Planning a trip to Tokyo with kids and want a totally do-able itinerary? Keep scrolling to check out my kid-friendly 5 days in Tokyo itinerary from my last trip to Japan!
This kid-friendly 5 days in Tokyo itinerary was written by family travel expert Marcie Cheung and contains affiliate links which means if you purchase something from one of my affiliate links, I may earn a small commission that goes back into maintaining this blog.
My kids have begged me to take them to Japan for 3 years. We’ve traveled the world with them, but Japan (specifically Tokyo) has been number one on their bucket list.
After seeing the exchange rate last summer, my husband and I decided to make it happen for Spring Break.
We spent 5 full days in Tokyo and then 3 days at Tokyo Disney Resort. This itinerary is focused just on what we did in the city (aka not Disney).
5 Days in Tokyo with Kids
Before I kick off our 5-day Tokyo itinerary, I wanted to say that we landed at the Narita Airport at 3:30pm. It took about an hour to get through and that was mainly because we had medications to declare.
We got on the Limo Bus to go to Tokyo Station and from there we got a taxi to take us to our hotel (the Centurion Residential in the Akasaka neighborhood) where we checked in around 6:30pm.
We were tired and jetlagged (it was about 2:30am Seattle time at this point) so my husband walked to 7-Eleven and got us a bunch of snacks, onigiri, and sandwiches. Then we went straight to bed around 7:30pm.
My 11-year-old slept through the night and had to be woken up at 6am. My husband, my 8-year-old, and I were up around 3am.
Day 1: Street Food + Team Lab Planets
We met up with Seattle friends for the first couple of days in Tokyo. They had visited Japan a few times before and arrived a few days ahead of us, so they were our experts!
Our original plan had been to buy the Welcome Suica passes when we landed at the airport, but that didn’t happen. They only sell them at certain places. So our first stop was our local train station where we bought day passes for the train.
Street Food at Tsukiji Outer Market
Our friends are total foodies and had a list of 18 food stalls they wanted us to hit for breakfast. We arrived at the Tsukiji Outer Market at about 8am and tried lots of tasty items like seared tuna, tuna nigiri, fresh mochi, eggs, etc.
My kids and I weren’t super hungry (we made a rookie mistake of eating a little when we woke up) but everything we tried was amazing!
We also spent some time walking around some indoor markets where we saw all kinds of fresh seafood and produce.
teamLab Planets
Our next main stop of the day was exploring the wildly popular teamLab Planets. They just added a new section and that’s one reason why families often choose Team Lab Planets over Team Lab Borderless. Check the latest prices and availability.
My kids said it reminded them of the illusion museums we’ve done around the world but also mixed with the immersive art experiences.
There’s one area where you remove your shoes and wade through water that has projected fish on it. There’s another area that has a bunch of physical activities (nothing strenuous), and some rooms that are great Instagram spots.
My kids have ADHD and I wasn’t sure how they would handle this sensory experience. My 8-year-old LOVED it while my 11-year-old got overwhelmed and a bit motion sick. You know your child best, so I’d read reviews to make sure it’s a good fit before you buy tickets.
One thing I want to highlight is that since it’s so popular, you MUST buy your tickets in advance. I think we booked our tickets about 4 weeks out.
They also have a few apps you can download before you go that provide more interactive games to play as you explore.
I personally thought teamLab Planets was pretty awesome and I’m glad we went! We spent about 2.5 hours there and that felt like the right amount of time. Get tickets HERE.
Ice Cream at Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai
After teamLab Planets, we hopped the train to go to Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai to get some ice cream and walk around another market.
This one just opened about 2 years ago but it was designed to look like it was built hundreds of years ago. It was filled with food stalls and shops.
There’s a nice outdoor eating space and I saw a poster saying they offer martial arts demonstrations some days.
Sushi at Itaeme Sushi
Our kids were toast by the time we got back to the hotel and they weren’t hungry, so my husband and I popped out and grabbed sushi at Itaeme Sushi around the corner from our hotel.
The food was so fresh and tasty! We were in foodie heaven!
Day 2: Samurai Museum + Ninja Cafe
We did a slow morning in the hotel and then walked over to Starbucks for some caffeine and light food for the kids before we headed over to the Asakusa neighborhood.
Nakamise Shopping Street
Our first stop was the Nakamise shopping area. It was right by the train station and it’s a cool place with tons of shops and restaurants.
Our kids begged us for some “breakfast gelato” and it was a fun way to kick things off. I had sakura flavor and it was pretty nice!
Then we headed into some shops where the kids found shirts that had secret images that appeared in the sunlight.
You’ll want to hit up this area to rent Japanese kimonos to wear for photos at the temple (if that’s your jam). We didn’t do this for personal reasons but we saw lots of other people do it and they looked like they were having a blast.
Sensō-ji Temple
Our next stop was the Sensō-ji Temple. I think this is the main attraction in this area and it was PACKED when we got there at 11am.
But it was super cool to see and the kids had a lot of fun taking photos and walking around.
We opted not to pay to get fortunes but we saw lots of other people do that. Our friends did it earlier that day and they got a mixed bag but mostly bad fortunes.
We probably spent about 30 minutes walking around the temple at a slow pace.
I want to warn you that the smoke from the incense can be pretty intense. Our kids had a hard time handling it so we walked through quickly.
Lawson’s
At this point, we were all hungry for an early lunch. After trying to eat at an onigiri place that was reservation-only, we ended up going to Lawson’s to try the viral chicken nuggets.
My kids were so obsessed with the nuggies that they asked for an immediate round two. I had a scallop onigiri that was really tasty and we grabbed some chips to snack on before heading on.
Samurai Ninja Museum
Some friends back in Seattle went to the Samurai Ninja Museum in Kyoto and said it was awesome so that’s the main reason we booked the one in Tokyo. And they were right!
We met up with our friends for our 1pm reservation (which I booked about a week before the trip). Check the latest prices and availability.
It was a 60-minute experience where we dressed up in Samurai costumes to take photos (some were made out of foam), get a guided tour where we learned about Samurai and ninjas, and then it culminated with a ninja star-throwing training session.
We thought this was such a cool way to learn about part of Japan’s history and my kids were obsessed with the throwing stars. Get tickets here.
We didn’t have enough time but we wanted to do their sword lesson.
Ninja Cafe Experience
After the Samurai Ninja Museum, we walked down the street to a mall to do some quick shopping before walking to the Ninja Cafe Experience where we had a 3pm reservation.
This is another reservation-only place (we saw several groups get turned away at the door). Make a reservation here.
They offer a few packages but we chose one that was just drinks and ninja training. It ended up being just my husband and the boys who participated in the training.
They got to throw three different types of ninja stars, use two sizes of blow darts, and learn a sword combination.
My kids told me this was the best day ever! Check the latest rates and availability.
Akihabara Neighborhood
We said goodbye to our friends and then decided to pop over to the Akihabara neighborhood to check out some anime shops.
Personally, I got super overwhelmed in this neighborhood because there were SO many people and the shops felt tiny compared to all the people shopping inside.
But my kids found some cool stuff and it was neat to walk around another neighborhood.
We were all pretty toast so we hopped the train back to Akasaka were we grabbed dinner and went to bed.
Day 3: Shibuya Neighborhood + Anime Walking Tour
We switched hotels this day because our first hotel didn’t have any rooms for the rest of our trip. So, we packed up and had our first hotel hold our luggage before heading to the Shibuya neighborhood.
The forecast was rain all day so the hotel let us borrow an umbrella to take with us (and we used it almost the whole day).
We went to Shibuya specifically for a Jujutsu Kaisen walking tour (it’s where the anime/manga is set). But our tour wasn’t until 1pm so we had lots of time to explore the area.
Our main stops were the Nintendo Store and Pokemon Center where our kids founds lots of items they begged us to buy.
There were some fun photo spots in the shopping center, too.
Anime Walking Tour
We met up with our tour guide Ellen at the Hachiko statue for a Jujutsu Kaisen walking tour. She’s a major Jujutsu Kaisen fan and my kids LOVED her! We spent 3 hours visiting a ton of sites where the show is set. Check tour prices and availability.
What was extra cool is that she had a photo album that had at least 15 scenes and she walked us to the exact spots featured in the show. It’s amazing how accurately the show depicts specific streets, buildings, etc.
One of the key sites was Shibuya Station. I thought my 11yo was going to explode with excitement as he recreated some of the iconic scenes.
The tour ended at a store where my kids could get JJK Gashapon. If you have kids who love anime, you’ll definitely want to book this tour!
After we said goodbye to Ellen, we headed upstairs and shopping at the One Piece store before heading back to the train station.
Switched Hotels
Like I said earlier, we had to switch hotels. So, we went back to the Centurion Residential, grabbed our luggage, and then took a taxi to the Mimaru Hotel.
I booked us a Japanese-style room which had a tatami mat area for us to eat and then make up futon beds for the kids. It was a HUGE hit!
We were pretty wiped, so we popped across the street to 7-Eleven and Lawson’s and got two bags worth of items for dinner, snacks, and breakfast.
Day 4: Flytographer Photo Shoot + Samurai Training
We knew this would be an early morning since we needed to be in Asakusa by 7:45am. So we did a quick breakfast and coffee in the hotel room before heading out at 7am to catch the train.
Flytographer Photo Shoot
If you follow my blog, you know I’m obsessed with taking Flytographer photo shoots wherever we travel. So, I immediately scheduled a photo shoot in Tokyo as soon as we booked our hotels.
I picked the Asakusa neighborhood because it had all the old-timey Japan vibes I wanted for our photos.
We had visited the Sensō-ji Temple area earlier in the week where I took some really lame selfies. I’m SO glad we did a professional photo shoot here!
Our photographer Ryo was seriously so personable and took insane photos of our family. I have a whole blog post about it if you are thinking about adding one to your Tokyo itinerary.
Use my link to save $25 off your first Flytographer photo shoot anywhere in the world.
After our photo shoot, we headed back to the hotel so we could change clothes and grab our day bags.
At this point in our trip, our 8yo was pretty tired and so we decided to hang in the hotel room for a couple of hours so people could do screens, refuel, and rest their legs. My husband and I popped to the pharmacy across the street to buy some beauty products, too.
Samurai Theater
Since our kids had so much fun at the Samurai Ninja Museum and the Ninja Cafe, we booked last-minute tickets to the Samurai Theater for another martial arts experience.
This time it was Samurai training and my husband and kids got to dress up and learn cool routines with swords.
The training was really well done and it culminated with a full routine set to music that included sound effects!
This was such a cool way to get another hands-on experience. I know my kids will be talking about this one for years!
Back to the Hotel
At this point, the kids were still tired from all our running around (and the Samurai training) so we headed back to the hotel and had an early night.
We even tried out Uber Eats in Tokyo to finally get some yummy Japanese curry (at a place recommended by our photographer).
Day 5: Manga Drawing Workshop + Harajuku
For our last full day exploring Tokyo, we headed back to Shibuya.
Flipper’s Souffle Pancakes
We tried going to Flipper’s on our first trip to Shibuya but the wait was just too long. Thankfully, we were able to line up about 15 minutes before they opened for a much shorter wait.
My 11-year-old had souffle pancakes on his Japan bucket list and it was really cool to be able to check it off.
The pancakes were super yummy! I had lemon and cheese and I highly recommend those. My kids had ones with fruit and my husband ordered a heartier breakfast with eggs, meat, and a pancake.
Manga Drawing Workshop
Our scheduled activity for the day was a drawing workshop led by a professional manga artist.
We each picked a sample manga art and our teacher did rough sketches for us. Then we sketched on top, outlined it in pen, filled in the black areas, added backgrounds/shading, and signed our pieces.
All along the way, the teacher assisted us and gave us instructions through the interpreter. Check manga workshop prices and availability.
It was a 2.5-hour workshop and it was incredible. I was so surprised that my kids were able to stay focused the entire time. There were many steps involved and we ended up with some pretty special pieces of art. Sign up here.
Afterward, we headed to Shibuya Station to grab some yakitori and then hopped the train for one stop to Harajuku.
Harajuku
I’ve been wanting to visit Harajuku since Gwen Stefani’s music videos from back in the day. So I was really excited that we had time to hang out in this cool neighborhood for our last afternoon.
This area is perfect for families with kids of all ages. It has cute shops, trendy snacks, gashapon machines, and lots of people-watching opportunities.
My kids begged to get the famously giant cotton candy and it was perfect for our family of four to share.
We also found adorable character items, got some funny souvenir t-shirts, and explored a giant Uniqlo.
Besides Shibuya, this was my kids’ favorite area that we visited.
Back to the Hotel
It was about 6pm and we were wiped, so we headed back to the hotel and ended up ordering ramen from Uber Eats.
We were able to eat and pack up to get ready for the second part of our Japan adventure.
What We Did Next
So our trip didn’t actually end after 5 days in Tokyo. We wrapped it up with 3 days at Tokyo Disneyland, which you can read about in my Tokyo Disney blog post.
Tips for Visiting Tokyo with Kids
Choose a Family-Friendly Neighborhood
Shinjuku is good for easy transportation and access to parks. Shibuya has great shopping, family-friendly restaurants, and fun attractions.
Akasaka has lots of hotels, great restaurants, and is centrally located. This is where we chose to stay in Toyko for both our hotels. We stayed at the Centurion Residential and the Mimaru Akasaka.
Asakusa is where you’ll find traditional Tokyo with temples and cultural experiences.
Odaiba is a futuristic, waterfront area with museums and entertainment. Ikebukuro has kid-friendly attractions like Sunshine City and Pokémon Center.
Get a Suica or Pasmo Card
These IC cards work for trains, buses, and even vending machines. You can load them in advance to avoid ticket machine hassles.
We used paper tickets on our first day and ended up going to the wrong zone and needed to buy additional tickets after we tried using the wrong tickets which flagged the machines. It was a hot mess.
I’m so glad we got the Welcome Suica cards. They made traveling on the trains a breeze. We got the kids cute lanyards to make it even easier.
Use a Stroller Wisely
Tokyo is stroller-friendly in most areas, but some train stations lack elevators. I suggest a lightweight foldable stroller for navigating crowds and small restaurants.
I noticed a lot more tourists using baby carriers instead of strollers.
Be Prepared for Food Preferences
Many restaurants have small portions and limited kid menus. I suggest trying conveyor belt sushi (kaitenzushi) for an easy and fun meal.
Also, convenience stores (7-Eleven, FamilyMart, Lawson) have kid-friendly snacks, interesting drinks, and even full meals. We ate a lot of meals and snacks at convenience stores.
You might also want to carry a few snacks like Pocky, rice crackers, or onigiri. Just realize that it’s not polite to eat while walking around.
Understand Which Medications are Illegal
My kids have ADHD and I’m glad I checked to see that Adderall is one of the medications that is banned from bringing into Japan. Here’s the list.
We ended up getting a prescription for ADHD medication that IS legal in Japan, but we still had to get a doctor’s note.
Honestly, the whole process was really stressful and the new medication didn’t work as well for my family and it really impacted our trip.
Know Where to Find Restrooms
Keep an eye out of department stores, train stations, and convenience stores because they usually have clean restrooms.
But, keep in mind that many of them lack soap and paper towels. So, I recommend carrying hand sanitizer and handkerchiefs.
Ask Your Kids What THEY Want to Do
My kids are really big anime and manga fans and that’s pretty much all they wanted to do in Tokyo.
So, I had them watch videos of things to do in Tokyo with kids and they got a few ideas of other stuff that looked cool. That’s how they found out about the Nintendo Store and Pokemon Center.
I also went on Get Your Guide and found several tours that I thought they might like and they each picked one they wanted to do.
Be Flexible and Take Breaks
Tokyo can be overwhelming for kids. So I recommend planning downtime at parks, play areas, or your hotel.
You’ll want to keep your itinerary balanced between sightseeing and playtime.
Tokyo Itinerary with Kids FAQs
Is Tokyo good for kids?
YES! I was really nervous about this trip but it was so easy to visit Tokyo with kids. We did a lot of convenience store food instead of restaurants, found kid-friendly hotels, and did a few tours that were perfect for our family.
Is 5 days enough to see Tokyo with kids?
Honestly, we could have spent a month here and not done/seen everything we’d want to. Five days in Tokyo was perfect for our family because we were pretty saturated by the end and ready to move on to the Disney part of our trip.
What’s the best month to visit Tokyo with kids?
We went in April and the weather was pretty nice but it was fairly crowded because of the cherry blossoms. I’d still go again in April though. I’ve chatted with friends and it seems like May, September, and October are also good months to visit.
Tokyo Family Vacation Wrap-Up
Our 5 days in Tokyo were packed with unforgettable experiences—cool tours, amazing food, and tons of anime-inspired fun. I’m so glad we finally made this dream trip happen for our kids (and ourselves!).
If Tokyo is on your family’s bucket list, I say go for it—you can totally make it magical, even with kids in tow.
And if you’re tacking on a few days at Tokyo Disneyland like we did, don’t miss my full breakdown of both parks and our hotel stay. You’ll want to check those out before you go!
Looking for more Japan travel content? Check out How We Spent 3 Days at Tokyo Disney with Kids, Tokyo Disneyland vs. DisneySea: Which Park is Best for Families? and How We Got the Cutest Family Photos in Tokyo (Without the Stress!)
