Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Essentials
Children's Castle (5-53-1 Jingūmae, Shibuya-ku
T
03 3797 5666,
W
kodomono-shiro.com/english;
Omotesandō Station), which houses a large
playground, a jungle gym, a lobby packed with
musical instruments, a good-value family hotel and
a swimming pool.
At most attractions, school-age children get
reduced rates, typically half the adult price. Children
under 6 ride free on trains, subways and buses,
while those aged 6-11 pay half fare.
Nappies
,
baby food
and pretty much anything else you
may need are widely available in supermarkets and
pharmacies, though not necessarily your favourite
brand. While
breast feeding
in public is generally
accepted, it's best to be as discreet as possible.
Most Japanese women who breastfeed use the
private rooms provided in department stores and
public buildings and in many shops. Only at the
more upmarket Western-style hotels will you be
able to arrange
babysitting
; Poppins (
W
poppins
.co.jp) is one reputable babysitting service. For
more general information go to
Tokyo With Kids
(
W
tokyowithkids.com).
Dining
The hazy situation with regard to
smoking
in Tokyo
restaurants (ie most still allow it) combined with
uncommon dishes and Japanese-language menus
will provide parents trying to feed fussy kids with
probably their biggest challenge. One solution is
to ask your hotel to point you in the direction
of the nearest family
restaurant chain
, such as
Denny's
,
Royal Host
or
Jonathan's
. All have children's
menus including Western and Japanese dishes
with pictures of each dish, as well as non-smoking
sections. Tokyo's
vegetarian
cafés and restaurants
(see box, p.150) are another option and kids are
likely to adore places such as
Sakuratei
(see p.156)
where they can cook the food themselves.
Far more trendy is the stylishly designed Tokyo
Baby Café at B1 4-5-12 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku
(Tues-Sun 11am-6pm;
T
03 5474 8281,
W
tokyo
babycafe.com; Omotesando Station), which has
proved a boon to well-heeled parents cruising
Harajuku's shopping streets with their little ones. It's
not open to non-pregnant women or parents with
kids over 7, and you have to sign up as a member
(which you can do for free on the spot) and pay a
table charge (members ¥500, guests ¥250).
Sights and activities
We've listed a selection of amusement and
theme
parks
(see p.184) and there's also the wonderful
Ghibli Museum in Mitaka (see p.125), which is part
gallery and part theme park. To give children their
animal
fix, try Tokyo Sea Life Park (see p.87) or Ueno
Zoo (see p.62). The best museums for kids include
Ueno's National Science Museum (see p.62), Odaiba's
Miraikan (see p.86) and Museum of Maritime Science
(see p.86), and the Edo-Tokyo Museum in Ryōgoku
(see p.75).
Other family-friendly outings to consider include
taking a
boat trip
across Tokyo Bay (see p.84),
learning how to make
origami
cranes at the Inter-
national Origami Centre (see p.57) or visiting the
puppet theatre PUK (see p.181).
Chances are that near most hotels will be a small
playground
; if your kids need more room to burn
off steam, head to the open spaces of Yoyogi-kōen
(see p.110) or Shinjuku Gyoen (see p.124).
Also check out the listings for
toyshops
and those
specializing in manga, anime and character product
goods (see p.198 & p.187). The showrooms for
products by Sony (see p.53) and Panasonic (see p.84)
will be appealing to
teenagers
, as will spending time
exploring electronic, anime and manga hotspot
Akihabara (see p.55).
Finally, you'll find local-authority-managed
children's halls (
jidokan
) throughout the city, which
are free to long-term Tokyo residents and provide
a whole range of activities and classes for school-
age kids and younger; most central is the National
Travel essentials
Costs
Despite its reputation as an outrageously expensive
city, prices in Tokyo have dropped or at least
stabilized in recent years, and with a little planning
it is a manageable destination even for those on
a fairly modest budget. The key is to do what the
majority of Japanese do: eat in local restaurants,
avoid the ritzier bars and take advantage of any
available discounts.
By staying in hostels and eating in the cheapest
local restaurants, the absolute minimum
daily
budget
for food and accommodation is around
¥6000-8000. By the time you've added in some
transport costs, a few entry tickets, meals in classier
restaurants and one or two nights in a ryokan or
