TOKYO

Helianthus baby wear and infant-friendly cafe is a great spot for parents to chat, have a meal and read a magazine while your little ones explore their play den (for infants and toddlers only). They serve a simple lunch menu with sandwiches, curry, drinks, spirit and desserts for a very low …

Tsutaya Electrics in Futakotamagawa is my favorite place to sit back, relax and enjoy a good book with or without the kids while browsing their art, appliances, and home space. Located near the creative DIY Factory where you can learn, make, buy DIY products; the 100 Spoons Family Restaurant, Futakotamaga Park, Japanese …

If you are looking for a family-friendly hotel in central Kyoto, we highly recommend the Kyoto MYSTAYS Hotel. Kyoto is a magnificent historic city, but the hotels are expensive making it hard for families with kids to find great options. The Kyoto MYSTAYS Hotel checked all our boxes – great …

Kimukatsu is a popular tonkatsu (pork cutlet) restaurant in Japan serving high quality pork thinly sliced and stacked into 25 layers. It is then covered with fresh breadcrumbs and fried slowly in low temperature for 8 minutes resulting in a deliciously crunchy and tender mille feuille type of pork cutlet. We …

J.S. Pancake Cafe (ジェイエス パンケーキカフェ) serves delicious and filling brunch all day every day. J.S. Pancake Cafe is owned by the Japanese casual clothing brand, Journal Standard, and specializes in savory and sweet pancakes. They have twelve locations in Japan including two in Tokyo and one in Yokohama. We stopped in at the Tennoji location in the Mio …

We visited the Micro Pig cafe and spent a delightful time with the most ADORABLE micro pigs. The Meguro micro pig cafe opened in March this year and was such a hit they opened another location in Harajuku this month! Not only can you spend time with the micro pigs …

I am a New Englander and grew up on lobster, so I am thrilled that Luke’s Lobster is expanding in Japan. They have opened their sixth Japan store in Hiroo. If you are still waiting in the HUGE line in Omotesando, come on down to Hiroo, especially M-F when it is …

Camden Blue Star Donuts CLOSED. Camden Blue Star Donuts is a Portland-born doughnut shop that opened in Osaka`s bustling Shinsaibashisuji neighborhood in September 2016. Little A and I were thrilled to have stumbled onto Camden Blue Star after a long morning of sight seeing in Shinsaibashisuji. We had visited their …

The Teien Museum is a perfectly preserved residence, now museum,  from the 1930’s. The museum has been closed for the past seven months due to retrofit for handicap users. The new exhibit is “Decoration never dies, anyway” which runs until February 25th, 2018. The Teien Museum, built in 1933, was …

MUJI Ebisu reopened their store at the new Atre Ebisu West building (an extension of the Main Atre Building) in April 2016 and it`s bigger and better than ever. This store occupies the fifth and sixth floors and carries the first makeup counter in the Kanto region. They hold about …

Roppongi Nishi Park (立六本木西公園) is a new playground park nestled in the backstreets of Roppongi between the popular Roppongi Hills Slide Park, Robot Park and Hinokicho Park at Tokyo Midtown. This new sand park is perfect for beginner walkers up to preschool-aged kids. It has a nice open space, various plants and …

Uniqlo Flagship Store Ginza is the World`s Largest Uniqlo store. They have 12 floors of clothing to fit many sizes, provide the widest range of Uniqlo products, supply a concierge counter with multilingual staff, and cashiers and fitting rooms are on every floor. Stop in to stock up on great …

Adding another Tokyo Store to or favorites list – the Yamashiroya Toy Store in Ueno.  Like Hakuhinkan in Ginza and Kiddyland if you are looking for Japanese or International toys and collectibles you will not be disappointed. Yamashiroya Toy Store is a one minute walk from Ueno station so you can …

The Shibuya Scramble Square opened on November 1st, 2019, making it now the tallest building in the Shibuya area. We are really excited about this new addition to Shibuya because it sits right on top of Shibuya station which is super convenient if you want to meet friends or shop …

Right in the heart of Tokyo is a free and convenient play space called Akasaka Kids-Teens Hall Nandemo  (港区立赤坂子ども中高生プラザ ) where you can drop in for a few hours and enjoy the kids letting off steam. We love visiting local public community centers such as Akasaka Kids-Teens Hall Nandemo because …

Blue Bottle Coffee (ブルーボトルコーヒー) opened their newest shop in Nakameguro. They now have stores in nine Tokyo locations and don’t seem to be slowing down – Sangenjaya, Meguro, Nakameguro, Shinagawa, Roppongi, Aoyama, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and their 1st was Kiyosumi Fukugawa (where they also roast).  I`m thrilled to have a …

Don’t let you kids drive you crazy in the cold weather this winter. Take them to PEKIDS Climbing Center in Shibuya or Spider in Minami Azabu to climb the walls for a few hours. I took Baby (age 3.5 years) the other day to PEKIDS and she loved the challenge.  The PEKIDS Climbing Center …

If you are looking for a romantic date night restaurant with amazing Italian food, you must try Via Brianza in Azabu Juban. The restaurant is one of my husband’s and my favourite hideaways. The chef and owner Okuno-san studied in Italy to perfect his skills and now owns a few …

Yutenji Kindergarten is holding their annual bazaar on the Yutenji Temple grounds tomorrow Tuesday, October 31 from 10:00 – 12:45. If you`re looking for gently used Japanese children`s clothing, toys and books this is a great place to shop. There will be food stalls and games for young children outside …

Late October – November is a great time to visit the Tsukuihama Tourist Farm (津久井浜観光農園) in Yokosuka. You can dig for sweet potatoes then pick mikans all in one trip! The farm also offers strawberry picking from January to May and potato digging from May to June. Sweet potato season starts from September …

We visited Universal Studios Japan in Osaka during Halloween month and loved it! Now added to our list of TOP Theme Parks in Japan and Osaka with Kids Itinerary here are our TIPS to enjoy your visit. Universal Studios Osaka is a character theme park with a collection of exciting entertainment …

Rigoletto Short Hills is our favorite family-friendly restaurant in Nakameguro. It`s spacious with modern furnishings and a lively atmosphere. The first floor holds bar-like seating and a small, pet-friendly covered terrace. The second floor is bright with lofty ceilings. The perfect atmosphere for a night out or a fun date night, and a …

*** 2019 UPDATE: Amazing World FUNABASHI has closed it`s doors *** Amazing World is an indoor play center for kids ages 0 to 12 years. Amazing World branches are located inside malls so it`s a great place to stop in between shopping, a meal or both. Stop in for an …

This time of year is perfect for a Mt. Takao Hike. The trip to Mt. Takao takes about one hour from Shinjuku station on the Keio Line. Mt. Takao has been a location of worship for more than 1,000 years. The main temple Yakuoin is located near the summit and is a popular place …