ATTRACTIONS IN JAPAN

Sweet potato digging is an autumn tradition that all Japanese kindergarten and early elementary kids partake in October through December. In Japanese sweet potatoes are called “satsumaimo”. Enjoy a nice autumn day outside central Tokyo and go sweet potato digging. Below are five recommended locations to go Japanese sweet potato …

Late October through November is great foliage viewing in Tokyo and surrounding areas. Get on your bike or tie on your walking shoes for a full-day or couple hours of foliage touring. I recommend the following eight locations for foliage viewing in autumn. You can bike the entire loop in …

As moms of six kids aged 3-18 years, we know our Tokyo kids` museums. From history and architecture to science and technology there is a museum listed here for everyone’s interest. Tested by our families to make sure yours will enjoy the day at the museum. Have fun! The below …

I needed a few big pieces of artwork for my Airbnbs and found a few old shoji screens, so I crafted some washi shoji screens. Shoji are the wooden screens that Japanese homes traditionally use to separate rooms. However, in newer homes they are less popular due to the lack …

In the lingering late summer heat we recommend hitting a few 2020 summer Tokyo Museum Exhibits. Most of the exhibits close in late September so you have a few weeks to check them out! Note: Most the museums below require youth reserve your tickets online. Have fun and stay cool. …

The Yamanashi Prefectural Science Center (山梨県立科学館) is a great spot to spend a couple hours. It’s connected to Yamanashi’s Kodomo no Kuni, has up to 200 free parking spaces and is a short 30 min drive to the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art and the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Literature. …

The Kadokawa Culture Museum and new TeamLab exhibit opened on August 1, 2020. The Kadokawa Culture Museum designed by Kuma Kengo is part of a new development called Tokorozawa Sakura Town in Saitama. Kadokawa is one of the largest Japanese publishers in Japan producing books, magazines, anime, and movies. Tokorozawa is located …

A nicely manicured walk with flowers and green starting at Nakameguro and ending in Sangenjaya is the Jakuzure Green River Way / Jakuzure walking path. In the past the Jakuzure River, also known as the “noisy river”, flooded frequently during typhoon season so the city decided to cover it and …

If you are a Kit Kat lover, a fun activity with the kids is the My Kit Kat Making experience offered at the newly opened Shibuya Miyashita Park Building. Note: due to COVID it is advised you make reservations to enter the building, there are same day queues but best to …

If you are looking for a safe and clean green space for the kids to run and you to enjoy a coffee while sitting down, we recommend SOLOS Park. So times it is just too hot to run after little ones. Also if you are a gardener, the SOLOS nursery …

Late June to early September is blueberry picking season in Japan. Here are our recommended Tokyo Area Blueberry Picking Locations for Summer 2020.  We have chosen six gardens for great half-day or one-day trips; two in Chiba-ken, two in Saitama-ken and two in Kanagawa-ken. Many of these gardens run through …

The Minato Science Museum is a new Interactive Science Museum and Planetarium with great interactive exhibits about the human body, nature, the city and water. It’s ideal for elementary kids and older, but still fun for little ones and adults! A great place to spend a couple hours. The Science …

Yomiuriland is one of our favorite water & ride parks on our list of TOP Theme Parks in Japan. Yomiuriland Amusement Park is an all inclusive amusement ride and in the summer months water park. A 30 train ride from Shinjuku, your family can enjoy a hot day at one …

Looking for a quick fun craft to keep your tribe busy and cool this summer? Try a summer fans craft. I bought a few paper fans at the local Daiso 100 yen store and had fun with the kids. A quick and cheap craft which will also be very useful over …

Looking for the Best Tokyo Parks for Kids’ Bicycling? Before heading out to the sidewalks and streets of Tokyo try practicing in a safe kid-friendly environment.  Here are our favorite parks that we love taking our kids. Once your kids are bicycle veterans, try the Rainbow Bridge/Odaiba adventure  If you …

I find the most difficult month of the year to live in Tokyo August, but visiting one of the many Tokyo pools can offer a respite to the heat and humidity even if just for a few hours. Tokyo has many great local pools that are family-friendly and most are …

If you love nature walks, bird watching or insect hunting then Rinshi no Mori (林試の森公園) is the park to visit. The 120,762.91 sq m park is home to several hundred Japanese and foreign trees, some as old as 100+ years! There are a number of walking paths and large signboards …

The VR Park Tokyo located near Shibuya Station is an excellent virtual reality park for people on a schedule. You can reserve your spot for 110 mins of an unlimited experience of action fighting and thrill sports games. We arrived at 10:00 and were second in line to buy tickets …

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku has one of the best views of Tokyo, and it is free (well Taxpayers are footing the bill). From Tokyo Tower on a clear day, you can see the fantastic size of Tokyo from Mt Fuji in the west, Tokyo Bay to the …

Myoukenzan Yutenji Temple is a Jodo (pure) Sect of Buddhism established about 300 years ago. The temple launched a free smartphone app, a bilingual (English and Japanese) video guide to the history and origins of the Temple buildings. Download the app, obtain an app map at the main temple office, …

Do you know about the Azabu Juban sculpture walk?  If you have ever walked down the main Azabu Juban shopping street, you probably have seen a few sculptures. However, did you know there are 16 sculptures that have been collected and installed in Azabu Juban since 1968. These sculptures are …

Space Athletic Tondemi opened their second location in Heiwajima, Tokyo. This is following the huge success of Space Athletic in Makuhari Chiba (トンデミ). Space Atheletic is a great indoor activity center to spend 90 mins bouncing, climbing and running. There is also a Tondemi in Mie-ken and one opening in …

Sayama Berry Land (Saitama-ken) (狭山ベリーランド) has one of the largest blueberry farms in the Tokyo area with over 50 types of berries and 2,000 bushes. The blueberry bushes are in covered mesh houses. Here are other great places to visit in Saitama with kids They have two parking areas; one …

Have a kid who love things that go? Trains, planes & cars we got you covered. Our sons were obsessed with transportation when they were 3-5 years olds so we have first hand experience at all of the recommended locations. Whether a museum, interactive experience or shopping all of our …

Tokyo Dome City (東京ドームシティ ) may not be on your top 25 Tokyo Bucket List for families, but it should be on the top 50 if you live or are visiting Tokyo for an extended amount of time. Tokyo Dome City includes the Tokyo Dome (home of the Yomiuri Giants & the …