This January, we took Stephanie on her second international trip to Japan and Taiwan (again). For this trip, we had decided to make Tokyo our first destination.

At first, I was hesitant on whether or not we should stay in Tokyo before heading to Kansai (関西). One of my biggest worries was getting around Tokyo with my 2-year-old. I am very familiar with Tokyo so I know how difficult is it to get around Tokyo with a baby stroller. Tokyo is a very busy city. Streets and sidewalks are often very narrow and crowded. Restaurants and shops are also very tiny that even a lightweight stroller might not easily fit through the doors and the tight spaces. Not to mention that some train stations in Tokyo (or Japan) don’t have elevators or escalators, and it’s almost impossible to get the stroller on the train during peak hours.

However, I wasn’t ready to completely give up on Tokyo yet. I started to do some research on kid-friendly restaurants and attractions in Tokyo. Surprisingly, Tokyo is full of fun attractions for kids. Kid-friendly cafés and family restaurants are everywhere, and even baby rooms (for nursing, bottle feeding, and diaper changing) can be easily find in many locations.

Tokyo with toddler seem not so difficult after all. Although getting around Tokyo was still a big concern, we decided to be well-planned ahead to avoid peak-time crowds and go for it!

Kinshichō

It was not easy to choose a best area to stay in Tokyo when traveling with a 2-year-old. Staying in Kinshichō area was one of the best decision we’ve made for this trip. The area offers so many conveniences for families traveling with young children.

Kinshichō (錦糸町), a few stations north-west from Tokyo station, is one of the larger shopping areas in Sumida ward (墨田区). Located in the original Tokyo Shitamachi (下町) district, this old town area has a more relaxed (less crowded), Edo Era atmospheres. With some major developments in recent years, the north side of the Kinshichō station is now offers family orientated shopping malls such as Olinas, as well as many small shops and restaurants. In addition, Kinshichō station is only a few stations away from many popular tourist spots such as Asakusa (浅草), Ginza (銀座), and Tokyo Skytree – a new Tokyo landmark that has quickly become one of the most popular tourist spots in Tokyo.

下町 (Shitamachi) means “Lower Parts of Town”. It’s the traditional shopping, entertainment, and residential districts of Tokyo where common people used to live. 

Kinshichō is definitely (on my list as) one of the best area to stay in Tokyo for families traveling with young children.

Asakusa

We arrived in Japan the day after New Year’s Day (January 1st). On January 3rd (Saturday), we decided to join the large crowds to do Hatsumōde (初詣) at Sensoji (浅草寺). Hatsumōde is the first Shinto shrine visit of the New Year in Japan. It is a common custom that Japanese families will visit the Shinto to pray for a safe and healthy new year within the first three days of the year.

We got there around 10:30 in the morning before the crowds get too large, although it was already so crowded (but still manageable). We followed the crowds to move slowly through the Nakamise-dōri (仲見世通り), a long narrow shopping street leading up to the main hall from Kaminarimon Gate (雷門).

When we reached the main hall, we got to experience the Hatsumōde festival atmosphere with food stands that offer a variety of Japanese festival food and drinks, like Takoyaki (たこ焼き) and Amazake (甘酒).

After Sensoji, we took a walk around Asakusa to enjoy the Shitamachi atmosphere. Asakusa is the center of Tokyo’s Shitamachi where strong remnants of traditional Japanese culture can be easily found in every corner. The area also features many famous and long-established Japanese restaurants.