Photos courtesy of Victoria Hong
“The nice thing about traveling to Japan is it’s a very communal culture where the adults are responsible for looking out for little ones. There’s a measure of safety because even children as young as kindergarten take themselves to school on the subway by themselves. So it was really safe even walking down the street at midnight.
The Japanese people are very community oriented, and harmony and respect between individuals is sacred in any group setting. That’s why there is very little conversation on the trains and why Tokyo especially is so clean and well maintained – everyone as an individual takes personal responsibility for their own mess and for other people’s mess as well. Even the public restrooms in the subway are spotless.
Leaving Japan was the hardest goodbye I’ve experienced of the last 15 countries I’ve visited. Even Lucas says Japan is his favorite destination he’s ever been to. The first trip to Tokyo was with [my son] Lucas and [my husband] James for 10 days in April 2017. The second trip was just me and Lucas over the summer in August 2017 for almost four weeks. It was awesome.
Transportation
We got really great rates on Scott’s Cheap Flights. They had really cheap fares to Tokyo for like $450 roundtrip per person direct from LAX to Narita airport. And it was right during predicted week of cherry blossom season. It fluctuates every year so we got really lucky.
The subway/metro system in Tokyo is outstanding. You can pretty much get anywhere you need to for $1-$5 one way, which is a steal in any big city. The trains are always on time (pretty much down to the second) and the subway trains and stations are very clean, well lit and very safe. It’s one of the best parts about traveling here, you don’t need a car. And with a rail map and Google maps on your phone you never need to worry about how to get from point A to point B.
A debit card (like PASMO or Suica) issued by one of the train companies is essential for traveling around Tokyo. Using a PASMO card to get around on the subways is very easy, and it’s been very convenient to swipe a card to pay for groceries when I’m low on cash. It works just like a debit card and you can refill the balance using cash at various automated machines at the subway station.
Lodging
The first time we went, we stayed at hotels. In Tokyo we stayed at the Hotel Centurio Grand Akasaka and Sheraton Grand Tokyo Bay. Then we went to Kyoto and stayed at the Hotel Monterey. All child-friendly hotels. We also went to see the snow monkeys [more on that below] in Nagano and stayed at the Shibu Hotel.
The second time I went to Tokyo, we got a VRBO inside Tokyo, but not in the bustling portion of the city. It was a 5-minute walk to the subway.The VRBO we got would qualify as a studio here but there it qualifies as one bedroom. The majority of people live in high rise apartments, and the apartments are tiny about 100 square feet. It was $65 a night so we got a really good deal on that one.
Activities
[Gaming / Toys]The gaming culture is huge here. Per Lucas’ special request, our first stop was Akihabara, the tech and gaming and arcade capital of Tokyo. Akihabara Gatchapon Kaikan is a speciality shop here that sells Gacha Gacha capsule toys from coin vending machines, and its Lucas’ absolute most favorite thing to do in Japan.
There are districts that specialize in toys for kids and little Gacha Gachas. Lukas loved going to the department stores and playing this Pokemon game, where you get the Pokemon cartridges. That was his favorite activity. Sixth floor of Bic Camera is where all the coin operated arcade style video games were located. We also did some bowling at the lanes right across the street from our apartment. Kiddy Land, a 4-story toy store specializing in everything for kids. Lucas was in heaven.
The aquarium’s are amazing. We went to the Osaka Aquarium. There was a juvenile whale shark there. The Enoshima Aquarium was located next to the [Katase Higashihama Beach off Sagami Bay].
We went to Hikarie Hall for a special art exhibition specializing in digital projection media. TeamLab is a famous group of Japanese artists known for their interactive art installations. Jungle is their latest installation, and Kids Noon is their event geared especially for kids. We enjoyed the surreal sensory experience contrasting darkness, light and color. Lucas loved creating his own animal drawings and scanning them in to become moving pieces of art within the installation. It was an awesome experience to share with Lucas and our friends and a great example of how accessible contemporary art is to the general population within Tokyo.
We drove the Go Karts. We did that with James. But Lucas and I were like in the back of the Kart. It was really cold. It was a 3-hour tour. It was way too long. But it was nice to see the whole city lit up at night. It was really pretty. You need to have a driver’s license, because you’re on public streets. Go to AAA stateside and get an international drivers license first before going to Japan to do the Mario Karts.
[Disneyland / DisneySea]
Disneyland was a lot of fun, although Disneyland in Tokyo is exactly like the Disneyland here [in Anaheim], except that they have this fascination with different types of flavored popcorn, like curry popcorn, soy sauce popcorn, vinegar popcorn. All the attractions were in Japanese.
But DisneySea, the second disneyland resort was a lot better. DisneySea was pretty unique because they had different attractions not seen at the regular Disneyland. Stuff like 20,000 leagues under the sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth. It was crowded when we were there because it was the weekend, but it was not unbearable. I thought the prices were about the same as the regular Disneyland here.
[Snow Monkeys]
Going to see the snow monkeys was on my bucket list. There’s actually snow monkeys in the wild in the mountains. Snow monkeys were at the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. We took a train to Nagano, then took another train about 90 minutes north to another area called Yamanouchi. It’s outside the city in the countryside. So you take a train from Tokyo out to the countryside and there’s a bunch of hot springs there. You can just go there and buy tickets at the entrance to the park.
So they have villa onsens, which is like the outside hots springs. Part of the ritual there is to use the outdoor hot springs. Well these locals, I think back in the 60’s, started enticing the local snow monkeys to go inside the water and they would feed them. So now these snow monkeys have gotten used to hanging out in the jacuzzi tubs at the outdoor onsen and they just hang out there in the water. But they’re pretty vicious. You’re not supposed to look them in the eye or show your teeth. They’re wild monkeys. It’s pretty cool to be out there with them. We kept telling Lucas, “Don’t look at them in the eye, don’t show your teeth.” But he would get excited and smile at the monkey and the monkey would start running towards him and charging. And Lucas would cover his face. But they’re pretty aggressive.
You can go with tour guides. It was like a 45-minute hike from the main road to where the monkeys actually congregate. It was a nice nature walk. I wouldn’t do it would with probably anyone younger than 4 or 5, just because there is a lot of walking. The trail isn’t really set for strollers. So unless you have like a carrier, you could do that, but it was a nice nature walk. It was really beautiful setting.
[Fishing]
We went fly fishing out in the mountains just one hour outside of Tokyo with my friend who lives out there Fly fishing was in Sagamihara-Toya. The spot is called “Riverspot Hayato” in Tanzawa, Kanagawa. It’s a man-made fish farm adjacent to the river where you buy a permit for $5 USD to fish. There are small fishing ponds that are assigned to each person or group and are fresh stocked with live fish throughout the day so you are guaranteed to catch your limit of fish on any given day.
Lucas was dipping his net into the water and picking up the fish.The water was so shallow and so clear that you could see hundreds of fish of different species just hanging out in the calm of the brooks. The kids loved catching large tadpoles and wading in the water. We had a grand time and it was an amazing opportunity to enjoy a side of Tokyo that only locals really experience.
And there was a restaurant on site called Liverpool Restaurant that cooked the fish you caught made-to-order for only about $3USD per fish.
[Festivals]In the summer is the festival season in Japan. Summer is the season of festivals and although fireworks are not allowed in most parts of Tokyo, they sell fireworks specifically all throughout the summer months for celebration in the same way we Americans celebrate the 4th of July. They all have different themes, like there’s a wind chime festival, there’s match-making festival, they all have different themes based on which temple is throwing the festival. It’s like a big party every summer.
For the first time ever, Tokyo’s famous Shibuya crossing was closed off to make way for its first “Bon Odori” dance festival. The Japanese celebrate a festival called “Obon” to honor the spirits of deceased ancestors and during these festivals, a “Bon-Odori” dance is performed. Lucas was enthralled with more carnival games and was the big winner, coming home with a whopping eight prizes that he won himself in various games of chance.
Time Out Tokyo was by far the best resource I used to find info on festivals, dates, times, locations, and directions. Their Facebook page is easy to navigate and they have print copies available for free at the metro stops in Tokyo.
[Swing Dancing]On the plane to Tokyo, I watched a documentary about Lindy Hop and how swing dancing became an international phenomenon within the last 20 years. It sparked my interest again in dancing the swing, as the documentary featured dancers from all over the world, including Tokyo. So one of my missions while in Japan was to find a local swing dance party and do some dancing.
Thankfully, I found a Facebook group dedicated to Tokyo Swing, and I asked the host if it would be possible to bring Lucas to their upcoming “Tokyo Swing Night” dance party in Aoyama near Harajuku. It was no problem as the party was for all ages. By the time we left the party 3 hours later, the floor was packed and there were at least 40 people in attendance, half locals from Tokyo, the other international tourists and/or international students and international business people. As rigid and regimented and formal as Japanese culture is, on the dance floor, all of that just melts away and you just enjoy the rhythm and dance.
Food
Japanese street food is the best. Wherever you go in Japan, the food is really good. They’ll take something, for example Mexican food, and do the same thing just using Japanese ingredients. We had dinner at a place that is very uncommon in Japan, an authentic Mexican restaurant in Harajuku called Los Dos Caras. And it wasn’t California-Baja style Mexican either, this was as authentic Mexican as you can get in Tokyo! The best roasted spicy hot pepper salsa I’ve ever had and I’ve been to Mexico City! They had a very extensive menu, with nopales, fresh ceviche, Japanese-style Mexican fajitas and fresh guacamole prepared tableside. It was so delicious. I even enjoyed a yuzu inspired margarita that was very tasty and complimented the food very well!
When Lucas and I traveled by ourselves to Tokyo, we didn’t do any sushi restaurants as Lucas prefers California rolls and they don’t make them in Japan. But the sushi restaurants surrounding the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo is the best place to get good sushi.
Coffee culture is huge there so there’s always coffee shops.
We mostly cooked our own food at the apartment or ate at McDonald’s, which was everywhere. Since we had a very small kitchen, there was a grocery store right downstairs from where we were staying. We went to Queen’s Seitan grocery store and Lucas picked out some food for dinner. Instead of candy, he asked for carrots, broccoli, apples, bananas and oranges! I guess because the produce here looks so amazingly fresh and appetizing, Lucas really wanted to try it.
Here are some other recommendations:
Ninja Restaurant in Akasaka Tokyo was pretty fun.
Kuriyagawa in Ebisu, Tokyo was pretty tasty.
For more upscale fare, there was this 3 Michelin-star restaurant called Ryugin.
My husband also waited in line for 90 minutes to eat at this Michelin-starred ramen joint.”
Other Travel Tips
Cash is king here. Many places don’t accept international credit cards, and some places only accept “PASMO” or “Suica” transit cards instead of cash. ATM’s that accept international credit, debit and bank cards are everywhere, but I prefer to use the ATM’s inside the 7-11 stores because they don’t charge service fees per transaction.
We don’t speak a lick of Japanese. And a lot of Japanese don’t speak any English. So Google translate was invaluable.
On Travel
When I’m traveling, especially when I’m traveling with my son, it’s giving both of us an awareness of how we fit in the world. To me, being able to share that with my son and help him understand that the world is more than our little neighborhood and our little neck of the woods, and that he has a unique story to share with the world as well, that’s pretty cool.”
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Never knew there were so many nature things to do near Tokyo