SHIBUYA CROSSING WITH KIDS

SHIBUYA CROSSING WITH KIDS
This is a slice out of my Shibuya with kids article.
I thought it might be easier to have a direct link to reference information for parents just on the topic of “How to explore Shibuya Crossing with children.”

In my mind, Shibuya Crossing is the ultimate touristy thing to do in Tokyo. But not in a bad way! In a “must, must, must – do” way. It’s a Shibuya with kids must!!! If it’s your first time to Japan – this is something to do on day 1 or day 2 of your holiday, for sure.

Even after living in Japan for more than 10 years I still get the tummy butterflies and that selfie-twitch (yep – I said it) when crossing that massive intersection.

My hubby and I believe that Shibuya Crossing needs to be seen by day and by night.

See here if you are looking for restaurants in Shibuya with gluten free options.

I recommend crossing it yourself in a few directions and then taking in the crossing from up high – from a few different vantage points.
You may see the Mario-carts race-by or the latest Tokyo trend : international tourists taking kissing wedding photos in the middle of the intersection before the lights change.

Starbucks is the most touristy and popular spots to take in Shibuya Crossing. That does mean that it is VERY crowded though.
This Starbucks is open until 11pm so there is plenty of time to catch the view at night if the opportunity presents itself within your family itinerary.

Vegan options at Japanese Starbucks include:
(Always need to double check in case they have changed the recipe at all, of course)
-the Sugar Donut
-the Mushroom Keema Curry Hot Tortilla
-the Banana Rice Flour Muffin
-the Blueberry Bagel Sandwich

Her favourite at Japanese Starbucks – a mango frappuccino.

There is a Lego replica of Shibuya Crossing at Legoland Discovery Centre (in Odaiba not Shibuya), Tokyo!
When travelling with kids, make sure you visit here before taking a trip to Legoland in Odaiba as they have the cutest little replica made entirely of Lego (and it’d be way cuter for kiddies if they have seen the “real deal” first.) The detail is incredible.

See here for more ideas for time spent in Odaiba with kids.

Take in Shibuya Crossing from up high at Mag’s Park!
For an amazing view of Shibuya Crossing (that is doable with kids) is Mag’s Park. An amazing rooftop view of Shibuya Crossing – this spot is great with kids (during the day or at night time.) They change the deal here often but at the moment the entrance at night is 1800 yen at that includes one drink (alcoholic or soft drink) and the view is AMAZING over the crossing. Highly recommend!!!!

Go to the Tokyu Theatre Orb floor of the Shibuya Hikarie Building
Floor to ceiling windows here. It does look more spectacular in the evenings. You’re up so high! This is taken from the 10th floor.
See my Shibuya with kids blog post for info on why I LOVE the basement food/deli floor in this building.

Strawberry Mania
And just on the second floor of Shibuya Hikarie (same building as the Tokyu Theatre) is Strawberry Mania.
They sell strawberry daifuku (the mochi with a strawberry on top with red bean paste or with chocolate), toffee strawberry and grape skewers, strawberry tarts, strawberry pudding and strawberry cream cakes. Strawberry soft-serve ice-cream.

STRAWBERRY MANIA, SHIBUYA HIKARIE
SECOND FLOOR OF SHIBUYA HIKARIE (JUST AT THE TOP OF THE ESCALATORS UP FROM THE STREET)
OPEN 11AM-9PM (CLOSES AT 8PM ON SUNDAYS & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS)

From the Shibuya Station concourse
One more place to see Shibuya Crossing (that doesn’t cost any money) is from the Shibuya Station concourse ( just between the Keio Inokashira Line and Shibuya Mark City – can’t find it? Start at the Hachiko statue and walk into the station – thats probably the easiest way to get you facing the correct direction…) This can be a little hard to find so if you want to do the crossing view with kids do Mag’s Park (listed above)

Next, keep a look out on the opposite side of the road to the station for a little fruit store –
“Nishimura Fruits Parlor” you may want to take a look at this very, very high-end produce that is sold as gifts. I’m talking US$200 cantaloupe melons and $100 strawberries. ( In other words, keep those little hands back, ok? Eeeeek.) But seriously, the very front of the store has some reasonably priced fresh fruits of the season (not as affordable as going to a supermarket, of course, though) and fruit juice smoothies too – that won’t make you completely poor.

Nishimura Fruits Parlor luxury strawberries and melons.

Nishimura Fruits Parlor Shibuya with kids

Ginza Cosy Corner (cake shop)
This branch of Ginza Cosy Corner is right on Shibuya Crossing. It is just one of my suggestions for when it comes to buying a birthday cake while on a trip in Japan – here are my other suggestions.

Ginza Cozy Corner. This is the branch right on Shibuya Crossing.

Cozy Corner cakes. No booking required – you can just buy them on the day. Whole cakes or slices. The Toy Story 5 cakes here are a limited edition option – their collab cakes change often.

A drugstore with baby food near Shibuya Crossing
If you need to buy packaged baby food, OS Drugstore at the bottom of Dogenzaka (very close to Shibuya Crossing) stocks jars of baby food and crackers. This drugstore is open from 8am most days and closes around 9:30pm. Put OS Drugstore Shibuya into google maps if you can’t find it. Like most drugstore in the city, they do not stock nappies (except for some giant incontinence pads.) If you are looking for diapers/nappies in Tokyo, see my blog post here.
I’ve written more about buying baby food in Japan here but I highly recommend using google translate to check all ingredients if baby has any allergies.

Baby Food (bottom shelf in this picture.)
The baby food is on the bottom shelf in this picture. Left to right: “Chicken & Fish Western Style Bento” Baby Food for 9 months+ – in the blue packaging.
“Japanese style Lunch Set” baby food for 12 months+. Animal Crackers (Called Animal Biscuits, here tho) for 9 months+. In the blue box. Small fish flavoured rice crackers for 7 months plus – in the red box.
Filtered water (for making formula on the go*) . Premixed formula called Raku Raku Milk (this can be put in a bottle and given to baby at room temperature.) It is called Raku Raku Milk and it is in the yellow can here.
*Some drugstores and supermarkets sell something called “Baby Water” which is sold as an option for families making formula when they don’t have the option to boil the water first – I don’t know too many people who use this – it’s clever marketing though. I speak more about water in Japan here.

See my Shibuya with Kids blog post for more information on other must-visit places with kids in this immediate area – including the kawaii and colourful shopping complex for teens called Shibuya 109.

Excelsior Caffe, Shibuya Koen Dori Branch (6 mins walk from Exit 6 of Shibuya Station)
This cafe is open from 8am in the morning. This chained is owned by the same company who own Doutor. If you are vegan, please check as many of the soy lattes here also include dairy. Last time I checked, the plain and blueberry bagels here are vegan.
See the Excelsior Caffe menu in English here. See the Excelsior Caffe breakfast menu in English here (sandwiches and toast.) This cafe has free wifi and places to plug in devices to charge. The caffe is non-smoking although there is an enclosed smoking booth. The cafe seats 57 people.

EXCELSIOR CAFFE, SHIBUYA KOEN-DORI
渋谷区神南１‐２０‐１２遠山ビル１Ｆ・２Ｆ
OPEN 8AM-10PM

2 mins walk from Shibuya Station is a Sonny Angel Shop!
The shop is called Soniandsmi and it is open everyday from 11am-8pm.

Did you know that there is a big food hall / giant delicatessen right under Shibuya Crossing and Mark City Shibuya?
It’s called the “Tokyu Food Show” and you can access it using stairs around the crossing (for example, outside Ginza Cozy Corner cake shop) – the signs down are a dark green colour. If you need to get down to the underground food hall but need stairs, go to Mark City Shopping Complex (the same complex with the big Daiso store) and take an elevator. The Tokyu Food Show is open from 10am-9pm. Please remember that this is a food hall and NOT a supermarket* so it’s not supermarket prices – this is the kind of place Japanese locals would shop for special food items, something for a party or a fancy birthday cake etc. This is a fabulous place to grab ready cooked foods or salads or breads and take them back to your hotel. I also think it’s a fun walk through with kids to see what kinds of foods they sell – it’s a fabulous mix of Japanese food items and bentos as well as high end fruit and veg and western food options. There is also a Kaldi store here – an imported food store and they may have some food items that your kids are missing from home.
Remember to eat the food on the few tables and chair provided or take it back to your hotel. This is a fancy department store so walking and eating isn’t a thing here.
*There is a mini Seijo Ishi supermarket within the food hall though. This is one of my favourite brands of supermarkets in Japan.

Cooked Calzones sold at Tokyu Food Show at a shop called Antonio’s Deli. Flavours here are Margherita, Bacon & Cheese, Double Cheese, Ham & Cheese, Anchovy, Olive & Cheese.

Salads and other appetizers at Antonio’s Deli within the Tokyu Food Show food hall.

This is a shopfront within Tokyu Food Hall under Shibuya Station called Kakiyasu and they specialise in side dishes and salads. Pictured here:
TOP SHELF: Avocado and Basil Potato Green Salad, Roast Beef and Fried Yuba Salad, Grilled Eggplant with Tomato and Garlic Marinade, Mayo Shrimp, Garlic Roast Beef, Roast Beef with diced green onions, Boilet Octopus with Mediterranean Marinade.
BOTTOM SHELF: Japanese Butterfish & Scallop Carpaccio-style Salad, Japanese style Vinegar Fried Chicken & Eggplant with Grated Daikon Sauce, Chunky Potato and Ham Tartare Salad, Squid & Cucumber Salad with Spring Onion and Salad Marinade.

Andersen Bakery underneath Shibuya Crossing within the Tokyu Food Show food hall.

Anderson Bakery under Shibuya Crossing at Tokyu Food Show.
TOP SHELF: “Sunrise” Melon Pan, “Summer” Cream Pan (Melon Pan with Cream inside).
SECOND SHELF: Ham, Cheese & Onion Bread, Open Onion, Ham & Cheese Bread, Sausage & Basil Pizza
THIRD SHELF: Pain Au Chocolat, Anzu & Cream Cheese Danish, Fermented Butter Croissant
BOTTOM SHELF: Chocolate Cornet, French Soft Baguette filled with Chocolate Cream, Soft Baguette with Milk Cream.

Loaves of bread sold at Andersen Bakery at Tokyu Food Show under Shibuya Crossing. TOP SHELF: Whole Wheat Bread, Danish Frui Bread, Summer Fruit Bread, Brown Rice Bread.

SECOND SHELF: Mini Shoku Pan Rye Bread, Farmer’s Bread Loaf, Cheese Bread.

THIRD SHELF: Mohave Raisin & Walnut Bread, Whole Rye Grain Bread, Sesame Bread, Danish Oat Bread.
BOTTOM SHELF: Fine Rye Bread, Walnut Bread, Cheddar Cheese, Raison Bread.

The fancy gift wrapped fruit for gifting at Tokyu Food Show in Shibuya

Kaldi Coffee Farm – the imported food store inside Tokyu Food Hall under Shibuya Crossing. This is a good option if you’re looking for some familiar international brands or ingredients from home.

Seijo Ishii bentos, sandwiches and sushi.

You can use google translate while you’re there but to give you an idea of what is on offer:

Top shelf:
Tuna & Spring Onion Sushi Handrolls, Ham & Egg Sandwiches, Cooked Shrimp & Brocolli Sandwiches, Mixed Veg Sandwiches, Colourful Veg Sandwiches ± a range of salads (sorry I can’t read the labels in the pic)

＊Dressings for salads are sold seperately – get the sesame dressing . Trust me!
Second shelf; Corn & Locally Sourced Colourful Veg Salad, Locally Sourced Green Veg Salad (sold out in this pic), Vermicelli Salad made with Okinawaーgrown Mozuku Seaweed, Burdock Root, Carrot, Sesame Mayo Salad, Crab & Quinoa Coleslaw Salad, (Can’t read this one in the pic- sorry!), Seafood Pasta Salad, (Can’t read the rest of the salad labels here -sorry!)

Second from bottom shelf:
Green & Yellow Veg Duck Salad, Quinoa & Walnut Ingredient Grain Salad, Chicken & Quinoa Salad with Olive Oil Dressing, （can’t see the other salad labels here – sorry!)

Bottom shelf:
Taco Meat Tortilla Wraps, Mixed Tortilla Wrap Pack with Ham & Egg and Cheese & Chicken, Yakiniku Beef & Root Veg Tortilla Wraps, Shrimp Fresh Spring Rolls with Coriander, Steamed Chicken & Egg Salad Spring Rolls, Salmon & Cheese Spring Rolls with Coriander, Shrimp & Steamed Chicken Spring Rolls, Smoked Salmon ＆Avocado Spring Rolls, Potato Salad.

Examples of cheese sold at Seijo Ishii within the Tokyu Food Show complex under Shibuya Crossing.

Cakes sold at Tokyu Food Show under Shibuya Crossing.

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.

Another suggestion:
Hawaiian Cafe & Bar Goodness ( 2 mins walk from Shibuya Crossing)
This cafe is above Shibuya Station. To get there, go to the Mark City Complex and go to the 4th floor (walk as if you’re going to the Shibuya Excel Tokyu – follow those signs and you’ll see the cafe on the right hand side.) Please note that this restaurant does not accept cash. Breakfast options includes an egg, bacon and pancake plate, a fruit, egg, bread and bacon plate and an acai and yoghurt bowl plate. Breakfast is served from 8am. Lunch and dinner here is all about burgers, pancakes, steak and salads. See pictures of the full menu at GoodNESS here. This is a great restaurant choice if you’re looking for adding some more western style greens to the plate for your kids – which is why I’ve also included in my “If you’re craving vegetables” article.
Make a reservation for Hawaiian Cafe & Bar GoodNess via tabelog here.

Some of the lunch & dinner options at GoodNESS.

HAWAIIAN CAFE & BAR GOODNESS
渋谷区道玄坂1−12−1 渋谷マークシティ 4F
4TH FLOOR, MARK CITY SHIBUYA, 1-12-1 DOGENZAKA, SHIBUYA
OPEN 8AM-11PM

Make reservations 2 weeks ahead if you want to eat those fluffy, jiggly viral Japanese pancakes by visiting A Happy Pancake Shibuya (see here for my full list of things to book in advance when visiting Japan with kids.) It is possible to just turn up but wait times can be up to 45 mins long AND some places only take walk-ins until they are sold out. Reservations for famous restaurant called “A Happy Pancake” (also referred to as Shiawase no Pancake in Japanese -and is sometimes spelled this way on google maps) open exactly 2 weeks ahead of your preferred dining date. Reservations open two weeks in advance at midnight Japan time! They have restaurants in Hokkaido, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Fukuoka and Okinawa.
Click here to make A Happy Pancake reservation for you and your family. You will need to make an account and log in to do so (so this before midnight to ensure your reservation is as quick as possible.)
The Happy Pancake Shibuya store is just outside the Mark City entrance. 8 mins walk from Shibuya Station. Budget 2000 yen per person to dine here. They accept most major credit cards. The entire restaurant is non-smoking.
A HAPPY PANCAKE, SHIBUYA
A HAPPY PANCAKE, SHIBUYA
渋谷区道玄坂1-18-8 道玄坂プラザ仁科屋ビル 3F
3RD FLOOR, DOGENZAKA PLAZA NISHINAYA BUILDING, 1-18-8 DOGENZAKA, SHIBUYA-KU
OPEN WEEKDAYS 11AM-8PM (LAST ORDERS 7:15PM)
*Please note! Pancakes are only sold until 2:30pm!
OPEN WEEKENDS & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS 10AM-8:30PM
*Please note! Pancakes are only sold until 2:30pm!

Shogun Pizza (4 mins walk from Shibuya Crossing)
It is a mixture of western style pizzas and Japanese pizza flavours. It’s really easy to get a vegetarian pizza here AND they also have a separate gluten free pizza station. See the full Shogun Pizza menu here. Budget 1500 yen per person to eat here. They also do takeaway – which you can order from their app ahead of time, if you’d like, and then collect. This is a walk-in only restaurant. They serve wine here. They also have free wifi. This restaurant is 6 mins walk from Shibuya Station.

I have written in a lot more detail (including pictures of the menu and the restaurant) about Shogun Pizza here.

SHOGUN PIZZA SHIBUYA
渋谷区宇田川町13-4 スペイン坂OKビル 1F
GROUND FLOOR, SPAINZAKA OK BUILDING, 13-4 UDAGAWACHO, SHIBUYA
OPEN 11AM-10PM

Shop for Kokeshi Dolls (4 mins walk from Shibuya Crossing)
Kokeshi Base is on the same street, just a few doors down from Shogun Pizza. The whole store is wall to wall with Kokeshi dolls and the staff are SO beautiful. Kids and adults can paint their own Kokeshi Dolls ! Make an online reservation direct with the store here. You can also make a reservation using Get Your Guide here. Please note that you will need to go down a short staircase down to the shop so you will need to fold up a stroller to bring it down.

Kokeshi dolls are different in different parts of Japan.

KOKESHI BASE
渋谷区宇田川町16-13うちだビルB1
BASEMENT B1 FLOOR, UCHIDA BUILDING, 16-13 UDAGAWACHO, SHIBUYA
OPEN 10AM-9PM

Pet Paradise – dog clothing & accessories
Just next to Kokeshi Base is a dog clothing and accessory shop called Pet Paradise. Pet Paradise is on Spainzaka Street in Shibuya has the CUTEST outfits for dogs. It’s just 4-5 mins walk from Shibuya Station.
Link to the Pet Paradise online store here.

The cutest disney themed dog suits and dog toys at Pet Paradise in Shibuya.

Pomme no Ki, Omurice restaurant (4 mins walk from Shibuya Crossing or 1 min walk from Kokeshi Base and Shogun Pizza)
This omurice restaurant welcomes kids. It’s mainly full of high school and university student aged teens though. Please note that this restaurant only accepts cash. This restaurant requires taking the stairs up to the second floor – if you have a stroller you will need to fold it and take it up with you – there isn’t any elevator access, unfortunately. Budget approximately 1000 yen per person to dine here. This restaurant has more than 40 variations on the standard Omurice dish (omelette filled with fried rice.) Side dish options include doria, sweet potato fries, sweet potato fries. There is a kids plate for 700 yen (a small omurice, a piece of fried chicken, a few veggies, some small hot dogs and a jelly.). If you are vegetarian, please be warned that the fried rice inside the omelette contains bacon so make sure you say bacon nashi onegaishimasu (without bacon please) when you order – I’m really sorry but I can’t guarrantee that they haven’t used chicken stock while cooking so if you’re strick vegetarian maybe another restaurant is a better option?. See the full menu for Pomme no Ki here – you’ll need to use google translate for the descriptions. This restaurant also does takeaway.
If you’re not sure what to order the most popular options are Premium Beef Stew Omurice, the Mozzarella Cheese Tomato Sauce Omurice and the Original Omurice with Chicken and Bacon.

Pomme no Ki, Omurice. Outside the Shibuya Spainzaka Store.

The Kids Set plate at Pomme no Ki. A small omurice, small hot dogs, a small piece of fried chicken, some vegetables, a juice and a jelly

POMME NO KI, SHIBUYA SPAINZAKA STORE
渋谷区宇田川町13-7 小安ビル 2F
2F KOYASU BUILDING, 13-7 UDAGAWACHO, SHIBUYA
OPEN 11:30AM-10PM *FROM 11AM ON WEEKENDS & NATIONAL HOLIDAYS

To the Herbs Shibuya (5-6 mins walk from Shibuya Crossing)
Literally across the road from the Parco Complex (with the Pokemon and Nintendo stores) is To the Herbs Shibuya. This is an Italian Restaurant called To the Herbs. To the Herbs is kid-friendly and I recommend budgeting 2000 yen per adult at lunch time and more like 4000 yen at dinner time. You can make a reservation or just try for a walk-in. It is just one of the hotels I recommend for families in Shibuya called Lyf Shibuya Tokyo. They accept most major credit cards. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. They have space for strollers. My daughter likes the hamburger steak here. I like the Fruits of the Season Tomato Caprese.

The Fruits of the Season Caprese at To The Herbs.

To the Herbs in Shibuya. Sit out on the terrace!

TO THE HERBS
渋谷区宇田川町4-3 lyf渋谷東京 2F
2ND FLOOR ABOVE THE LYF SHIBUYA TOKYO HOTEL, 4-3 UDAGAWACHO, SHIBUYA
OPEN EVERYDAY 11AM-11PM

Parco in Shibuya has many kid-friendly restaurants as well as the Pokemon, Nintendo and Godzilla Stores.

Tacos Udagawa (food truck/ street tacos)
Tacos Udagawa is a great option for street tacos. Very casual (literally a food truck with some stools and tables out front.) I don’t recommend going after 9pm as it can get quite full of people in “post-party mode.” In case you have a hard time finding it, put Wagyu Niku Yokocho Shibuya into google maps.

TACOS UDAGAWA
渋谷区宇田川町13−8 千歳会館ビル, ホーム 1
PLATFORM 1, CHITOSE KAIKAN, 13-8 UDAGAWA-CHO, SHIBUYA
OPEN SUN-THURS 5PM-10PM
OPEN FRIDAYS 5PM-6AM ON SAT
OPEN SATURDAYS 4PM-6AM ON SUN

Just a few doors down from Tacos Udagawa is a games/amusement centre in Shibuya called Adores. It is open from 10am. They have crane machines, arcade games, print club and a little kids game area. This arcade centre is open until 11:30pm. It is 4 mins walk from Shibuya Crossing.
ADORES GAME CENTRE
渋谷区宇田川町13−11 KN渋谷1ビル 1～4F

Denny’s, Shibuya Koen Dori Branch
Denny’s Japan (note, not the same as Denny’s in the US.)
Open from 10am -11pm. Please note that there are “smoking sections” of the restaurant on weekdays.
They have a low common allergens menu. 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.) This restaurant seats 100 people. They accept most major credit cards. This restaurant is 7 mins walk from Shibuya Station.