Episode 011 Show Notes – Tokyo with Kids
With your hosts Marta & Keri from Little City Trips.
Tokyo is one of the world’s megacities – it’s busy and exciting, but can also raise a lot of questions for visiting families from logistics to budget and language barriers. Just how family-friendly is Tokyo?
Our co-editor Marianne talks with Anne Sutherland-Smith from Pre-Traveller about Tokyo in today’s episode.
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We covered a community question “Should I take a double stroller when I travel”
- Keri suggests a side-by-side model works better than those with interconnecting pieces when travelling.
- Look for one hand collapse models
- Take into account the size of the wheels, don’t compromise too much or they cannot handle the weight
- Weigh it up based on ages and stages (especially if you’re outnumbered by kids!)
- Click here for a good guide to purchasing double strollers
You can ask your question in our City Travel with Kids community here and find the full Little City Trips Family Guide to Tokyo here.
[6.48] Tokyo with kids interview with Anne
Anne and her husband Tony along with their three kids live in Sydney but fell in love with Japan. Based on the number of mistakes they made on their first visit, they were determined to help others and set up the Japan Travel Planning Facebook Group which now has over 75,000 members.
[9.57] Important things to know before planning a trip to Tokyo
- Best times are spring and autumn
- Autumn is great, but there is still a typhoon risk
- Summer can be hot and humid but is the best time to climb Mt Fuji
- You can day trip to the snow in winter
- Best ways to get around Tokyo
- Get your Tokyo Metro Pass
- Accessibility on Tokyo transport
- Only need Japan Rail Pass if you’re travelling beyond Tokyo
- Budgeting for a trip to Tokyo
- Taxis can be expensive
- Family-sized accommodation is expensive
- You can save money with convenience store food but it’s not necessarily healthy
- Once you add premium activities it can add up
- Language barriers – have fun with sign language!
[16.50] Tokyo 3-day family itinerary
You can view a detailed version of Anne’s suggested 3-day itinerary here.
Day 1 in Tokyo
- Sumo Tournament
- Sumo Training Morning
- Sumo Tour & stable visit
- Ryogoku area
- Asakusa area
- Asakusa Temple & cultural centre
- Foodie experiences
Day 2 in Tokyo
- Digital Art Museum – TeamLab experiences
- Odaiba area
- The giant Ghibli Clock
Day 3 in Tokyo
- Ghibli Museum
- Godzilla Shinjuku
- Robot Restaurant Show
- Tokyo Toy Museum
- Shinjuku Area
- Harajuku food tour
[24.58] More attractions to visit if you have longer in Tokyo
- DisneySea Tokyo – more thrill rides, better older kids
- Disneyland Tokyo – similar to Disney around the world
- Day trip to Mount Fuji
- Fuji-Q Highland Amusement Park
- Oshino Ninja Village
- Kyoto as an add on 2 days
- Temples & Shrines – family tours possible
- Foodie tour through Nishiki Market
- Nara deer park
[28.06] Best areas to stay in Tokyo
Make sure you’re close to a train station as you will use it a lot. If using a JR pass (best if you’re travelling further around Japan) you want to stay near JR Yamanote Line – circle around the city. Otherwise, Metro stations which cross the city and tend to be faster.
Asakusa, northern side. Find lots of good food options nearby, and fewer tourists. Budget hostel options can work for families.
Akasaka – western side of Tokyo close to Shinjuku and Shibuya. Metro stations close for getting around the city. Try Centurion Classic
Popular tourist areas include Ginza, Shinjuku, Shibuya.
Click here for more advice on where to stay in Tokyo.
[30.52] Favourite places to eat
- What to expect in Japanese restaurants
- Sushi is different in Japan than what you might expect!
- There are places to get more western-style food
- Don’t eat convenience food while walking
- Rice is available almost everywhere
- Kids you may want to bring your own travel cutlery
- Kids may love Japanese Fried Chicken, Raman Noodles
[34.16] Resources and items you’ll need to pack for Tokyo
- Hotels and hostels have toiletries available for you
- Bring pocket wifi or pre-paid sim card
[35.15] Our fast five questions on Tokyo
- Hidden Gem: Everything other than the main attractions
- Splurge: A foodie tour
- Save: Tokyo Sky Tree tickets
- App: Google maps!
- Playground: Tokyo Toy Museum – Indoor & Outdoor play areas
See our full family guide to Tokyo Here
About the City Expert – Anne
Anne Sutherland-Smith and her husband Tony run the Pretraveller travel blog from their home town of Sydney, Australia. The Pretraveller blog helps people to plan their travel to Japan, South Korea and other destinations.
Anne and Tony have now visited Tokyo multiple times with their three children, most recently for the cherry blossom season in April 2019. They have loved exploring both the major tourist attractions as well as off the beaten track parts of Tokyo.
They also run the Japan Travel Planning Facebook Group which has over 75,000 members which enables people to ask questions to help them plan their trips to Japan.
You can play the episode here or click here for instructions on how to download to your favourite podcast player.
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