Although it might take about 30 minutes to get there from the centre of town, once you’re in the area, you are set up for the whole day and the kids are going to think the day is for them. (Use google maps to see how much a taxi will be incase you’re just really needing the “short cuts” to begin.)
I’m talking about going to Odaiba. But not all of Odaiba, like in my Odaiba with kids post… but just two big shopping malls that are connected. There is so much to do that you could keep moving around to different activities or just stick around in the one that is working for you.
This also means that your day isn’t dependent on nice weather.
I believe that this is an easy day as all of these activities are close together. You don’t need to worry about navigating trains or buses or even walking far. There are lots of family-friendly meal options, toy shops, change tables and restrooms. There are a few outdoor options.
The two malls joined together are called Aqua City & Decks.
Things to do here ( and one additional thing not mentioned below is the movie theatre – the cinema showtimes can be found here. Read my post on going to the cinema in Japan to learn how to work out which movies will be played in English (with Japanese subtitles, of course.)
Decks Department Store & Aqua City Department Stores are linked by a ramp so it’s easy to switch back and forth between the two.
Keep in mind that the main section of the department stores are closed until 11am but you do have breakfast and outdoor options before then.
So if you’re there first thing, I recommend Bills for breakfast (or lunch). It’s an Australian restaurant so it’s a nice open space (even accommodates strollers) with an international menu. There are a few other of the Bills Restaurants in Tokyo but this is the least crowded – especially compared to the others on the weekend. The service isn’t the fastest so order for kids as soon as you sit down.
DECKS TOKYO BEACH, SEASIDE MALL 3F, 1-6-1 DAIBA, MINATO-KU
港区台場1-6-1デックス東京ビーチ シーサイドモール3F
OPEN: 9AM-11PM WEEKDAYS, 8AM-11PM WEEKENDS
WEBSITE
There is a wide deck outside of Bills restaurant for running and playing before or after stopping for food.
Or there is Eggs’n’Things is a Hawaiian restaurant built around the concept of “All Day Breakfast” ( a relatively new idea for Japan.) It is light and bright and there are several of these restaurants around Japan but this is branch my favourite – mainly because of the space and shorter lines. This restaurant is well-known for the mountain of whipped cream on their sweet pancakes. YUM! They also have savoury options and a kids menu (egg and hamburger steak plate or fruit and cream pancakes with a chocolate pen to decorate). They have high chairs and the staff are very welcoming when it comes to families.
EGGS’N’THINGS ODAIBA
3RD FLOOR, AQUA CITY DEPARTMENT STORE, 1-7-1 DAIBA, MINATO
港区台場1-7-1 アクアシティお台場 3F
OPEN: 9AM-11PM (LAST ORDER AT 9:30PM)
WEBSITE
(Legoland in Odaiba is not to be confused with Legoland in Nagoya – that is proper, large amusement park. This is my write up on Legoland Nagoya with kids)
Legoland in Odaiba is, essentially, a lego-themed playcentre. There is a Harry Potter Lego ride, a cool minature Tokyo made of Lego, lots of lego building opportunities, a small playground, a little karaoke machine and a jungle gym. There is a new trainland section too. Oh and there is a small 3D movie, all in Japanese, but hard-core lego warriors probably wouldn’t care, right?
One of the playground areas is a Duplo area which has a slide and is even okay for toddlers.
Please be aware that the Harry Potter ride requires that children be 90cm or taller and every child must ride with one adult.
There is a small cafe inside Legoland (or you could wait and eat something else in the department store afterwards, of course.) They don’t allow outside food (with the exception of baby food.)
Check out this minature Shibuya Crossing made of Lego! So cute!
LEGOLAND DISCOVERY CENTER TOKYO
DECKS TOKYO BEACH, SEASIDE MALL 3F, 1-6-1 DAIBA, MINATO-KU
港区台場1-6-1デックス東京ビーチ シーサイドモール3F
OPEN: 10AM-8PM WEEKDAYS, 10AM-9PM WEEKENDS
And there is another smaller playcentre inside the same mall!If you know the Decks Department Store well, you’ll remember that there was a tiny little playcentre on the 5th floor of the Island Mall side. It was a bit run down and was mostly fun for crawlers and new walkers. Well, they’ve since moved the Trick Art Museum downstairs and used all that extra space to renovate and create a whole new play area.
Then, inside the Decks department store is Daiba 1-Chome Shoutengai (4th Floor) a strip of the department store transformed into a retro-kitsch 1950s Japanese shopping street. There are wacky novelty toys, old-school Japanese sweets and arcade games. There is also a takoyaki (Japanese street food: fried octopus batter balls) museum.
The gimmicky toys are quite reasonably priced and this is the place to buy funny joke gifts (or toys to keep kiddies busy on a plane or in a hotel room.) This is area makes for some funny photos too.
Be warned, there is a haunted house in one of the back corners that looks spooky (even from the outside) so keep an eye on little ones. Japan takes it’s haunted houses very, very seriously.
Decks & Aqua City rent out strollers (but only for children less than 18kgs and only for use within these department stores) if little legs get tired.
4TH FLOOR DECKS DEPARTMENT STORE, 1-6-1 DAIBA, MINATO
港区台場1-6-1
OPEN 11AM-9PM
WEBSITE
Another shopping suggestion inside the same department store is walk through Daiso on the 4th floor.
This is one of the best 100 yen stores, in my opinion. It is great for buying small gifts or toys for keeping children entertained on planes or at restaurants.
Sticker books.
Cheap and cheerful mugs.
Insulated snack bags
Masks
DAISO, DECKS DEPARTMENT STORE
港区台場1-6-1
1-6-1 DAIBA, MINATO
OPEN 11AM-9PM
If you decide to go to Bills for lunch (details closer to the top of this post) but the line has grown too long to wait, there is a Pizza /Pasta restaurant right next door called Trattoria Pizzeria Logic. My kids love their Margherita Pizza and I’m always daydreaming about their Caprese salad.
It’s not a fancy restaurant but I like how they have outdoor seating on the deck (so I feel much more comfortable with my kids spilling everywhere.)
They have high chairs.
If you are there for lunch, they offer a bottomless juice bar which includes iced tea, grapefruit juice and orange juice.
TRATTORIA PIZZERIA LOGIC
港区台場1-6-1 デックス東京ビーチ
DECKS TOKYO BEACH, 1-6-1 DAIBA, MINATO-KU
OPEN WEEKDAYS : 11AM-3PM & 5PM-10PM
OPEN WEEKENDS: 11AM-4PM & 5PM-10PM
Tokyo’s version of the Statue of Liberty in Odaiba (outside of Aqua City Department Store) is worth checking out – just for the “what the?” factor. Don’t ask why……. I have no idea.
And then for shopping ( or just buying some time)
There is Toys’R’Us, Aqua City, located on the ground floor of Aqua City is Toys’R’Us. At the far end of the store is a Thomas the Tank Engine display and train table for children to play with. There is also a moving, roaring, large dinosaur placed on top of a toy display. These are both located close to the baby feeding & changing room so if you have two children (and two adults) one child could play while the other was being fed and changed.
Near the exit is another small duplo play area too.
If you’re looking to shop, the Japanese store does have different merchandise to its overseas counterparts so it’s worth a look around.
This little cheap toy is still a favourite with my two mini-people and I love that it’s a vending machine with coins, credit card and a rubbish bin. So funny.
This is also a good place to pick up some snacks and/or baby food.
TOYS R US ODAIBA
GROUND FLOOR, AQUA CITY DEPARTMENT STORE, 1-7-1 DAIBA, MINATO
港区台場1-7-1
OPEN 11AM-9PM
The Disney Store is always a hit with my kiddies too. Of course.
3RD FLOOR, AQUA CITY DEPARTMENT STORE, 1-7-1 DAIBA, MINATO
港区台場1-7-1
OPEN 11AM-9PM
And then, across the road from Aqua City, is the Chuggington store.
On the ground floor of the Fuji TV Station Building ( the robot that looks like something out of transformers opposite Aqua City Department store) is the Chuggington Shop. This shop has a shoes-off play area with lots of model trains to play with. We often stop here mid-shop on rainy days.
CHUGGINGTON STORE
FUJI TELEVISION NETWORK BUILDING, GROUND FLOOR (INSIDE THE COMPLEX)
2-4-8 DAIBA, MINATO
港区台場2-4-8
OPEN: 10AM-6PM
