Tokyo with Teens: The Ultimate Travel Guide
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Are you planning a trip to Tokyo with teens? You’re in the right place! Tokyo is one of our favorite cities to visit as a family. Last time we were here, we had a 5 year old with us and this time, we visited with a 13 year old. There are so many things to do in Tokyo with your teens. Here’s your complete guide to the best things to do in Tokyo with teens.
Things to know when traveling to Tokyo
- You need to fill out this customs/immigration form prior to arriving in Tokyo. Many people had no idea and had to stand and fill it out before being allowed into the immigration line. We had our QR codes and breezed on through.
- Download the Welcome Suica app. It launched in May 2024 and is now in English. Here, you can load your Suica card straight from your phone using mobile payments. This is the card you will be using for public transportation.
- We didn’t need much cash here at all, every place we went to took credit cards so don’t go crazy and pull out a ton of cash from the ATM. The only place that took cash only was the cotton candy place in Harajuku. Apple Pay was widely accepted everywhere, it was rare to even pull out a credit card. You need maybe $20 USD cash and that’s pushing it, even tiny stores accepted mobile payments.
- There are (almost) no garbage cans anywhere in public. Make your choices carefully when selecting snacks and drinks since you’ll be carrying the trash from these for hours. We did find McDonald’s to have trash cans so as a last resort, we’d walk in and throw stuff out in there at times. You can also carry a ziploc with you and just put your trash in there til you find a trash can. Of course, the one time we spotted a trash can we had no trash!
Where to stay in Tokyo with teens
There are so many great hotels and neighborhoods in Tokyo that it’s hard to make a bad choice on where to stay. Because room sizes here are usually tiny, make your choice wisely. We really love Hyatt properties in Tokyo, since the rooms are large and we have room to spread out. And as a bonus, all of these were booked with points making our hotels free in Tokyo. If you aren’t using points and miles to pay for trips, you’re missing out on so much free travel! Here are some of the Hyatt properties we have stayed at in Tokyo.
Hyatt Regency Tokyo
Located in Shinjuku, the Hyatt Regency Tokyo is connected to a subway station and across the street from a playground, which is great if you have younger kids. Our room was very spacious here, with two beds and plenty of room for luggage.
Andaz Tokyo
Another Hyatt property, this one was just a short walk from the Tokyo Tower. The Andaz Tokyo hotel is beautiful and the rooms have amazing views of the city. This is one of the best hotels for families in Tokyo.
Hyatt Regency Yokohama
A hidden gem, the Hyatt Regency Yokohama is located a short train ride into Tokyo. I stayed here with my daughter on our most recent trip and we loved it. The neighborhood is quiet and safe and there are train stations less than a 7 minute walk from the hotel. After spending our days in the super busy Tokyo neighborhoods, it was nice to come back to quiet. Our room was large and comfortable, I would definitely rate this as one of the best hotels for families in Tokyo. It’s also a short distance to Haneda airport, making it convenient if you are flying into there.
Another plus, if you are staying here during the cherry blossom season, there are trees along the waterway just a couple of minutes walk from the hotel. And without the massive tourist crowds like at the more popular Tokyo parks.
Keio Plaza Hello Kitty room
We have also stayed at the Keio Plaza hotel in a Hello Kitty themed room in the past. It was so cute and perfect if your family likes Hello Kitty!
What to do in Tokyo with teens
Visit the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing
If you’re visiting Tokyo with teens, they are going to want to see the famous Shibuya Scramble Crossing. There’s a live feed camera that you can watch on YouTube, we saw many people stopping to wave to it and then looking on the live feed to find themselves. If you want to see this from above, check out the lounge we mention below.
Shibuya Tsutaya Share Lounge
Want a great view from above of the Shibuya crossing? Then head to this lounge, on the 4th floor. Most tourists flock to Starbucks on the 3rd level, but it’s so crowded and hard to see. Here, you pay around $11/person and you can have a front row seat to watch the famous Shibuya crossing. The $11 includes unlimited food and drinks. They had a ton of snacks, an ice cream machine, countless popsicles, lots of drinks and so much more. It’s a great place to rest for an hour while enjoying the scenery and one of the best things to do with teens in Tokyo.
Tower Records store
My daughter has an obsession with vinyls and CDs so when she saw the 9 level record store, she wanted to go in. They have so much stuff here and my Swiftie was so happy to find an entire section dedicated to Taylor Swift, including lots of stuff we can’t get in the US. If you have music fans, check this place out!
Takeshita Street in Harajuku
This pedestrian only street is super popular for their shops, cafes and restaurants. It’s especially known for its Kawaii culture so if you have teens who love Kawaii, this is the place to be. Here, you’ll find the PomPomPurin Cafe. On our last trip, we got this giant cotton candy and it was still sold 8 years later so my daughter got another.
Mega Don Quijote
After seeing this store on YouTube, my daughter wanted to check this out. I’ll be honest though, we didn’t last very long. It’s 8 levels of pretty much everything you can imagine. We aren’t clutter people so lots of the stuff wasn’t for us but we did visit the snack level for some Japanese snacks.
Cat Cafe Mocha
While we normally don’t visit animal cafes, we do make an exception for cat cafes as long as no kittens are present. The cats here are very well taken care of and they are all adults. They are just living their best life and most have been here for 5+ years. I love that they don’t have kittens to draw crowds in. It’s just a fun place to relax for an hour or so in the company of cats.
Cup Noodles Museum
One of our favorite things we did while in Japan was the ramen making class at the Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama. My daughter loved this, she got to make ramen from scratch and see how the packages we see in store are made from start to finish. This is one of the best things to do in Tokyo with kids and teens, we highly recommend it! Be sure to make reservations as classes do fill up.
Tokyo Disneyland
If you’re a Disney fan, then a visit to Tokyo Disney is a must while here! On our last trip, we visited Disney Sea. This time, we went to Disneyland. We have been to 5 of the 6 Disney parks (just missing Shanghai) and my daughter said as far as the castle parks go, Tokyo is her favorite so far.
You might see social media videos of huge crowds waiting to get in but don’t let that deter you. We arrived 15 minute prior to park opening and were let in 5 minutes after that, the lines moves quickly. No need to queue for hours, we got on every single ride we wanted without any issues. The Beauty and the Beast ride is my current favorite Disney ride out of all the parks! And don’t forget to try the little green men mochi. We got these last time at Disney Sea and were so happy to see them at Disneyland too. They were sold out of a cart right by the Baymax ride.
Tsukiji Fish Market
If you like trying different foods, particularly fresh seafood, this is a must visit. There are lots of vendors here selling all sorts of goodies. My daughter loved the fresh sushi here and tried lots of different food items. This is one of the best places to visit in Tokyo with teens.
Shibuya Disney Store
While we normally wouldn’t visit a Disney store since we live so close to Disney and have all the merch, this one was amazing and with different products than we have at home. It’s super cute on the outside and multi level inside. You can find lots of Tokyo specific merchandise here.
Sunshine City
Sunshine City is a huge mall but it also includes tons of restaurants, an aquarium, observatory and so much more. It’s a great place to visit if the weather outside isn’t cooperating. If your teens like to shop, this is one of the best things to do with teens in Tokyo.
Visit a Gashapon arcade
Capsule arcades are very popular in Tokyo, especially with the teen crowd. You will see these everywhere, including at train stations. My daughter wanted to visit one and loved seeing all the options they had.
Yokohama Chinatown
Japan’s largest Chinatown is located in Yokohama. This was just a 5 minute walk from our hotel and really fun to see. There are tons of street vendors selling everything from dumplings to boba tea to snacks. This is one of the best places to visit with teens in Tokyo. They’ll love sampling all the different foods and checking out the shops.
Where to eat in Tokyo with teens
There are many places to eat in Tokyo with teens and I won’t go into all of the restaurants we ate at since you’ll most likely have your own list. I will mention some of the more popular themed cafes that your teens might be interested in. Here are some of our favorite family friendly Tokyo restaurants.
Ichiran Ramen
While Ichiran is a chain, it’s a really good one so we visit every single time we are in Tokyo. For some reason, this ramen just doesn’t taste the same outside of the US. The tonkotsu broth here is amazing and so rich. We’ve had ramen at locally owned spots too, but if you’re looking for a solid choice, this is a great option and one of the best places to eat with teens in Tokyo.
Kumachan Onsen
Located in Shibuya, this is one of the best restaurants to visit with teens in Tokyo. If they’re into Instagram, they will love this place. Every person in your party selects a bear color for the soup base. The bear is made out of collagen and will melt into the soup. While this isn’t the best meal you’ll have in Tokyo, it is definitely the cutest! We loved our experience here.
Flipper’s Shibuya
Want to try the fluffiest pancakes? Then head to Flipper’s Shibuya. We were lucky enough to be here during their strawberry season, so we had lots of strawberry options on the menu. Keep in mind that this is a super popular place and you will be waiting in a line to be seated. This is one of the best kid friendly restaurants in Tokyo with some delicious food!
Pompompurin Cafe
If your teens like themed cafes, then the Pompompurin Cafe on Takeshita Street is a must visit! This is one of our favorite themed cafes in Tokyo. They have both sweet and savory dishes, all very well themed.
Sanrio Cafe
Another themed cafe, this one located inside the Sunshine City Mall. It’s small, so there’s a chance you will have to wait so grab a number and wait for it to be called. They are mostly known for desserts but there are some savory items on the menu as well.
7-Eleven
Tokyo is known for their 7-Eleven stores and you will find them everywhere. The food here is actually really good and this is a great spot to stop in if your kids get hungry in between meals. My daughter loved the egg sandos and got one every day.
As you can see, there are tons of things to do in Tokyo with teens. You can spend weeks here and barely scratch the surface. My tip is don’t rush it. Many people stay in Tokyo for 2 or 3 nights and move on but that’s simply not enough. Set aside more time so that you can explore all the different parts of the city without feeling rushed. Want to read this later? Pin one of the images below.
