I recommend pairing this article with my Asakusa with kids blog post – as I also recommend playgrounds near the sightseeing spots and other family-friendly options that we LOVE in this area.
Asakusa with kids is a beautiful way to explore a more traditional area of Tokyo.
I’m so behind on reporting back on the area of Asakusa but … better late than never (and I wanted to make sure we had tried it out recently and now that my kids are at an age where I can get a pretty instant “feedback” on what they think is worth it.
Please see here if you are looking for family-friendly accommodation in the Asakusa area. (I must admit that I don’t really recommend Asakusa for young families. Not as convenient for sightseeing and getting around to other spots in Tokyo and not enough playgrounds and kid-friendly restaurants to base yourself in. Still worth a visit though!)
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains some affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
BREAKFAST IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS:
If you’re looking to start the day with a western-style breakfast, I recommend heading to Denny’s. There are 3 Denny’s locations in the Asakusa area. 2 of them open at 7am while the Higashi-Asakusa store opens at 11am. All 3 branches close at 10-11pm.
Denny’s Japan (note, not the same as Denny’s in the US.).
They have a low common allergens menu. There is a change table in the toilets here. No bookings. Walk-in only. They accept most major credit cards.
See the full Denny’s Japan menu here. Please note, if you are vegan, that Denny’s in Japan do have a zero meat hamburger steak (like a vegan rissole – for the fellow aussies.)
STREET FOOD IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS
If you love street food , I think you’ll really enjoy the area around the temple. Especially all of the Yatai (food vendors) at the back left of the temple grounds.
For the real foodies, I recommend going straight for the end of the long food queues. There is a famous korokke (meat and potato croquettes) shop called Asakusa Minchi (Mince) and curry pan (curry inside a round bread roll) called Asakusa Tomifuku as well as a green tea ice-cream shop called Akasaka Suzukian (the richest matcha gelato in the world)- be sure you’re sure you can be bothered waiting though.
For a sweet treat, I recommend visiting Kikusuido Japanese confectionary store for heart-shaped castella sponge-cakes and fresh strawberries on skewers.
It is open from 9am-9pm.
VEGAN LUNCH IN ASAKUSA: VEGAN FRUIT SANDWICHES
Hatoya is open 11am-4pm (they do close early if they sell out though.) This is a take-out store only.
LUNCH OR DINNER IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS: TONKATSU
Asakusa Katsukichi. The tonkatsu here is exceptional! This is a walk-in restaurant only so, if you don’t like to line up – I recommend arriving here at 11:15am. Please note that this restaurant is cash only. It is 2 mins walk from Asakusa Station. Please note that you will need to park your stroller outside as there is not enough space indoors. They do welcome children. Budget 2000-3000 yen per person here. The enitre restaurant is non-smoking. This is also a great place to try hot or cold sake.
ASAKUSA KATSUKICHI
台東区浅草1-21-12
1-21-12 ASAKUSA, TAITO-KU
OPEN EVERYDAY EXCEPT FOR THURS 11:30AM-2:30PM & 5PM-8PM
CLOSED THURSDAYS
LUNCH OR DINNER IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS: PIZZA & PASTA
Salvatore Cuomo & Bar Asakusa is 1 min walk from the Tsukuba Express “Asakusa Station.” They welcome children and have space to store strollers while you dine. I recommend budgeting 3000 yen per adult for lunch and 5000 yen at dinner time. Please note that there is a 440 yen service charge per person at dinner time. They accept most major credit cards and the restaurant is non-smoking (there is a small enclosed booth section for smokers though.) The lunch is incredibly good value – 1780 yen per adult for one main dish and all you can eat pizza and salad buffet – kids 2 and under eat free and kids 3-5 are only 660 yen for the same buffet. The restaurant does seat 80 people so you could try for a walk-in but best to have a reservation locked in .
SALVATORE CUOMO & BAR ASAKUSA
台東区浅草1-26-5 ROX・3G 1F
GROUND FLOOR, ROX 3G BUILDING, 1-26-5 ASAKUSA, TAITO
OPEN EVERYDAY FOR LUNCH 11AM-3PM (LAST ORDERS 2:30PM)
OPEN EVERYDAY FOR DINNER 3PM-11PM (LAST ORDERS 10:30PM)
LUNCH OR DINNER IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS: SUKIYAKI & SHABU-SHABU
And for lunch or dinner I recommend going out as a family for Sukiyaki and Shabu-Shabu at Momo Paradise. You pay for all you can eat meat and veg for 60 or 90 mins and included in the price is all you can eat salad AND desserts! It’s such good value for money. They also have the option where you can put a divider in the hot pot so keep half for those who are vegetarian and one side for meat (or you can just have two different types of hot pot going at the same time.) My kids love sukiyaki so much because the marinade is sweet and it’s really fun for them to feel like they are “cooking” at the table. I don’t eat meat but I still love eating here with my family. I eat soooo many veggies here.
Highly recommend.
This restaurant has an english menu. See the Momo Paradise full english website here. At lunch I would budget for 4000 yen per adult and more like 5000 yen at dinner time. Arrive hungry! Kids prices vary depending on the course you choose but, to give you an example – if you were to choose the A5 rank Wagyu course with unlimited soft drinks – the kids prices are : free to kids under 3, 3-6 year olds are 550 yen, 7-12 year olds are 1650 yen.
This restaurant accepts most major credit cards.
This restaurant is 3-6 min walk from all of the Asakusa Stations. Make reservations in English on the Momo Paradise Asakusa website here.
MOMO PARADISE ASAKUSA
台東区雷門2-16-9 HULIC&New 雷門 4F
4TH FLOOR, HULIC & NEW KAMINARIMON, 2-16-9 KAMINARIMON, TAITO-KU
OPEN FOR LUNCH 11:30AM-3PM
OPEN FOR DINNER 5PM-10:30PM
GLUTEN FREE DESSERTS IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS
If you’re looking for a gluten-free dessert option, Otaco, is just two minutes walk from Sensoji Shrine.
They bake and sell their own gluten-free cakes (sold by the slice) made with rice flour in plain or several other different flavours such as Earl Grey or Matcha Milk. They also have one dairy-free option which is coffee flavoured.
It’s a small shop just 2 mins from Sensoji and across from Sensoji Hospital.
OTACO
台東区浅草3-5-1
3-5-1 ASAKUSA, TAITO-KU
OPEN 10:30AM-6PM
CLOSED SUNDAYS & MONDAYS
AN ORGANIC VEGAN CAFE WITH SOME GLUTEN FREE OPTIONS
A vegan cafe with some gluten free options in this area is Shochikuen Cafe. It’s so yummy here. I recommend ordering their giant slices of plant-based layered rainbow cake. They have a great vegan chicken burger and some small gluten free pizzas. You can make a reservation or just try your luck with a walk-in. They use mostly organic produce here. The entire cafe is non-smoking. This cafe is 3-4 mins walk from Asakusa Station.
SHOCHIKUEN CAFE
台東区西浅草2-7-6
2-7-6 NISHI-ASAKUSA, TAITO-KU
OPEN 9:30AM-4:30PM (OPEN UNTIL 5PM ON WEEKENDS)
LUNCH OR DINNER IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS: YAKINIKU
Just 1 minute walk from the Ninja & Samurai Museum in Asakusa: Yakiniku (I speak about the museum here)
Tokyo Yakiniku Heijoen Asakusa Sohonten was founded in 1970. The restaurant is beautiful and it’s a great place to try A5 Grade Wagyu. Eat table has it’s own grill. If you are gluten free, ask for lemon with the meat for dipping rather than using the marinades provided. They accept most major credit cards. I recommend budgeting for 2000 yen per adult lunch and more like 7000 yen at dinner time.
They welcome children here. They are happy to store strollers for you while you dine. The restaurant is non-smoking but there are enclosed smoking rooms on each floor. This is a great place for parents to also try different types of sake. Ask your hotel to make a reservation on your behalf.
They are 3 mins walk from Asakusa Station or 1 min walk from the Ninja & Samurai Museum in Asakusa. You can also organise for a small birthday cake with your birthday name written in chocolate on top if it’s your birthday.
TOKYO YAKINIKU HEIJOEN ASAKUSA SOHONTEN
台東区雷門1-15-10
1-15-10 KAMINARIMON, TAITO-KU
OPEN 11:30AM-11PM (LAST ORDERS AT 10PM)
LUNCH & DINNER SUGGESTION IN ASAKUSA: GLUTEN FREE TEMPURA
This restaurant only seats 12 so you need to make a reservation. Also, this restaurant only welcomes children 6 years and older. The restaurant is called Tempura Asakusa Sakura. They accept credit cards. They also have an English menu. Tempura Asakusa Sakura is well known for delicious gluten free tempura and also delicious gluten free wagyu beef tempura. The gluten free tasting menu with sake pairing is also fabulous here. See the full Tempura Asakusa Sakura menu here. This is the Tempura Asakusa Sakura instagram. The entire restaurant is gluten free – the tempura is made with rice flour. There is even a Wagyu & Tempura Bowl. They even home make their own gluten free soy sauce. This is also a great place to try different types of sake.
This restaurant is opposite the A4 Exit of Asakusa Station.
At lunch time I would budget for 3000 yen per adult but more like 7000 yen at dinner time. It is on the expensive side – but the taste is worth it! The vibes here are “fancy” and that feels nice after walking around as tourists all day.
Book using this ByFood link now if you have allergies or want to choose your exact course ahead of time. You can tell them exactly what you can and can’t eat and order your exact course online. This is also a great option if you’re worried about any language problems while in the restaurant – it can all be done in English ahead of time.
TEMPURA ASAKUSA SAKURA
台東区雷門2-18-16 THE CITY 浅草雷門 7F
7TH FLOOR, THE CITY ASAKUSA KAMINARIMON BUILDING, 2-18-16 KAMINARIMON, TAITO-KU
OPEN EVERYDAY MIDDAY-8PM (LAST ORDERS 7:30PM)
LUNCH & DINNER IN ASAKUSA : GYOZA, RAMEN AND FRIED RICE (fried rice is often referred to as “cha-han” in Japan)
I recommend going to Tiger Gyoza Hall (or Tiger Gyoza Kaikan) for lunch or dinner. It’s casual and yummy and also so budget friendly. Unfortunately this restaurant no longer offers a vegan menu.
This is a walk-in restaurant only so no need to make reservations. It does seat 48 people so you won’t have to wait too long if there is a line. This restaurant is cash only.
For lunch here I would budget for 1500 yen for lunch per person and around 3000 yen for dinner. Kids are welcome here and you don’t need to order them a full meal but it is polite to have at least one dish per person – even if that dish isn’t going to be consumed by that child- ordered (the idea is you share all items accept for ramen anyway. If you want to share a little bit of ramen with kids, I recommend asking for a small side plate – a torizara and you can make them their own little mini-bowl.) This restaurant is 6 mins walk from Asakusa Station or 1 min walk from Asakusa Station on the Tsukuba Express line.
TIGER GYOZA KAIKAN, ASAKUSA
台東区浅草1-25-17
OPEN ON WEEKDAYS MIDDAY-3PM & 6PM -11PM
OPEN ON WEEKENDS 11:30AM-11PM
Please see my article here on how to go about making a reservation for a restaurant in Japan when the website doesn’t have an English website option.
LUNCH & DINNER IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS: A JAPANESE IZAKAYA WITH A SOBA NOODLE FOCUS – EXCELLENT FOR GLUTEN FREE DINERS TOO!
Tokyo Asakusa Sarashina Tenko is 4 mins walk from Asakusa Station or 12 mins walk from Tawaramachi Station. Stunning fresh produce here. Children are welcome here and they also have space for strollers. Budget for 2000 yen per adult at lunch time but more like 8000 yen at dinner. They accept most major credit cards. There is a 550 yen service charge per person to dine here (and as a “thank you” for that service charge you will receive an otoshi appetizer of the day when you sit down – if you don’t want to eat it just leave it on your table.) This entire restaurant is non-smoking. They have lots of gluten free options so please ask. They have an English menu here -with pictures. See the full lunch menu here. See the full Tokyo Asakusa Sarashina Tenko menu here.
This is a great option for parents who also want to try hot or cold sake too.
Make a reservation to dine at Tokyo Asakusa Sarashina Tenko on their website here.
I don’t recommend this restaurant for kids that can’t stay in their seats at a restaurant yet. Pack a few puzzles or sticker books – they don’t need to be quiet or anything but bums do need to be on seats.
TOKYO ASAKUSA SARASHINA TENKO
台東区浅草2-7-25
2-7-25 ASAKUSA, TAITO-KU
OPEN FOR LUNCH 11:30AM-3PM (LAST ORDERS 2PM)
OPEN FOR DINNER 5:30PM-9PM
CLOSED WEDNESDAYS
LUNCH & DINNER IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS: JAPANESE CUISINE FOR FAMILIES AND LARGER GROUPS
Just outside of exit 4 of Asakusa Station is Gonpachi Asakusa. This izakaya restaurant has yakitori as well as other casual Japanese pub style food. They also have a separate gluten free menu (two pages of gluten free options including gluten free tempura, yakitori and sushi.) Gonpachi Asakusa welcomes children and babies and also has space for strollers.
I would budget 2000 yen per adult at lunchtime and more like 4000 yen at dinner time. The entire restaurant is non-smoking and they accept most major credit cards. Gonpachi Asakusa has an English menu, vegetarian menu and a gluten free menu.
The tuna belly here is my favourite. This restaurant is also recommended on the Halal in Japan website.
If you are going to turn up here for a walk-in I recommend just arriving at 11:30am and you will most likely be able to get a table right away.
GONPACHI ASAKUSA
台東区 雷門 2-1-15 中川ビル 1F 2F
GROUND AND FIRST FLOOR OF THE NAKAGAWA BUILDING, 2-1-15 KAMINARIMON, TAITO-KU
OPEN EVERYDAY 11:30AM-11PM (LAST ORDER 10PM) – LUNCH MENU FINISHES UP AT 3PM
OPEN AS USUAL OVER THE NEW YEAR PERIOD
LUNCH & DINNER IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS: VEGAN & ORGANIC VEGGIE RESTAURANT
5 mins walk from Asakusa Station and Sensoji Temple is Vegan Eat Tokyo. The main dishes alternate daily but examples of menu options are lotus root hamburger steaks, Vegetable Curries and different types of Vegetable Stew. This restaurant also serves brown rice and multi-grain rice.
To make a reservation here, send a private message on the Vegan Eat Tokyo instagram page – stating the date, name, number of people and a contact phone number.
VEGAN EAT TOKYO
台東区浅草1-22-5
1-22-5 ASAKUSA, TAITO-KU
OPEN WEEKDAYS 11AM-3PM & 5PM-9PM
OPEN WEEKENDS 11AM-9PM
CLOSED TUESDAYS
LUNCH & DINNER IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS: VEGAN & GLUTEN FREE DINING
Just 3 mins walk from Sumida Playground is a vegan and gluten free restaurant in Asakusa called Marugoto Vegan Dining.
This restaurant serves tempura, soba noodles, falafel, sandwiches and salads. Marugoto Vegan Dining accept most major credit cards. They have indoor and outdoor seating.
It’s a beautiful spot to sit by the river and have a lovely slow meal. One of the most popular menu items is their sweet potato donut or their rice waffle.
I would budget around 2000yen per adult when dining here. The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
You might also meet some local pets here as they are allowed in the outdoor dining area.
They also serve alcohol. The back of this store’s business card they have an allergy card with Japanese, English and also pictures. For those with allergies and special dietary requirements in Japan, I recommend using a tool called tabemasen in order to make our a printable allergen card to carry with you.
MARUGOTO VEGAN DINING
OPEN ON WEEKDAYS 11:30AM-3PM
OPEN ON WEEKENDS 11:30AM-5PM
CLOSED ON MONDAYS (OR TUESDAYS IF MONDAY IS A NATIONAL HOLIDAY)
LUNCH & DINNER IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS: OKONOMIYAKI
10 minutes walk from Sensoji Shrine is a restaurant to eat Okonomiyaki for lunch or dinner.
Expect to pay around 1000 – 2000 yen for a meal (for an adult.)
Okonomiyaki is like a Japanese omelette that is cooked in front of you, on the hot plate. It sounds dangerous with kids and you will need to keep toddlers hands in check but, actually, it is a really fun way for kids to get involved.
For fussy kids, it is also an easy way to dictate what goes into their meal as you can just say no to certain ingredients.
Even more than okonomiyaki, my kids love yakisoba which is noodles cooked on the hot plate.
It’s a very casual way to dine and is, in Japan, seen as a real comfort food.
Please note that this restaurant only accepts cash.
Unfortunately this is not a non-smoking restaurant so you may want to request a table away from smokers or choose to eat lunch here and not dinner as dinnertime is usually more smokey.
Read here for how to order a vegetarian version of okonomiyaki
SOMETARO ASAKUSA
台東区西浅草2-2-2
2-2-2 NISHI-ASAKUSA, TAITO-KU
OPEN EVERYDAY: MIDDAY – 10:30PM
LUNCH OR DINNER IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS: SUSHI TRAIN
Just 7 minutes walk from Hanayashiki Amusement Park is a casual sushi train restaurant called Kura Sushi (it’s actually a chain in Japan so if you like it here you can google your closest Kura in other parts of Japan too.)
It’s also fantastic for children because every 5 plates wins you a shot at their in-house games – and if you make it to 20 plates? a toy in a capsule will appear at your table! Order via iPad and the food comes sliding out.
I would expect to pay around 1500 yen per adult to eat here (total.)
They have wifi and also allow customers to enter with children in strollers.
They accept most major credit cards.
Sushi train chain Kurasushi have a list of all of their food with common allergens here. (Kurasushi is great when dining with kids and there are lots of cooked non-raw sushi options but if you really love sushi you may be a little disappointed and some have found that the fish meat is a bit frozen in the middle. See here for my tips on what to do in Japan if your kids like to eat westernized versions of sushi or california rolls etc.)
For sushi train options in Japan – Kura Sushi definitely has the most gluten free options (you can even put a filter on the ipad menu to see what is an option for you.)
If you are looking for vegan Kura Sushi options, go or the mango, pineapple or cucumber maki options.
KURA SUSHI, ASAKUSA ROX BRANCH
台東区浅草1-25-15 浅草ROX 4F
4TH FLOOR, ASAKUSA ROX BUILDING, 1-25-15 ASAKUSA, TAITO-KU
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-11PM
KURA SUSHI’S FULL ENGLISH MENU HERE
DINNER IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS: YAKITORI
For another dinner option in Asakusa, I recommend eating at casual Yakitori chain restaurant Torikizoku Asakusa. Best to make reservations one day ahead or on the day to make sure you can get a table. The restaurant is next to exit 8 of Asakusa on the metro line or 2 mins walk from A4 exit of Asakusa Station on the Toei Asakusa Line. They accept credit cards here. Please note that some parts of the restaurant allow smoking and also the restaurant will feel a bit smokey regardless as it is a yakitori place. Children and families are welcome here. It’s loud and lively – but in a good way.
I would expect to pay around 2000-3000 yen per adult for a meal here. The idea is you order lots for your table and share. If one person in the family doesn’t love yakitori, there are a couple of other options like sliced cold tomato, edamame, fried chicken, fries, camembert croquettes etc.
If you are gluten free in Japan- Yakitori can be a good option. But be sure to ask for it to be prepared with salt, not tare (sauce/marinade as “tare” is made using soy sauce.) Ask your hotel to phone ahead and see if this is possible.
TORIKIZOKU ASAKUSA
台東区浅草1-1-17 3Ｆ
3RD FLOOR, 1-1-17 ASAKUSA, TAITO-KU
OPEN EVERYDAY 3PM-11PM
CLOSED FOR THE NEW YEARS PERIOD
LATTE ART IN ASAKUSA WITH KIDS
There is a really cool Latte Art cafe only 5 minutes walk from Asakusa Station called Hat Coffee. They specialize in the 3D foam art. It costs around 700 yen for one of these coffees ( or hot chocolate.). Naturally, your coffee or hot choc will take longer than the normal coffee so, if taking kids, pack a colouring or sticker book.
Update ( especially relevant in peak seasons)!!!!
During busy times, Hat Coffee can have wait times of 2-3 hours ( and even 1 hour for a take-out coffee!) For this reason, I highly recommend arriving the moment they open OR , even better, reserving a spot at Hat Coffee Asakusa here. *See here for my full list of what to book in advance for Japan (and by when.)*
*Please note that there are two Hat Coffee locations – make sure you attend the correct branch after making your reservation.
HAT COFFEE
台東区寿3-15-6
3-15-6 KOTOBUKI, TAITO-KU
OPEN 10AM-9PM
CLOSED MONDAYS
If you’re still looking for more things to do in this area, why not take a 20 minute stroll or an 8 minute cab ride or 7 minute train trip to the Tokyo Skytree. There are more restaurant options here too, of course.
And if you’re in the area of Asakusa , I also recommend going for a shop at Kappabashi (aka kitchen town).
With kids, it’s tricky – lots of breakables and not so exciting for them – but if you really want to buy new knives or beautiful Japanese crockery. – then I recommend visiting with two adults and taking turns. There is a park with a small playground close by too, if that helps (details in my Kappabashi blog post here)
And here is a great kid-friendly sushi making class that you can take either in Asakusa or near Tokyo Tower.
A sushi-making class in Asakusa , Tokyo (can be made gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan upon request)
This class welcomes children. Children under 4 are free (they will need to share the dishes with the paying participant/guardian though.) See all the details or this sushi-making class here.
