As of late, more and more friends ask me about holidays in Japan. Not that I mind giving tips and sharing my stories, I just thought that if I start a Japan Travel Guide series then I can share it with more people. :)
This post lists my suggestions for places to visit with your family in Tokyo.
1. Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo Disneysea
Disney's slogan "The Happiest Place on Earth" no matter how questionable the reality is, has attracted millions of visitors every year. Most families would want to visit one of the Disney Theme Parks at least once. In Tokyo, they have two available: the Tokyo Disneyland that is very similar to Disneyland Anaheim and the Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneysea that is one of a kind and you can not find another one elsewhere.
We visited Tokyo Disneyland in 2013 on a cold drizzly day, and Tokyo Disneysea in June 2016. Expect a huge crown even on a weekday, and please try to save yourself from the holiday and weekend crowd. If you want to save some money on admission fees, you can buy a ticket that's valid after 3 pm. If you go in the summer you can still catch some sunlight.
I wouldn't recommend going to both places in a single day. You will need a whole day to cover each of the park.
I wouldn't recommend going to both places in a single day. You will need a whole day to cover each of the park.
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| Tokyo Disneyland |
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| Tokyo Disneyland |
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| Tokyo Disneyland |
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| Tokyo Disneysea |
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| Tokyo Disneysea |
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| Tokyo Disneysea |
2. Miraikan The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
We had the pleasure of visiting the Miraikan in December 2017. We only had a few hours there so we weren't able to see everything they had to offer but it was well worth the trip!
Located in Odaiba, the Miraikan building is just a short walk away from the Telecom Center Station. Depending on the time, you can also take the train to Tokyo Teleport Station and walk a little further.
Inside the Miraikan they usually have Special Exhibitions as well as their permanent ones. During certain times, you can watch ASIMO the humaniod robot in action. There are many displays that not only give you insight but also challenges your mind to think about our earth's future. We all had a lot of fun there. All of their description has English version displayed.
Inside the Miraikan they usually have Special Exhibitions as well as their permanent ones. During certain times, you can watch ASIMO the humaniod robot in action. There are many displays that not only give you insight but also challenges your mind to think about our earth's future. We all had a lot of fun there. All of their description has English version displayed.
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| Miraikan Building |
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| ASIMO |
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| Learning about the internet |
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| Wishes and inspiration. |
Please click the map below to get directions from Shibuya Station.
3. Doraemon (Fujiko F. Fujio) Museum
If you are around my age (non-disclosure!) chances are you are familiar with or at least know-of the robotic cat from the future lovingly known all around the world as Doraemon. If you have kids, they probably have heard of it as well, even if they haven't inherited your stuffed animals/DVD/manga collections yet.
Just outside Tokyo in Kawasaki area, there is a museum of Fujiko F. Fujio (the author of Doraemon) featuring his life story, his works, and of course the famous Doraemon. Tickets are available on their website and you can buy them in advance. If you are already in Japan, you can buy the tickets at the ticket machines in Lawson stores. Read about our experience there in this post.
Just outside Tokyo in Kawasaki area, there is a museum of Fujiko F. Fujio (the author of Doraemon) featuring his life story, his works, and of course the famous Doraemon. Tickets are available on their website and you can buy them in advance. If you are already in Japan, you can buy the tickets at the ticket machines in Lawson stores. Read about our experience there in this post.
Click on the map below to get directions.
4. The Science Museum in Chiyoda
Unlike the Miraikan listed above, this science museum does not have a lot of English descriptions on their display. However, the fact that most of the displays are hands on makes it super attractive for children. It's almost like a big educational playground! They have science experiment shows on schedule, you can check their website for more information. You can also see more pictures on this post.
Please click the map below for directions.
5. NHK Studio Park or Ghibli Museum
It's difficult for me to decide which one should go for the last spot. Ghibli Museum is a must of course, if you are a Ghibli fan. Surprisingly, many people have never heard of Studio Ghibli before, let alone watching their movies. So if you don't care about Ghibli stuff, then you can go to NHK Studio Park instead.
First, lets talk about the Ghibli Museum. It is located a bit outside Tokyo, about as far from Tokyo as the Doraemon Museum listed above. Their tickets sell out very quickly so I would advise you to purchase them way in advance. The museum is mainly about the history of animation videos and the makings of animation videos. Of course, the displays use our beloved characters from Ghibli movies. On the rooftop they have a few statues from Castle in The Sky for picture taking.
They have information flyers in English, but some of their sections are 100% in Japanese. Don't worry though, there are still plenty of things to do. You can try your hand at being a news anchor, a nature camera person, sound mixing person, and more. See more details on this post.
So that's it for now, if you know of any other places please let me know!
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