It lasts longer than the blossoms and it’s much easier to enjoy with kiddies.
…and when I say “enjoy with kiddies,” I really mean that it’s easier than find activities that my kids feel like is fun for them but also makes for lovely activities for adults too.
One of my favourite spots for Autumn is Showa Kinen Park. It is, at any time of the year, a beautiful piece of green space. Actually, the park is one of Tokyo’s largest parks… it’s more than 1.49 square kilometres in size! Whether you are there for the play equipment, a picnic, the bouncy domes, the ride-on train or to rent bikes – it’s a beautiful day out. The food trucks are everywhere (although, not the healthiest options but still cheap and cheerful) so if you forget your picnic there isn’t any need to worry.
When the leaves are at their peak (last year it was mid-November ) this park really is one of the most beautiful places in Tokyo to take a stroll. I use instragram to gauge just when the leaves are at their best. I wrote an article about using social media to get timings right here.
東京都立川市緑町3173
3173 MIDORI-CHO, TACHIKAWA CITY, TOKYO
OPEN: 9:30AM-5PM (CLOSES AT 4:30PM IN WINTER, OPEN UNTIL 6PM APRIL-SEPTEMBER)
CLOSED: MONDAYS (AND TUESDAYS IF MONDAY IS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY)
PRICE: SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN 80 YEN, ADULTS 400 YEN
ACCESS: 50 MINS BY TRAIN OR CAR FROM THE CENTRE OF TOKYO
WEBSITE
Another gorgeous option that is even closer to central Tokyo is Icho Namiki (aka Ginko Avenue) near Aoyama-Ichome Station. This is just a stunning place to take a walk.
20 minutes walk from here ( or cab for 7 minutes) to Aoyama Flower Market Tea House.?
This florist/cafe is so amazingly beautiful. You’ll want to take photos of everything.
The food is, at meal times, is quite …simple. The menu is constantly changing with the seasons but is almost always pasta and sandwiches. For this reason, I think it’s best to save this place for a cup of tea or a cocktail and a piece of cake. But that’s just me.
The food is okay but not the highlight.
Flowers are sold by the stem and are beautiful but a little bit expensive. There are small bouquets wrapped in brown paper near the cash register if you’re interested in a stunning memento.
If you know flowers or just really love flowers – you NEED to come here.
This cafe is known for having a looooong queue to get in and some people are happy to wait more than an hour to get in. Me with my children? eeerrrr…NO! For that reason I recommend visiting right at opening time on a weekday. Also, another tip? There is another Aoyama Flower Market Cafe in Kichijoji so if you’re out that way riding the swan boats (details here) I recommend visiting the cafe in the area – it’s a lot less crowded. There is also another in Akasaka.
AOYAMA FLOWER MARKET TEA HOUSE
南青山5-1-2
5-1-2 MINAMI-AOYAMA
OPEN 11AM-8PM (CLOSES AT 7PM ON SUNDAYS)
WEBSITE
And for more floral cafe loveliness, – I also recommend taking a walk for an additional few minutes to the Nicolai Bergmann Flagship Cafe as well. They change the back wall every season. It’s so beautiful.
Lunch sets here ( a sandwich , soup, salad with tea or coffee ) are 1600 yen.
Their desserts are also beautiful.
To avoid the crowds, weekday mornings are the most serene, of course.
Their Autumn set up is so incredibly lush.
There are plenty of beautiful magazines in English and Japanese to flick through so it’s also a lovely place to visit on your own.
Their seasonal flowers and decorations are worth visiting several times a year.
And the wall mural is especially spectacular.
I love how even the tables are seasonal.
港区南青山5-7-2
5-7-2 MINAMI-AOYAMA, MINATO-KU
OPEN EVERYDAY 10AM-8PM
WEBSITE
**See HERE for more ideas on what to do in the Aoyama area.
Pumpkin Soup with Japanese Kabocha pumpkin (the one with the green skin on the outside) is sooooooo good. Sooooo good. Try it and you’ll see that I’m not exaggerating. Kabocha is cheaper and yummiest in Autumn too.
I’m not a good cook so I don’t feel confident sharing a proper recipe but mine is just a version of a pumpkin soup from my Mother in Law. Just an onion, about 2-3 pumpkins, two teaspoons of stock and water to cover it all. I boil it longer if I want it thick or add more water if I want it thin.
My whole family loves it.
This is my “standard” when my American friends invite me to join in on their thanksgiving celebrations too.
Another beautiful park to play in the leaves is Arisugawa Park in Hiroo.
It has a lovely children’s playground up the top of the hill and a Japanese garden with a large pond down the bottom. It’s perfect for turtle, duck and carp spotting! There is a public bathroom up the top near the playground equipment and another down near the pond.
The easiest way to get here from anywhere is to take the Yamanote (city loop) line to Ebisu and then one subway stop on the Hibiya line to Hiroo (exits 1 or 2) . However, please note: Hiroo Station does not have an elevator. So if you have a heavy stroller or one adult travelling with more than one child I recommend a taxi from Ebisu Station ( a little under 1000 yen.)
ARISUGAWA PARK
5-7-29 MINAMIAZABU, MINATO
港区南麻布5-7-29
**See HERE for other things to do in this area – once you’ve finished up at the park.
Another thing I love to do with my kidlets is collect the leaves from the park and make crafty activities of them once we get home. My children get more and more excited about this every year.
If you feel like an Autumn day trip, we love Mt. Takao in this season. Don’t let people mentioning it as a hiking spot deter you. With kiddies, we take trail 1. It’s paved and it leads to the major tourist highlights – the temple, the cable car, some food spots and a monkey park (if that’s your thing … personally … monkeys chasing or potentially biting children freak me out so I skip it ….)
By taking the cable car you can turn a 90 minute walk into a 45 minute trip each way.
It’s a civilized walk. A gradual incline on a paved path. We take a foldable stroller and, when the kids were younger, a baby carrier.
The nicest and easier place to change a nappy is at the beautiful new Takaosanguchi train station.
To get to Takaosanguchi Station takes 50 minutes from Keio Shinjuku Station.
If you have children at Kindergarten or Elementary School in Japan, it is most likely that their school will take them on a field trip to dig sweet potatoes. This is only something that can be done in this particular season and, as seasonal ingredients are an important part of Japanese culture, it’s a lovely Japanese activity to be involved in (in the same way that many Americans love to visit a pumpkin patch at this time of year. )
If you get your timing right, it’s spectacular.
It is the perfect spot for hide’n’seek (and lots of playground equipment too.)
This is a playground section of Shiba Park called Shiba Koen Kodomo Heiwa Koen and it’s right next to Onarimon Station (Exit 10.)
You also have a great view of Tokyo Tower here.
It is ten minutes walk from Tokyo Tower, itself. If you’re having a hard time locating it, try putting the Minato Library into google maps as it is right next to the playground equipment.
There are public toilets here.
Even the pedestrian bridge on the way from Tokyo Tower gives a spectacular view of the Ginko trees.
The park, normally, isn’t majorly special, but in this season? Wow.
I also recommend checking out all of the seasonal meals in restaurants.
Although it’s not traditional Japanese or anything, Mr Farmer (lots of locations all over Tokyo) has a delicious Autumn menu. ( If you love Mr Farmer you’ ll also love my other veggie filled recommendations here. )
Also, keep an eye on the Autumnal products in the convenience stores. I think anything sweet potato flavoured is at least worth giving a shot.
And for all things Halloween?
There are fantastic trick or treat nights around the American School of Japan’s Chofu campus, a very (actually too scary for kids) scary parade in Roppongi and a gigantic trick or treat in the Moto-Azabu area too.
As another idea, the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi has adorable Halloween cookies for sale in their bakery.
FIORENTINA PASTRY BOUTIQUE, GRAND HYATT ROPPONGI
ROPPONGI HILLS, 6-10-3 ROPPONGI
六本木6-10-3六本木ヒルズ
OPEN 9AM-10PM
WEBSITE
The international supermarket National Azabu Florist, Sunflorist in Hiroo are selling mini-pumpkins for 400 yen. They come with little face stickers.
It’s such a cute Halloween activity.
OPEN 9:30AM-7PM
WEBSITE
For more Halloween ideas, see my Halloween post here.
