Ok. I’ll let you know a few things before I talk about what is inside the station.
Shortcut one for Tokyo Station:
Common sense but peak hours are going to be busier for making your way through the station. If you can, avoid exploring the station between 7AM-10AM.
Shortcut two for Tokyo Station:
If you are taking a taxi to Tokyo Station to take a bullet train, ask the driver to take you to the Yaesu Gate.
For Shinkansen ( bullet train) tips with kids, see my post here.
Shortcut three for Tokyo Station:
Yes there are some kid-friendly options in the station but for MANY more options that are really close by (most are walking distance, even) check out my Ginza with Kids post here.
TOKYO STATION WITH KIDS
Tokyo Station breakfast suggestion…
And if you wanted a breakfast just next to Tokyo Station, I recommend Sarabeths.
It is a lovely western, very very old school breakfast/brunch.
I’m from Melbourne, Australia, and, to me, this kind of breakfast is very very old school. It was yummy and good quality but a bit like having breakfast out in the 80s.
The menu is on their website if you’d like to check ahead. My egg white and cheese omelette was delicious.
They do have high chairs for babies.
They also allow you to bring your own baby food into their restaurant.
There is a rooftop area on the 3rd floor. They accept credit cards here.
SARABETHS, TOKYO STATION
2&3RD FLOOR, TEKKO BUILDING, SOUTH BUILDING, 1-8-2 MARUNOUCHI, CHIYODA-KU
千代田区丸の内1-8-2 鉃鋼ビルディング南館2・3F
OPEN WEEKDAYS 8AM-11PM
OPEN SATURDAYS 9AM-11PM
OPEN SUNDAYS 9AM-10PM
SARABETHS WEBSITE
A suggestion for wriggly kids is to spend some time in an indoor area called ” Character Street” inside Tokyo Station.
“Character Street” is an indoor section of a mall completely dedicated to Japanese characters and toys and all the merchandise included.
A number of the shops have small, hands-on play sections (at no charge) which makes it a perfect distraction on a rainy day or before or after a bullet train trip.
My little boy gets the most excited about the Plarail (train toys), Tomica (toy cars), Lego and the Pikachu shop. There are also other characters like Hello Kitty, lots of the Studio Ghibli merchandise, manga related goods from “One Piece” and Rilakkuma etc.
To make finding this “street” a bit easier….enter Tokyo Station from any direction and once you’re inside (not the ticket gates, just inside the station building) head towards the department store Daimaru and when you’re near the entrance go down to the B1 floor and you’ll see the toys right away.
There are bathrooms and change tables all around Tokyo Station. Unfortunately you’ll need to go “the long way” to change floors at times as stairs and escalators are more common than elevators – but they are there.
Tomica Macaroni anyone?
CHARACTER STREET (INSIDE TOKYO STATION)
千代田区丸の内1-9-1
1-9-1 MARUNOUCHI, CHIYODA
OPEN EVERYDAY 10AM-8:30PM
And if you’re looking for something really cool to take home from Tokyo, I love the shop called Travelers Factory.
They don’t just have vintage stickers but also stock adorable stationery, passport holders and leather goods. There stickers were 220 yen each. Follow them on instagram www.instagram.com/travelers_factory
TRAVELERS FACTORY, TOKYO STATION
千代田区丸の内1-9-1 JR東日本東京駅構内地下1階 改札外
JR TOKYO STATION, MARUNOUCHI UNDERGROUND NORTH EXIT, OUTSIDE THE TICKET GATE
OPEN 10AM-10PM (CLOSES AT 9PM ON SUNDAYS & PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
WEBSITE
And there is also the amazing T’s Tan Tan Ramen. The entire restaurant is vegan. It is called T’s Tan Tan. The ramen, the gyoza, the “beef” bowls. They have Gluten Free and Nut free options too.
There are also lots of take away vegan options.
The restaurant is actually located within the gates of JR Tokyo Station,. But, even if you’re not travelling, I still recommend buying the basic “Platform/send off ” ticket for 130 yen for the pleasure.
To help you find it, go to the entrance to JR Tokyo that can be seen from McDonalds ( past Daimaru on your left.)
IT IS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS HERE!
I also recommend grabbing a bento here for the bullet train. So yummy.
Here are some photos from my most recent visit.
T’S TAN TAN RAMEN
千代田区丸の内１-９−１ JR東京駅（改札内）KeiyoStreet内 1階
1ST (GROUND FLOOR) KEIYO STREET (WITHIN THE TICKET GATES AT JR TOKYO STATION)
1-9-1 MARUNOUCHI, CHIYODA
OPEN 7AM-11PM
*There are other stores in Jiyugaoka and Ueno and in Terminals 1 & 2 of Narita Airport.
For another vegan bento option for the bullet train: I recommend going to Deli Comer at Tokyo Station. The bentos here are kind of like vegan taco bowls.
Side note: If you are looking for Gluten Free soy sauce in Nihonbashi then I recommend going to the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store Food Court (just north of Tokyo Station) for gluten free Tamari.
For gluten free and vegan ramen, I recommend checking out Soranoiro Nippon in Tokyo Ramen Street inside Tokyo Station. They have two gluten free ramen options to choose from.
SORANOIRO NIPPON
11AM-8:30PM
OPEN EVERYDAY OF THE YEAR
Another food idea near Tokyo Station for lunch or dinner
If you’d like to eat incredible tempura, soba and just try some izakaya food as a family, I recommend dining at Stand Japa Soba Hanako. It is 5 mins walk from Tokyo Station (via Exit B1A.) This restaurant welcomes children who are 6 and older. This restaurant has gluten free (please make sure you show them an allergy card or my details of what it means to be GF here) AND vegetarian options (you will need to order carefully though if you are vegetarian and don’t want to eat anything cooked in fish stock – aka “dashi”). I recommend coming here for lunch or dinner (best to ask your hotel to make a reservation ahead of time) – during busy times – you will be asked to occupy a table for no longer than 2 hours at a time. The vibe is casual and vibey. It’s lovely. I recommend getting the tempura, for sure! This restaurant accepts most major credit cards. They have free wifi here and power points so you can charge your phone, if you like. When dining here, I recommend budgeting for 2000-3000 yen per adult – like most izakayas in Japan, the idea is you order lots of little dishes and share as a group and then order more as you go. Please note that there is a 350 yen service charge per person at dinner time.
STAND JAPA SOBA HANAKO
千代田区丸の内1-4-1 丸の内永楽ビルディングiiyo B1F
BASEMENT FLOOR, MARUNOUCHI EIRAKU BUILDING, 1-4-1 MARUNOUCHI, CHIYODA
OPEN MON-SAT & NAT. HOLIDAYS 11AM-2:30PM & 5PM-11PM (LAST ORDERS ARE 30-60 MINS PRIOR TO EACH SESSIONS END TIME)
Family-Friendly (& gluten free) Sushi at Tokyo Station
Inside of the mall connected to Tokyo Station called Gransta Marunouchi . The sushi restaurant is called Tsukiji Sushiko Wa Nagomi. This restaurant welcomes children and babies, has a kids’ menu and also has space to store strollers while you dine. Tsukiji Sushiko Wa Nagomi also have an extensive allergen menu that includes all of their products and which contain gluten and which contain animal products etc. If you are gluten-free, then I recommend bringing your own soy sauce with you.
This restaurant has a standing sushi bar but also tables as an option – so you can choose. This restaurant seats 78 people so it’s not like many sushi places that sit only a handful of groups.
The entire restaurant is non-smoking and also has free wifi.
They accept most major credit cards.
On weekdays they are open from 7am !
This restaurant also serves wine and beer.
At lunch time I would budget for around 2000 yen per adult and for dinner? more like 4000 yen for a proper meal.
This restaurant accepts reservations as well as walk-ins for the seated area -but the standing sushi section is walk-ins only.
TSUKIJI SUSHIKO WA NAGOMI
千代田区丸の内1-9-1 JR東日本東京駅構内地下1F改札外
GROUND FLOOR ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE TICKET GATES (MEANING YOU DON’T NEED TO BE TAKING A TRAIN/HAVE A TICKET TO DINE HERE)
INSIDE TOKYO STATION (2 MINS WALK FROM THE NORTH MARUNOUCHI EXIT OF TOKYO STATION)
1-9-1 MARUNOUCHI, CHIYODA-KU
SEATED AREA OF THE RESTAURANT OPEN MONDAY-SATURDAY: 7AM-10PM (LAST ORDER 9:30PM)
SEATED AREA OF THE RESTAURANT OPEN SUNDAYS & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: 8AM-9PM (LAST ORDER 8:30PM)
STANDING SUSHI BAR OPEN MONDAY-SATURDAY: 11AM-10PM (LAST ORDER 9:30PM)
STANDING SUSHI BAR OPEN SUNDAYS & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS: 11AM-9PM (LAST ORDER 8:30PM)
Side note: If you are looking for Gluten Free soy sauce in Nihonbashi then I recommend going to the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store Food Court (just north of Tokyo Station) for gluten free Tamari.
Family Friendly Wagyu Beef Lunch (or Dinner) option near Tokyo Station with kids
You will need a reservation with kids here, but I recommend going to Yonezawa Gyu Oki. You can choose to eat the Wagyu Beef as skewers or in a sukiyaki or shabu shabu dish. Children are welcome here. For lunch, it is best to budget approximately 4000 yen per adult and more like 10,000 yen at dinner time. This restaurant accepts most major credit cards. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. Yonezawa Gyu Oki have an English menu. This restaurant is 1 min on foot from Tokyo Station via the Yaesu exit.
YONEZAWA GYU OKI
千代田区丸の内1-9-1 グランスタ八重北 B1F 黒塀横丁
BASEMENT FLOOR OF GRANSTA YAESU NORTH, 1-9-1 MARUNOUCHI, CHIYODA
OPEN FOR LUNCH 11AM-4PM
OPEN FOR DINNER 4PM-11PM
A yummy gyoza recommendation near Tokyo Station
Tokyo Gyozaro (address is 2-2-1 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku and it’s open from 11am-approx 10pm every night but Sunday where it shuts at 8:45pm.) This is a super casual “hole in the wall” restaurant offering gyoza, obviously, and ramen and some other Chinese dishes. They also do offer takeout. Cash only. I would expect to spend around 2000 yen per adult here – no matter what time of day. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. Tokyo Gyozaro is 2 mins walk from the Yaesu South exit of Tokyo Station.
A kid-friendly conveyor belt (sushi train) restaurant 4 mins walk from Tokyo Station
These guys welcome young families. The entire restaurant is non-smoking too. The restaurant is called Nemuro Hanamaru, Kitte Marunouchi Store. It is inside the Kitte Department Store Building – on the 5th floor. This restaurant accepts most major credit cards. I would budget around 2000 yen per adult to eat a meal here. If it is busy you will take a number from a ticket dispenser and wait until your number is called (this restaurant does not take reservations.)
To get there from Tokyo Station, take the Tokyo Station Marunouchi South Exit and then you only have to walk for 1 min to Kitte Marunouchi.
If you are coming by subway, take the Marunouchi line to Tokyo Station and use the underground walkways to get to Kitte.
NEMURO HANAMARU KITTE MARUNOUCHI
千代田区丸の内2-7-2 KITTE 5F
5TH FLOOR OF THE KITTE DEPARTMENT STORE, 2-7-2 MARUNOUCHI, CHIYODA-KU
OPEN WEEKDAYS 11AM-11PM (LAST ORDER 10PM)
OPEN WEEKENDS 11AM-10PM (LAST ORDER 9PM)
All you can eat American Food Chain “Sizzler”
Did you know that Japan has all you can eat restaurant Sizzler?
There is one on the basement floor of the Tokyo International Forum. *This restaurant is 1 min walk from Tokyo Station or 2 mins walk from Yurakucho Station
It is an easy option for families who want to eat lots of salads and American style meals. It is also an easy option for gluten free visitors -they have a detailed allergen menu for their steak sauces and also for salad options etc.
Budget for adults for lunch – 3000 yen and approx 6000 yen at dinnertime.
Sizzler accepts most major credit cards. The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
See the children’s menu at Sizzler here.
SIZZLER TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FORUM
千代田区丸の内3-5-1東京国際フォーラム ＡブロックB1
B1 TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FORUM, A BLOCK, 3-5-1 MARUNOUCHI, CHIYODA
OPEN 11AM-10PM (LAST ORDER AT 9:30PM)*OPEN FROM 8AM ON WEEKENDS
Side note: If you are looking for Gluten Free soy sauce in Nihonbashi then I recommend going to the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store Food Court (just north of Tokyo Station) for gluten free Tamari.
Modern Mexican Restaurant 1 min walk from Tokyo Station
There is a beautiful “feels a bit fancy” restaurant just 1 min from Tokyo Station called “Mucho Modern Mexican.”
They welcome kids here but have limited seats in an area where they allow children under 6, so please make a reservation to avoid missing a spot.
As I say above, this restaurant feels a little bit fancy so if your little one isn’t great at staying in their seat for a meal then I would wait until they are a bit older.
Reservations can be made in English via their website. They have an English Menu and they accept most major credit cards. The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
You can see the entire Mucho Modern Mexican Menu here.
Please note that this restaurant charges 440 per person after 5pm on weekdays and after 3pm on weekends. There is also a 10% late night charge after 10:00 p.m.
MUCHO MODERN MEXICAN
千代田区丸の内2-7-3 東京ビルTOKIA 2F
2ND FLOOR, TOKYO BUILDING TOKIA, 2-7-3 MARUNOUCHI, CHIYODA
OPEN WEEKDAYS 11AM-3PM & 5PM-11PM
OPEN SAT 11AM-11PM
OPEN SUN 11AM-10PM
Family-Friendly Italian Restaurant that looks onto a lovely green terrace just 5 mins walk from Tokyo Station
A16 Tokyo is a lovely casual Italian restaurant. They welcome families. It is quite spacious (for Tokyo, anyway.) A16 Tokyo accepts walk-ins and reservations. They also take most major credit cards. They seat over 70 people indoors and have 30 seats on the terrace.
When budgeting to dine here, I would put aside approx 2000 yen for adults at lunch – and more like 4000 yen per adult at dinner time. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. You can see the A16 Lunch Menu here and the A16 Dinner Menu here.
This restaurant is 5 mins walk from Tokyo Station and 5 mins walk from Tokyo International Forum.
A16 TOKYO
千代田区丸の内2-6-1丸の内ブリックススクエア 1F
GROUND FLOOR, MARUNOUCHI BRICK SQUARE, 2-6-1 MARUNOUCHI, CHIYODA
OPEN WEEKDAYS 11AM-11PM (LUNCH MENU AVAILABLE 11AM-2PM)
OPEN WEEKENDS AND NATIONAL HOLIDAYS 11AM-10PM (LUNCH MENU AVAILABLE 11AM-2PM)
If you are looking for very affordable pizza, I recommend this restaurant – 7 mins in a cab from Ginza Station or 9 mins in a cab from Tokyo Station.
3 mins walk from Mimaru Hatchobori is Pizza and Wine Restaurant Kayabaru. This casual restaurant accepts most major credit cards. You can walk-in if you like but it’s probably a good idea to ask the hotel to make a reservation on your behalf. For adults, they offer an all you can drink (nomihoudai) in 2 hours menu. Pizzas are all less than 1500 yen (even cheaper on Saturdays.) Please note that there is a service charge of 380 yen per person to dine here.
PIZZA & WINE KAYABARU
中央区日本橋茅場町2-11-1
2-11-1 KAYABACHO , NIHONBASHI, CHUO-KU
OPEN WEEKDAYS 5PM-11PM (LAST ORDERS 10PM)
OPEN SATURDAYS 11:30AM-3PM & 4PM-10PM (LAST ORDERS 9PM)
CLOSED SUNDAYS
