Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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offered throughout the week, including puppet shows, fairy tales, live music perfor-
mances, and origami presentations.
5-53-1 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku.
&
03/3797-5666.
Admission ¥500 adults, ¥400 children 3-17, free for
children 2 and under. Tues-Fri 12:30-5:30pm; Sat-Sun and holidays (including school holidays) 10am-
5:30pm. Station: Omotesando (exit B2, 8 min.) or Shibuya (10 min.). On Aoyama Dori btw. Omotesando
and Shibuya stations.
Sunshine International Aquarium
On the 10th floor of the World Import Mart
Building, this Sunshine City complex is the unlikely home of some 60,000 fish and
animals, including dolphins, sea otters, penguins, ocean sunfish (flat as a pancake but up
to 4m/13 ft. in circumference and 2 tons in weight), and more. There are also seal per-
formances. Because the aquarium is small (you can see it in about an hour), it's perfect
for small children.
World Import Mart Building, 10th floor, Sunshine City, 3-1-3 Higashi Ikebukuro.
&
03/3989-3466.
Admission ¥1,800 adults, ¥900 children 4-15, free for children 3 and under. Mon-Fri 10am-6pm; Sat-Sun
and holidays 10am-6:30pm. Station: Higashi Ikebukuro (3 min.) or Ikebukuro (7 min.).
Tokyo Disneyland & Tokyo DisneySea
Virtually a carbon copy of Dis-
neyland back home, this one also boasts the Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, the
Haunted Mansion, and Space Mountain. Other hot attractions include Toontown, a
wacky theme park where Mickey and other Disney characters work and play; MicroAd-
venture, which features 3-D glasses and special effects; and Star Tours, a thrill adventure
created by Disney and George Lucas.
Opened in 2001 adjacent to Disneyland,
DisneySea,
a theme park based on ocean
legends and myths, offers seven distinct “ports of call,” including the futuristic Port
Discovery marina, with its StormRider, which flies straight into the eye of a storm; the
Lost River Delta, with its Indiana Jones Adventure; Mermaid Lagoon, based on the film
The Little Mermaid;
the Arabian Coast, with its Sindbad's Seven Voyages boat ride; and
the American Waterfront, with its Tower of Terror. Because DisneySea is unique to
Tokyo, I personally think this is the one to see; its installations are a class act.
1-1 Maihama, Urayasu-shi, Chiba.
&
047/310-0733.
www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp. 1-day passport to
either Disneyland or DisneySea, including entrance to and use of all attractions, ¥5,800 adults, ¥5,100
seniors, ¥5,000 children 12-17, ¥3,900 children 4-11, free for children 3 and under. Daily 8 or 9am to
10pm, with slightly shorter hours in winter. Station: Maihama, on the JR Keiyo Line from Tokyo Station (1
min.).
Tokyo Dome City
Located in the center of town, next to the Tokyo Dome stadium,
this amusement park features a high-tech Ferris wheel called the Big O (hollow in the
middle, with no spokes and no hub); the heart-stopping Thunder Dolphin roller coaster,
which passes through the Big O at speeds reaching up to 130kmph (81 mph); the Tower
Hacker, which drops straight down from a height of 80 m (262 ft.); and a water ride,
simulation theater, game arcade, bowling alley, and other amusements packed into
cramped quarters.
1-3-61 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku.
&
03/5800-9999.
www.tokyo-dome.co.jp. Free admission; individual rides
cost ¥400-¥1,000 each. 1-day passport ¥4,000 adults, ¥3,000 children (reduced passports after 5pm).
Mon-Fri 10am-9pm; Sat-Sun and holidays 9:30am-9pm. Station: Korakuen (1 min.), Kasuga (2 min.), or
Suidobashi (7 min.).
7
Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Hall (Tokyo-To Jido Kaikan)
This is
Tokyo's largest public facility for children—and it's absolutely free. There are toddler
areas, indoor gyms, computers, a crafts corner, musical instruments, and a rooftop
