Tokyo is a megacity. No travel guide or review can even begin to scratch the surface of all that you can see and do in this megalopolis. We went as a family on spring break and learned a few tips that might help you plan your trip!
History
Tokyo was known as the fishing village of Edo before 1603 when it became the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate (if you’ve watched Shogun, you’ve heard this reference). It quickly grew in size and became the seat of Japan’s royal family in 1868.
It’s also the site of many tragedies including a devastating earthquake in the early 19th century. During WWII, Tokyo was bombed by the Allies as they tried to decimate Imperial Japan’s defenses. Most of the city was destroyed but rebuilt as part of Japan’s soaring economy in the post-war boom.
Today, Tokyo is one of the financial hubs of the world and is known for its tech-centered economy, bright lights, and safety.
Visit
General Tips
Visiting Tokyo is like visiting five New Yorks. It’s large and overwhelming, and it is hard to even know where to begin your trip planning! For history-lovers, there are a few must-see sites, so I recommend focusing on those and then fitting in a few more that might be fun for your family.
I highly recommend using a travel agent to help you plan your trip, especially if this is your first time in Japan. The customs and language barrier can be difficult to overcome without someone helping you. I was lucky that my travel agent had visited Japan the year before my family went so her advice was invaluable. I highly recommend Angie!
- Lodging: Stick to the well-known tourist areas to ensure a Western-style hotel and to be near the sites you’ll want to see. The neighborhoods of Ginza and Marunouchi are good, centralized areas. We stayed at The Edition in Ginza and the Hotel Bvlgari in Marunouchi/Ginza – both were amazing and walking distance to shops, restaurants, and historical sites. The Bvlgari was a splurge that was well worth it for the views – even for just one night before our flight home. Be sure to book through a travel agent (check out the link to mine) to get the preferred deals which often include breakfast and meal credits. I don’t think I’d recommend renting an apartment/VRBO here due to the language barrier.
- Transportation: Tokyo is large and spread out over many miles. The transportation system looks overwhelming, but it’s not bad when you get the hang of it!
- Air: Tokyo is easily reachable via two international airports – Haneda and Narita. Narita is larger but further outside of the city. We were glad to find an itinerary that took us to Haneda as it seems to be the easier of the two airports and even has a monorail connecting it with downtown. We took a taxi/Uber, and it was a short drive.
- Train: Tokyo has high-speed trains that will whisk you to other destinations like Kyoto. Tickets are easily purchased on the Shinkansen app. If you’re adventurous eaters, pick up station lunch boxes known as “ekiben” which feature different local foods from all over Japan to eat on your trip.
- Subway: The Tokyo subway map is daunting but you can use it to get to some of the more far-flung destinations. Download the Suica card on your Apple Wallet to take subways throughout Japan (add under “transit”). Note: most people line up to enter the open doors, it’s not a free-for-all like most subways.
- Taxi/Uber: Easy to use in the city, be sure to have your destination pulled up in Google Maps and scroll down for the Japanese translation. The taxi and Uber drivers are very professional and the cars are extremely clean!
- Food: Finding food was our biggest challenge during the trip. Must-eat items include ramen, Wagyu/Kobe beef, red bean paste pastries, and fruit – the best strawberries in the world are here!
- Hotels are a great place to check for accessible restaurants. Our Ginza hotel had an amazing restaurant where we had a Western-style breakfast and a kid- (and picky parent!)-friendly dinner/room service menu. The Bvlgari hotel is Italian, and its food was outstanding!
- Fun restaurants/cafes: Check out this fun Ninja restaurant that I thought would be a great outing for families. Tokyo is also known for its animal cafe culture like this Capybara cafe. One other dinner idea is to do a dinner cruise.
- Check out the Nihombashi-Mitsukoshi department store’s basement where you will find tons of food stalls ranging from sushi to quiche! Take it to the top floor and eat outside in the garden (pictured below).
- Shopping: We loved walking the streets of Ginza with its high-end stores. However, Tokyo has many of these districts – I think I saw at least three Tiffany stores during our trip! And the Nihombashi-Mitsukoshi department store is a must-see!
The Akihabara (electronics) district is something tech-savvy teens and gamers will want to visit for its retro games (be forewarned some of the anime is for mature eyes only).
The area around the famed Shibuya scramble (crazy street crossings like Times Square!) has lots of stores including the big Nintendo store. But be prepared for the madness!
For more traditional souvenir shopping, check out the market around the Asakusa temples on Nakamise Street. It’s full of Japanese trinkets and food.
To see what high-end fruit is considered a perfect gift, visit a specialty store like one beside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Japanese culture values the aesthetics of fruit as well as its taste. I have never had as pretty and as tasty strawberries as I ate on the trip! These specialty stores sell high-end fruits for gifts. The cantaloupe pictured below is $200!!
Check out the Maruzen bookstore in the Oazo building for English books.
- Tour guides: We used guides from Context Travel on this trip and had good experiences. We did two guided tours, one of the Asakusa area and one of the Imperial Palace Gardens.
- Websites to help you plan your trip:
- Other tips:
- Tokyo is so large, there is no way to see all of the sites during your trip. Pick the few that interest you most and build your itinerary around them. The city is spread out with some destinations (like the Shibuya scramble) a good 30-40 minute taxi ride from Ginza.
- Most signs (subway, trains, etc) are in English. Many people speak English but we found taxi drivers to be not as proficient. Always have the Google maps address in Japanese characters available.
- Don’t eat while walking in Tokyo (or really all of Japan). This includes drinks like coffee or water! Even at markets where you might buy a delectable treat, signs will tell you to eat in front of the stall – do not walk with it!
- As such, there are no trash cans to be found on the streets. Bring a folding bag to hold your trash until you get back to the hotel. Some convenience stores have trash cans. It is a very clean city even without trash cans!
- There are not many places to sit down on the streets. No public benches, places to picnic, etc.
- When you land at the airport, you need to scan your passport before going through Customs (at least we did at Haneda in March of 2025 – follow signs).
- Be sure to enable mobile payments as this is popular in Japan.
- Most of the main sites can be toured in 2-3 days.
Attractions/Historical Sites
Tokyo is full of shiny, new buildings, but a few historical sites still remain.
Imperial Palace – East Gardens
The actual Imperial Palace is tucked into a huge garden and not visible or open to visitors. However you can tour its magnificent gardens that contain some of the ruins of the Edo Castle. We entered at the Ote-mon gate and had a beautiful walk through the gardens with our Context Travel guide. There are beautiful ponds, imposing stone walls, and picturesque homes that once served as tea pavilions or guard dwellings. You really get a feel of how impenetrable the palace is by the winding paths.
The ruins of the Edo Castle speak to its grandeur!
Tokyo Station
Built in the early 20th century when Japan was opened up to Western influences, this station is a mini-city in itself. It is so interesting to see a brick, European-style building amidst the sleek high-rises and traditional Japanese architecture. It really stands out. This is where your high-speed trains will arrive, and it has a shopping mall as well as little stands that sell “ekiben” boxes of local Japanese food.
The most historic part of Tokyo is the Asakusa area. You’ll find Tokyo’s oldest temple here along with a delightful market and tons of tourists. It is heavily visited so arrive early and hold tight to little ones. We had a guided tour through Context Travel which was helpful to learn its history.
Start your tour at the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center where you can go up the elevator to get a bird’s eye view of the area.
There are two temples/shrines to visit – the Senso-ji Buddhist temple and the next-door Jinja Shinto Shrine.
You’ll enter the temple area through the Kaminarimon Gate – so pretty! This replica was built after WWII.
The Senso-Ji Buddhist temple complex is open to visitors. You can go inside and see the interior space with its elaborate art The building is a post-war replica of the one established in 645 AD.
Trinkets and charms are sold outside as well as a place to wash your hands before entering.
The grounds around the temple are full of beautiful statutes and quiet reflective spaces.
Nakamise Street leading from the gate to the temple is lined with market stalls where you can find good souvenirs. Remember, don’t eat what you buy while walking!
Beside the temple is the 17th century Shinto shrine which is not open to the public. You can view it from the outside as well as collect its stamp (the Japanese get stamps from the shrines they visit evidently). There is also a tree there said to have survived the WWII bombings.
Other historical/cultural sites that we didn’t get a chance to visit:
Easy Day Trips
Kyoto/Osaka: High-speed trains can whisk you to Kyoto or Osaka for a day. Check out my Kyoto guide for more information on both of these cities.
Disneyland Tokyo: We did not attempt visiting Disneyland but I’ve heard it’s pretty amazing if you can get past the crowds. Every video I’ve seen shows it extremely crowded, however, with huge lines at its daily opening.
Sanrio Puroland: Hello Kitty fans will want to visit this theme park dedicated to the white kitty cat.
We spent three days in Tokyo, and I barely feel like we scratched the surface of all there is to do there. It’s an intimidating place to visit, but once you figure it out, it is a world of possibilities!
Books to Read:
All books links are Amazon affiliate links. To support independent creators and bookstores, check out my Bookshop.org list.
Guidebooks:
Adult/Young Adult:
- A Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun
- Memoirs of a Geisha
- Geisha, A Life
- Shogun
- Shogun: The Life and Times of Tokugawa Ieyasu: Japan’s Greatest Ruler
- In the Service of the Shogun: The Real Story of William Adams
- The Turtle House
- The Diplomat’s Daughter
Middle Grade:
- The Samurai’s Tale
- Grenade
- Sisters of the Sword series
- Dragon of the Red Dawn (Magic Treehouse Merlin Missions #9)
Picture Books:
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