fee of 600 yen is required for the first visit, even if you don’t plan on visiting again. Kids under 1 year old are free.
• Location: Odaiba, on the 5th floor of the Diver City Shopping Mall (next to Toyosu, where teamLab Planets is located)
• How to Get There: from Tokyo Station Marunouchi South exit, take the Toei bus 都05-2 for 11 stops to Shin-Toyosu Station. To use the train from Tokyo Station, take the Tokaido Line (JT) or Yamanote Line (JY) or Keihin-Tohoku Line (JK) to Shimbashi station. At Shimbashi station, transfer to the Yurikamome line and get off at Daiba Station (U7).
• Hours: Mon-Fri 11am – 8pm, Sat-Sun 11am – 9pm

Little Planet is an indoor play space that feels like a smaller, kid-friendly version of teamLab Planets. It features a ball pit with interactive lights, a digital sand play area, and a screen where kids can draw their own vehicles and watch them race virtually. It’s not very big, so I wouldn’t go here just for this indoor play space. But if you’re already nearby and need an indoor spot to keep little ones entertained, or want somewhere to park the kids to shop whining-free, it’s a great option.

Legoland Discovery Center Tokyo

• Age Range: best for 3-12 years old
• Cost: cheaper online, 2350 yen – 3300 yen for adults, lower fee for kids. Kids 2 and under are free.
  • Buy tickets online through the official website here.
  • Buy tickets through Klook here if the official website does not accept your credit card. Some Japanese websites have trouble processing foreign credit cards.
• Location: Odaiba, in the DECKS Tokyo Beach Shopping Mall
• How to Get There: from Tokyo Station Marunouchi South exit, take the Toei bus 都05-2 for 11 stops to Shin-Toyosu Station. To use the train from Tokyo Station, take the Tokaido Line (JT) or Yamanote Line (JY) or Keihin-Tohoku Line (JK) to Shimbashi station. At Shimbashi station, transfer to the Yurikamome line and get off at Odaiba-kaihinkoen Station (stop U06) and exit via 2B.
• Hours: varies, but mostly 10am – 6pm Mon-Fri and 10am – 7pm Sat-Sun

Legoland Discovery Center Tokyo (not to be confused with actual Legoland Japan, which is in Nagoya) is an indoor Legoland play space, with 11 attractions including a mix of rides, play zones, and hands-on building areas. Older kids will enjoy the Kingdom Quest ride, where you zap targets to save the princess, and the LEGO Racers zone, where kids can build their own cars and race them down ramps. For younger kids, there is a Ninjago themed indoor playground and a Duplo Village with bins and bins of Duplos for your kid’s building pleasure. If you’re not going to Legoland Japan in Nagoya, this is a great way for kids to get their Lego fix.

Tokyo Water Science Museum

• Age Range: best for 3-12 years old
• Cost: FREE!!
• Location: close to Odaiba
• How to Get There: from Tokyo Station Marunouchi South exit, take the Toei bus 都05-2 for 17 stops to Musashino-Daigaku stop. If visiting from Tokyo teamLab Planets, from Shin-Toyosu Station take the Yurikamome line 4 stops to Tokyo Big Sight Station (stop U11).
• Hours: Tues-Sun 9:30am – 5pm, closed Mondays and New Year’s Holidays (12/28-1/4)

If your kid loves water play, the Tokyo Water Science Museum is a fun (and free!) place to spend a few hours. It’s filled with hands-on exhibits that young kids love, especially because they involve water. Right at the entrance, there’s a touch pool and mini waterfall where kids can splash and play. Upstairs, the Aqua Lab lets children experiment with water pressure, flow, and temperature through simple science activities like spinning turbines or sending water through pipes. There is also an Aqua Town area where kids can follow how water travels from rivers to our homes through interactive models and buttons. There’s even a 3D theater showing how Tokyo’s water system works in a kid-friendly way (and it makes for the perfect place for parents to take a break!). Definitely bring a change of clothes because your kids will get soaked between the splashing and experimenting!

ASOBono! Indoor Playground

• Age Range: best for 0-6 years old
• Cost: varies based on the day. Cost ranges from 950-1300 yen. Tickets required for both children and adults.
• Location: Tokyo Dome City
• How to Get There: from Tokyo Station, take the blue subway line from Otemachi Station to Suidobashi Station (2 stops)
• Hours: weekdays 10am – 6pm, weekends and public holidays 9:30am – 7pm

I don’t usually bookmark indoor playgrounds when traveling. Because why would I fly all the way to another country just to go to an indoor playground? However, I did bookmark this one because it has a room that my kid would LOVE and that I can’t actually find in the U.S. – a room full of Plarail and Tomica tracks!! My kid can spend hours building train tracks. Since Plarail and Tomica tracks are not commonly found in the U.S. (and I’m not lugging these tracks home), this is a super fun opportunity for free play with these trains. (Another option is the playroom at the SCMaglev Railway Park in Nagoya, but that requires advance booking and often books up.)

ASOBono! is one of the biggest indoor playgrounds in Tokyo. Besides the train room, it also has the usual indoor playground activities like a giant ball pit, a pretend play area, and a baby-only room. We didn’t make it here this time, but I definitely have it saved for a rainy day activity.

Outdoor Playgrounds

When we’re sightseeing with our kiddo, I usually like to break up the day with a playground stop so that he can have a chance to just run around and play. But Tokyo being the big city that it is, we found that playgrounds weren’t always conveniently located along our route to the attractions. They do exist, but you’ll usually need to walk a bit out of your way to find them. The play structures are also a little more basic (you won’t find many themed structures), but they’re still great for climbing, sliding, and burning off energy. Sometimes that short detour is totally worth it to give kids a break from sightseeing and help them get their wiggles out. Here are a few playgrounds I bookmarked near the areas we visited during our trip.

Shinjuku:

• Shinjuku Chuo Park Children’s Square: close to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (which has a free observatory).

Tokyo Station:

• 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.

Azabudai Hills (near Tokyo teamLab Borderless):

• Shiba Water Supply Station Park: the play structure next to the field has great views of Tokyo Tower! Open from 10am-6pm.

Packing Essentials for Kids in Japan

• Layers of clothing:
  • Light rain jacket: it’s helpful to keep a packable rain jacket that doesn’t take up too much space in your everyday bag. We didn’t want to bother with carrying multiple umbrellas so a rain jacket was clutch on the sprinkly days.
  • Comfortable walking shoes: everyone does a lot more walking in Japan than usual. Make sure kids have comfortable shoes that are easy on and off!
  • Sun hat
  • Socks: part of Japanese culture is taking shoes off indoors, so you will find yourself removing your shoes much more than usual. Make sure to pack the good socks without holes!
  • Japan is a shopping mecca (if it feels overwhelming, follow my curated Japan shopping guide for moms!). If you forget to pack anything, you can probably find what you need at Muji or Uniqlo at a good price!
• Snacks and hydration:
  • Favorite snacks: Japan is a snack paradise, so I’m sure your kiddo will eventually find something that they like at the convenience stores. But bring some favorite snacks from home to tide you over until you figure out which Japanese snacks your kids love.
  • Water bottle: tap water is generally safe to drink in Japan, though we still prefer bottled water to avoid stomach upset as a result of the difference in mineral content.

• Entertainment options for downtime:
  • Screens will usually keep kids occupied, and while our kiddo gets a lot more screen time than usual when traveling, we don’t like to rely solely on screens for entertainment because there are usually more massive meltdowns when we try to turn it off.
  • We bring one new book (search and find books or lift the flap books are great!), Water Wow coloring books, sticker books, and drawing pads for travel days.
  • We usually make a toy store one of our first stops and get a small toy for our kid to play with during the trip. This also doubles as a souvenir, because whenever he plays with the toy at home he remembers where he got it. In Japan, he picked out some Tomica Thomas Trains that he loved.

• Kids supplies for daily living:
  • Sleep essentials: bring anything that your kid needs to sleep well to encourage good sleep while traveling. For us, that is a sound machine.
  • Medications: it goes without saying to pack any prescription medications your kid is taking. I also bring over-the-counter kids medications like Children’s Tylenol, just in case. I’m okay with buying Japanese OTC meds for myself and winging it with the translation, but I prefer using the kids’ OTC meds we’re familiar with because I am sure about the dosing and ingredients.
  • If you forgot anything, look for these stores in Japan that sell all kinds of kids goods: Nishimatsuya, Babies “R” Us, Akachan Honpo
• Travel Stroller: If your kid is not used to walking a lot at home it can be helpful to bring a stroller. This is especially helpful for theme parks. But keep in mind that Japan is not as stroller friendly as the US. There are many stairs in train stations and elevators are small and require a longer walk to find. Many restaurants and stores are small and can’t always accommodate a stroller. While we did use our stroller, we folded it up and carried it quite a bit during train transfers to avoid having to take the long way around. If you do bring a stroller, bringing a smaller travel stroller is key. We love our Babyzen Yoyo. The Gb Pockit strollers also pack up amazingly small.
• Hip Seat Carrier: A better alternative to a stroller if your kid is still small enough to carry is a hip seat carrier. We loved using ours during our trip to Switzerland because it’s one less thing to carry through train stations. The hip seat is clutch because it’s more comfortable to sit in for longer periods. We loved our version that had straps and could be worn in the front or back. It’s especially helpful for crowded places like Japan where maneuvering a stroller can be tricky.
• Power plug adapters: Japan uses two pronged plugs similar to the US, except the prongs are the same length. Most 2 pronged chargers will work fine without adapters. If you have any chargers that have 3 prongs, then you’ll need an adapter.