Here are my ‘tried & tested’ rainy day go-tos.
If you are looking for a rainy day Shinjuku with kids options:
See a movie on a rainy day in Shinjuku
Consider seeing a movie at 109 Premium Cinemas in Kabukicho Tower. The seats are big and comfy and all you can eat drink and popcorn included in your movie ticket price!
You can also purchase an S class ticket that gives you access to the premium lounge afterwards – which includes a free alcoholic drink.
These movie theaters do not accept cash.
If you’re ever worried how to work out which movies are in English with Japanese subtitles and which are dubbed… see my Movies in Japan blog post here.
Go to Tokyo Toy Museum with babies -5 year olds
Tokyo Toy Museum is so so well done. I have all the details here.
If you are looking for a rainy day Odaiba with kids options:
If you are looking for a rainy day Shibuya with kids options:
This is my new favourite inner-city playcentre! Shibuya Playground 4 Kids. I have written in detail about this playcentre here.
In Shibuya, right near the crossing is the very famous department store Shibuya 109.
It’s the mecca for Kawaii shopping. It’s full of affordable, kawaii, glitzy, sparkly, kitschy, loveliness all aimed at teenage and University-aged young women. It’s a great spot to enter – just for some very interesting window shopping. (In case the boys are feeling left out… these is also a Shibuya 109 Mens around the corner too.). See my more general tips for children and teen clothing shopping in Tokyo.
You can also take print club photo booth sticker photos in the basement here. I wrote about it in detail in my Shibuya with kids blog post.
In Shibuya is the BEST karaoke box set up I’ve ever seen!! It’s called Rainbow Karaoke Shibuya and I’ve written a whole post on this kid-friendly karaoke venue here.
If you are looking for a rainy day Harajuku with kids options:
Reissue, the latte art cafe, is such a fun cafe to visit as their baristas are actually very talented artists. It’s located in the back grungy alleyways of Harajuku. You are shown to your seat , you choose your coffee or hot chocolate and then show a picture or photo (on your phone is fine) of what you would like on top. The drink order takes about 15 minutes so make sure you have some things for kids to do while you wait. They really are so talented. It’s definitely not the cheapest cup of coffee ( around 1000 yen) but is a really fun thing to do for adults and children. Reissue also serve rice, soup or salad lunch plates.
There is a big flight of stairs at the entrance so you may need to decide to either fold up and carry in your stroller or leave it outside.
TANJI BUILDING, 2F, 3-25-7 JINGUMAE
神宮前3-25-7, TANJIビル2F
OPEN 10am-6pm
Read here for more ideas of things to do in Harajuku with Kids.
See here for a list of recommended restaurants for families in Harajuku (our faves) .
This large playcentre Asobono is just by Tokyo Dome. It is the largest, cleanest and most multi-dimensional playcentre I have ever visited.
My kids get so excited when we go here but.. I must admit, I have a love/hate relationship with this place. We do have to have a bit of a ‘team meeting’ about staying together and going through each section – bit by bit. Don’t worry, kids can’t leave the play centre without you but.. still.. I don’t like not being able to see both kids at the same time. But if your kids are “runners” – this probably isn’t the place for you.
That being said – this place is a sight to be seen!!!!!! It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen! A play supermarket, a play restaurant, a doll section, a train room, a jumping castle, a ball pit, slides… everything.
If it wasn’t for the long lines to get in I would go much more often. I strongly recommend arriving 15-20 minutes before opening time.
My kids love the jumping castles, giant ball pit, pretend supermarket and restaurant and the model train room.
1-3-61 KORAKU, BUNKYO-KU
文京区後楽1-3-61
OPEN: 10AM-6PM WEEKDAYS, 9:30-7PM WEEKENDS
WEBSITE
Sumida Aquarium isn’t very big but it is so well done. Each section feels like an art installation. We’ve been more than 10 times. It’s located within the Skytree complex. 2300 yen for adults, 1700 yen for senior high school students, 1100 yen for elementary and junior high students, 700 yen for 3 years old and up, Kids under 3 are free. Here are other things to do in this immediate area (the Tokyo Skytree area.)
TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN, SOLAMACHI 5th & 6th FLOOR, 1-1-2 SUMIDA, OSHIAGE
墨田区押上1-1-2東京スカイツリータウン・ソラマチ5F・6F
OPEN WEEKDAYS 10AM-8PM
OPEN WEEKENDS 9AM-9PM
SUMIDA AQUARIUM WEBSITE
My children always take a few songs to warm up but their favourites are the nursery rhymes and the Disney songs. My little boy loves singing the theme songs to Disney Junior favourites, Old MacDonald and my little girl loves Sing so is now happy to sing to Elton John’s “I’m Still Standing” or “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift. Pick up the phone to ask for help with disco lighting or changing the room temperature. Don’t be worried about the noise levels – you have your own volume controls too.
For bigger kiddies, why not practice ordering and they can pick up the phone and try for themselves?
eg. “orenji jyuusu hitotsu kudasai !” (one orange juice please!)
Keep in mind: this doesn’t have to be an evening activity : they are open from midday until 6am!
The Karaoke-kan brand has several in Roppongi , just near the crossing. Look for the blue & red signs.
KARAOKEKAN, ROPPONGI
港区六本木4-9-9
4-9-9 ROPPONGI, MINATO
OPEN: MIDDAY- 6AM
PRICES CHANGE FOR TIMES OF DAY (CHEAPER BEFORE 7PM) EXPECT TO PAY ABOUT 250YEN PER PERSON FOR EACH 30 MINUTES , DRINKS & FOOD ARE ADDITIONAL. PRICES ARE MORE LIKE 650 YEN PER 30 MINS LATE AT NIGHT OR ON WEEKENDS.
WEBSITE (JAPANESE)
Another idea, although it is not an activity but a restaurant that feels like a real outing, is Gonpachi (otherwise knows as “The Kill Bill Restaurant”). Is it a total tourist trap? Yes! It’s it great fun and very cool? YES! It’s also very easy with children – for lunch or an early sitting at dinner.
If you visit on a Sunday or Wednesday night and stay until 8pm you can see a special event like Japanese taiko drumming or sometimes they have a chef slicing up a gigantic tuna etc.
I recommend making a reservation. It’s a lively, picturesque setting for a meal. Don’t rush in – the entrance is filled with signed photos of famous visitors.
They have also just recently introduced vegan sushi here as menu option.
GONPACHI, NISHIAZABU
1-13-11 NISHI-AZABU, MINATO
港区西麻布1-13-11
OPEN: 11:30AM-3:30AM
WEBSITE
Team Lab Borderless is in this area. You can go to Borderless (all indoors) and then onto these places for a meal afterwards.
Red Tokyo is an indoor arcade with a VR focus.
Downstairs are climb-in trains and buses and a mini train outdoors too. In the outdoor section is a library carriage with picture books and upstairs near the playcentre section is a model train room for a set amount of children for 30 minutes at a time. You’ll need to wait for a new “session” to start and is probably better for kids 5+ as my little guy was in destructo-mode and I don’t think we were very popular with the hard-core train-goers….
There is the Tama Zoo across the road (I haven’t been yet though) if you need something to do afterwards.
There is also a brand new playcentre directly next door. I wrote about it here.
One of the highlights for my two are the “real” ticket gates at the entrance. Got to love those details!
The gentlemen that work there are just divine. So patient with train-crazed crazies !!!
The main section upstairs is more like a playcentre with a small eating area with some vending machine snacks & juice boxes ( we usually take our own snacks.)
3-36-39 HODOKUBO, HINO
日野程久保3-36-39
OPEN: 9:30AM – 5:30PM (CLOSED WEDNESDAYS)
WEBSITE (JAPANESE ONLY)
Within this LalaPort Complex, my kids really liked eating at the hamburg (bun-less hamburgers) restaurant called ‘Ishigamaya Hamburg‘ on the 3rd floor. They had a great kids plate and the kids could choose one toy each. There was also a vegetarian tofu salad for me!
There is also a steam locomotive themed cafe that we need to try asap and report back.
In the latest news : there is a fantastic new playcentre in Yokohama called PuChu!
Check out the PuChu! details here (and I’ll get a write up out to you as soon as possible.)
I actually put off a visit to the Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama for a long time. But once we went I wish I hadn’t left it so long! It was spacious and had so many different things for kids to do. It’s a proper hands-on children’s museum and it’s all indoors so is perfect for rainy days.
My daughter loved decorating her own noodle packaging….
Then choosing her own ingredients….
The whole museum is extremely English-friendly and lots and lots of different exhibits that keep it really fresh and exciting for little people. Even the story of instant noodles and how they came about and their creator is told with projected images and sculptures.
There is a play area on the top floor and a food court that sells noodles in the form that they are eaten around the world. The play area was tricky for me as I was there alone with my two kids (I’m a bit bitter and grumpy about this one) and the minimum age is 3 years old – children must also be taller than 90 cms. . So I couldn’t leave out my littlest one and, even if I wanted to, I was required to go in to supervise my big one ….impossible without abandoning my youngest.) So we, of course, skipped that bit.
Entry to the whole museum is : 500 yen for adults. Children in High School and younger are free.
横浜市中区新港2-3-4
2-3-4 SHINKO, NAKA-KU, YOKOHAMA
OPEN: 10AM-6PM
CLOSED : TUESDAYS (CLOSED WEDNESDAYS IF TUESDAY IS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY)
WEBSITE
See HERE for more Yokohama with Kids suggestions.
It is considerably cheaper than inner city playcentres.
There are no bathrooms inside the facility so you’ll need to take kiddies outside (close by) to the department store bathrooms. There is, however, a room for changing nappies and breastfeeding.
My kids had a ball here and we stayed for about 2.5 hours.
Admission is 1800 yen for 1 child and 1 adult for a full day pass ( ask for hourly rate if you plan on staying less than 1.5 hours as it will work out cheaper that way. )
This centre also offers babysitting services while parents’ shop in the department store for an additional fee.
This playcentre is approx 20 minutes from Yokohama Station, Futakotamagawa and Zoorasia.
Next to the playcentre is an amusement game centre.
JOY KIDS WORLD ENFUNY, CENTER MINAMI BRANCH
神奈川県横浜市都筑区茅ヶ崎中央5-1, B館6階
BUILDING B, 6TH FLOOR, 5-1 CHIGASAKICHUO, TSUZUKI-KU, YOKOHAMA-SHI, KANAGAWA
OPEN EVERYDAY 10AM-7PM
WEBSITE (website is in Japanese)
Their instagram account : joykidsworld_enfuny actually has more information in English.
And just when I thought we had seen all of the train-related museums in Tokyo… we found one more!!
This one is perfect for rainy days as the entrance is actually located inside the same building as Miyazakidai Station (just outside the south exit gates) so, once you’re on the train at your end… you can stay dry for the rest of the adventure.
The museum is about 40 minutes by car or 25 minutes from Shibuya (make sure you take a ‘local’ or you’ll have to change trains along the way) on the Den-en Toshi line.
We spent about 1.5 hours here.
Both my 2 year old and 4 year old had a fabulous time.
My 2 year old loved driving the model trains the most and jumping in and out of the trains and buses. Whereas, my big girl loved the pretend pedestrian crossing (it’s so funny how all they want to do is pretend they are grownups at this age, right?) and just basic imaginary play on the trains.
My daughter and I had a fabulous time taking print club stickers at the gift shop before we left.
Inside the museum are some snack and juice vending machines and some of the train carriages are set up purely for snack and rest time.
For something more than a snack, just outside the entrance (still under the station roof) there is a take away only bakery, a convenience store and a supermarket.
The museum has change tables and a breastfeeding space.
There is stroller parking just in front of the ticket entrance.
Entrance is crazy cheap! 200 yen for adults and 100 yen for kids over 3!!
If the weather allows there, is also a small playground in Miyazakidai 2 Park, just a 3 minutes walk away from the museum. This is a simple neighbourhood park but has swings, a climbing frame and a couple of slides.
THE TOKYU TRAIN & BUS MUSEUM
川崎市宮前区宮崎2-10-12
2-10-12 MIYAZAKI, MIYAMAE-KU, KAWASAKI
OPEN 10AM-4:30PM
CLOSED THURSDAYS (AND OVER THE NEW YEAR HOLIDAYS)
WEBSITE (FOR REFERENCE BUT IN JAPANESE ONLY)
Kidzania is the indoor amusement park is a miniature world where children can try out different occupations – with all of the uniforms and the props included. I have written in detail about Kidzania in Japan here.
And also in Toyosu is the Team Lab DMM Planets exhibition.
My family’s favourite parts are the giant balls and the section where you walk into water with projected images on top.
It’s pure magic. All of the details are here.
Other idea: The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo just became a LOT more kid friendly and kid focused.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo Website is here.
