10 Best Things to Do with Kids in Tokyo
Where are the Fun Places in Tokyo to Take Your Family?
If you’re coming to Tokyo with the family, you’ll obviously want to make it a memorable trip for everyone. Head to the museums for astonishing exhibits that will educate and entertain, leaving adults and children alike fascinated and amazed. For something a little lighter on your brain, there are plenty of theme parks nearby, where you can jump on thrilling rides and meet favorite characters.
There are also some entertainment options designed specifically for kids, providing them with active, fun places to play and learn. There are so many great places to take your kids in Tokyo, you’ll be spoilt for choice.
1. Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea
Fun galore with your favorite Disney friends
Good for: Families, Adventure, Group
Everyone loves Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. The many attractions can be enjoyed by people of all ages while also being suitable for those with small children. Classic rides like Pirates of the Caribbean, Jungle Cruise, Mark Twain Riverboat, and It’s a Small World are some of the most family-friendly rides in Disneyland.
Popular DisneySea rides include Venetian Gondolas, Nemo & Friends SeaRider, and The Magic Lamp Theater. A baby center and pushchair rentals are available, so families experience as little stress as possible. Plus, both parks are easy to get to by train, just head for JR Maihama Station and stop there for Tokyo Disneyland or switch to the Disney Resort Line and head for Tokyo DisneySea Station.
Location: 1-1 Maihama, Urayasu, Chiba 279-0031, Japan
Open: Vary by season, day, and theme park
Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea
2. Sanrio Puroland
The home of kawaii characters
Good for: Families, Group
Sanrio Puroland is an indoor theme park by Sanrio, the company behind many popular characters like Hello Kitty and My Melody. It’s become very popular with inbound tourists who want to experience the Japanese world of kawaii (“cuteness”) You’ll find many great attractions here, including a show infused with Japanese traditional drama (kabuki) and a parade themed around miracles. It’s also a great chance to take pictures with the characters.
You can enjoy Sanrio Puroland even in bad weather, so you can comfortably spend time here even if you are with little children. To get there, it’s a 5-minute walk from Tama Center Station on the Keio Line, Odakyu Line or Tama Monorail Line.
Location: 1-31 Ochiai, Tama Ward, Tokyo 206-8588, Japan
Open: Vary by season
Phone: +81 (0)42-339-1111
Sanrio Puroland
3. Legoland Discovery Center Tokyo
A haven for little builders
Good for: Families, Adventure, Group
Legoland Discovery Center Tokyo is an indoor theme park where you can fully enjoy the world of LEGO®. It’s designed for children aged about 3 to 10 with colorful attractions to enjoy, including LEGO® Factory, a 4D movie theater, Kingdom Quest, and LEGO® Ninjago City Adventure.
You can experience the joy of giving shape to your imagination through LEGO®, cultivating creativity through play. Legoland Discovery Center Tokyo is a 2-minute walk from Odaiba-kaihinkoen Station on the Yurikamome Line or a 5-minute walk from Tokyo Teleport Station on the Rinkai Line.
Location: 3rd floor, DECKS Tokyo Beach Island Mall, 1-6-1 Odaiba, Minato Ward, Tokyo 135-0091, Japan
Open: Vary by season
Phone: +81 (0)800-100-5346
Legoland Discovery Center Tokyo
4. Ninja Trick House In Tokyo
The many arts of being a ninja
Good for: Families, Unusual
Ninja Trick House in Tokyo shows you what it means to be a ninja. You can discover mysterious ninja arts, including throwing stars (shuriken), drawing a Japanese sword, and practicing swordsmanship, which you’ve probably only seen in a manga. You can also take a picture with a ninja as a souvenir.
Especially popular with families and international tourists, this place is always crowded. Make sure you book ahead via its official website. There’s free admission for children aged 3 and under. Ninja Trick House is within an 8-minute walk from JR Shinjuku Station and a 5-minute walk from Shinjuku Station on Seibu Shinjuku Line.
Location: 4th floor, Wako Building No. 1, 2-28-13 Kabukicho, Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo 160-0021, Japan
Open: Thursday–Monday from 10 am to 5 pm (Closed Tuesday–Wednesday)
Phone: +81 (0)3-6457-3337
Ninja Trick House In Tokyo
5. Keio Asobi no Mori HUGHUG
Active play for kids
Good for: Families, Adventure
Keio Asobi no Mori HUGHUG is an indoor play center for children, located just a step away from Tama-Dobutsukoen Station on the Keio Line. Themed areas include Kirikabu House, a large space that encourages kids to play and have fun with wooden toys. Morino’s Playground has a ball pit with over 45,000 balls, along with an obstacle course right above it,
Standing about 40 ft high and 50 ft in diameter, HUGHUG Tree is one of Japan’s biggest playground facilities. It has 4 layers of nets equipped with playing tools such as exercise balls. There’s also an area where families with babies can enjoy this facility comfortably.
Location: 3-36-60 Hodokubo, Hino, Tokyo 191-0042, Japan
Open: Thursday–Tuesday from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm (Closed Wednesdays)
Phone: +81 (0)42-591-8989
Keio Asobi no Mori HUGHUG
6. ASOBono!
Huge indoor play centre
Good for: Families
ASOBono! is an indoor facility for children in Tokyo Dome City. It’s divided into themed areas such as the Toy Forest, the Adventure Ocean, and the Colorful Townwith plenty of play equipment and toys to stimulate the curiosity of little children in each area. There’s even the Crawl Garden for little ones.
ASOBono! is an excellent venue for parents and children to exercise and have fun together. You can buy a ticket for 60 minutes and extend for extra 30-minute slots after that. You can also get a 1-day pass (only on weekdays and during specific periods) because time flies when you’re having this much fun.
Location: 1-3-61 Koraku, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo 112-0004, Japan
Open: Monday–Friday from 10 am to 6 pm, Saturday–Sunday from 9.30 am to 7 pm
Phone: +81 (0)3-5800-9999
ASOBono!
7. KidZania Tokyo
Where kids can play at being grown up
Good for: Families, Adventure, Group
KidZania Tokyo is a job-experience theme park for children, supported by real companies. They can learn about the structure of society and their relationship with money while experiencing jobs in real uniforms. There are about 100 kinds of jobs to try at pavilions offered by about 60 companies.
The most popular areas get very crowded, so you’ll need to book ahead. This park is for children aged 3 to 15, and adults can only accompany them. It’s an 8-minute walk from Toyosu Station on the Tokyo Metro or Yurikamome Line.
Location: 3rd floor North Port, Urban Dock LaLaport Toyosu, 2-4-9 Toyosu, Koto Ward, Tokyo 135-0061, Japan
Open: Monday–Friday from 9 am to 3 pm then from 4 pm to 9 pm, Saturday–Sunday from 9 am to 4 pm then from 5 pm to 10 pm
Phone: +81 (0)570-064-646
KidZania Tokyo
8. Tokyo National Museum
Home of historical treasures
Good for: Families, Budget, Group
The Tokyo National Museum is one of the largest and oldest museums in Japan. It has a vast collection including exquisite National Treasures. There are 6 buildings: the Main Hall (honkan), Toyokan, Kuroda Memorial Hall, Heiseikan, and the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures. This museum is so large that it’s almost impossible to see it all in one day, so you’ll never run out of things to see, even on rainy days.
This is a great opportunity to see special relics up-close and in person. There are also programs for families and elementary, middle, and high schools that you can experience by booking in advance. The Tokyo National Museum is about a 10-minute walk from JR Ueno Station.
Location: 13-9 Uenokoen, Taito Ward, Tokyo 110-0007, Japan
Open: Sunday and Tuesday–Thursday from 9.30 am to 5 pm, Friday–Saturday from 9.30 am to 8 pm (Closed Monday)
Phone: +81 (0)3-5777-8600
Tokyo National Museum
9. National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan)
A world of discovery and fascination
Good for: Families, Adventure, Group
Miraikan National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, directed by astronaut Mamoru Mohri, is a science museum that makes it easy to learn about the latest science and technology. Exhibitions here cover a wide variety of fields, including wonders of the universe, the global environment and life science. The explanations by its “Science Communicators” are also very popular.
On top of that, you can try hands-on events, such as projecting different appearances of the earth using Geo-Cosmos, a giant globe-like display, science workshops, and demonstrations of humanoid robots called ASHIMO and Otonaroid. The museum is a 4-minute walk from Telecom Center Station on the Yurikamome Line.
Location: 2-3-6 Aomi, Koto Ward, Tokyo 135-0064, Japan
Open: Wednesday–Monday from 10am to 5 pm, (Closed Tuesday)
Phone: +81 (0)3-3570-9151
National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan)
10. Ghibli Museum
A wonderful world of whimsy
Good for: Families, Photo
Prepare for enchantment and delight as you step into the world of Ghibli. As charming as the animations the studio produces, this colorful place celebrates the work of renowned film-maker Hayao Miyazaki. It has been designed not as a place where a series of art hangs on a wall, but a living, breathing world of its own, where you’re greeted by Totoro and swept into a realm of imagination.
The creators and workers of the museum strive to treat children as seriously and respectfully as they would adults, rather than speaking down to them, as this is a place for everyone to enjoy and engage with. Tickets must be booked in advance, however, so make sure to get some early.
Location: 1 Chome-1-83 Shimorenjaku, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-0013, Japan
Open: Wednesday–Monday from 10 am to 6 pm (Closed Tuesday)
Ghibli Museum
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