Tokyo is a fascinating and vast city. Most people envisage Shinjuku or the middle of Ginza “Lost in Translation” style Tokyo when they start to plan their holiday. However, there are many different types of Tokyo – green hills and pretty flowers, alley ways and lush coffee shop corners, markets and bohemian styled precincts.
So much so that it can be overwhelming and, for that reason, everyone seems to flock to Shinjuku (mostly as the travel agents seem to know of this place as the safest bet when they are unsure of other areas and especially so when it’s for parents like you and I who are looking for the full, beautiful and memorable experience in Japan with our mini humans.
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YOU REALLY CAN’T GET IT WRONG
There are no really dangerous places in Tokyo to stay with children – not compared to most other parts of the world. Japan is safe and the public transport reliable which means you may have to commute a few minutes longer if you’re a bit more “out of the way” than you meant to be – but often “out of the way” means you’re seeing a different side to Japan – some suburban streets, a little garden nearby, a mum & pop style restaurant to try…
Because Japan is just so welcoming and easy to explore … it can get confusing to get tips on accommodation in Tokyo for families because every area is different and special in it’s own way – and therefore everyone claims that their hotel or apartment was the best spot to be (pretty cool if you think about it, right?)
So, please take peace in the fact that you can’t get it “wrong.”
But I do want to share with you some options that might help you decide what you want – that suits your family and the type of Tokyo holiday you all hope for.
THE SIZE OF YOUR FAMILY MATTERS WHEN CHOOSING YOUR ACCOMMODATION IN TOKYO
(This applies to families mostly with 5 or more people)
This doesn’t mean that you will miss out on a fabulous area – I just wouldn’t want to limit myself to a certain part of town and miss out on a place to stay where we were all feeling comfortable and truly getting to experience life in Japan by having to split into different rooms or squish ourselves into a teeny tiny space.
Just over the past 5 years, Japanese tourism has finally begun to embrace family accommodation and a way for families not just to lay their heads but have their own little mini living in Japan experience.
I have compiled a list here of accommodation in Japan for families of 5 of more people.
But let me also give you my personal top 5 hotels/hotel apartments for larger families in Tokyo here, right now:
1. Mimaru Ueno East OR Mimaru Ueno Okachimachi
Both of these apartment hotels have apartments that can sleep up to 8 people (more people if you have children who are small enough to bed share)
These are apartment hotels and are both within 10 minutes walk of Ueno Station. Ueno is on the JR Yamanote Loop Line. Ueno is also a bullet train stop for some of the bullet train lines too – making domestic travel super convenient.
Ueno as an area is lively in the day and the night – so there are lots of options for vibey bars, restaurants and street food but also great for families as there is Ueno Park right next to the station for some quieter time. The park is often used for markets and is also the home of The Natural Museum of Science and Nature.
Here is my Ueno with kids guide for other food and family-friendly options here.
Between the two of these Mimaru apartment hotels you can find connecting rooms, pokemon themed rooms, rooms with bunk beds, Japanese-western style rooms. Each room has a small kitchen and access to laundry facilities within the building.
On the train, Ueno is 5 mins from Tokyo Station & 3 mins to Akihabara Station.
2. Mimaru Asakusa Station
This apartment hotel, like all others in the brand, has a small kitchenette with a cooking utensils so it is easy for larger families with small children who need access to a microwave as well as laundry facilities within the building.
These hotel apartments can sleep up to 8 people (more people if you have children who are small enough to bed share) Mimaru Asakusa is one of the few hotels that offers multiple rooms within an apartment as an option. This is perfect for young families where parents don’t necessarily want to sleep in the same room as their parents.
The Akasaka area is rich in old-world Japanese culture and is home to the beautiful and very famous Sensoji temple. This area is quieter at night than some other areas of Tokyo but there are still lots of food options and lots to do for families. See here for my Asakusa with kids guide – you’re going to want to take pictures of everything.
This is also the area of the Harry Potter Cafe.
3. The Family Suite Room at Henn Na Hotel Asakusa Tawaramachi
This is a 3 star hotel but very comfortable. The only twist for families of 5? The youngest child will need to be younger than 6 and share a bed as the room contains a double and two Japanese singles. If you miss out on the family suite then I recommend also asking about the adjoining rooms and connecting rooms. The rooms here are clean and comfy – much smaller than a Mimaru option though.
For an extra quirk – the front desk is manned by Dinosaurs and Ninjas.
This hotel is 7 mins walk from Asakusa Station. As mentioned above, Asakusa is charming and magical. See here for my Asakusa with kids guide.
4. The Family Room at Landabout Ueno
The family room sleeps 5 people ( 1 double bed and 3 singles). The rooms are modern and spacious.
It is 10 mins walk from Ueno Park or 3 mins walk from Uguisudani Station.
There is a cafe / coffee shop / bar downstairs for guests and the general public to use (there are also lots of restaurants in this area so you’d probably only need it for breakfast unless you wanted other meals.). I have talked about the benefits of Ueno in my 1st recommendation here.
Landabout Ueno is walking distance from Asakusa (24 min walk, 10 mins/ approx 1000 yen in a cab or 15 mins by public transport) and Kappabashi Kitchen Town area (19 mins walk, 10 mins / approx 800 yen by cab).
The area around Landabout Ueno is technically a love hotel district. This does not mean it is dangerous but it does mean that when walking around you will see lots of candy coloured and themed buildings offering “day stays.” It is not dangerous at all but if this something that bothers you then maybe look elsewhere.
It is a great way to have more beds, separate rooms and keep costs down.
5. A Japanese or a Western Style Room at Cocoshuku Akasaka Premium
This apartment has a kitchen and many separate rooms including a separate living area and separate bedrooms. This room can fit 4 adults and additional children under 6 if they don’t require additional bedding. This apartment is so lovely and modern. You’ll love it here.
The Akasaka / Roppongi area is my favourite to recommend for families with younger children as I believe some of the best playgrounds and parks are in this area. This area also has a wider range of family-friendly restaurants than other parts of Tokyo.
Akasaka is so central but has a real out in the suburbs vibe with so many lovely alleyways, Japanese izakayas and Hie Shrine close by too. Here is my guide of all the things that we like to do in the Akasaka area.
Please note that Cocoshuku area self-check in accommodation only, which means that there is no reception desk to assist with luggage forwarding.
Please note that outside of the major cities in Japan you will have less of a hard time finding accommodation for families of 5 ore more as you can simply look at Japanese style rooms or stand alone homes and cabin style accommodation.
You may notice that I don’t speak often about Airbnb in Japan. There are beautiful places to stay in Japan, however, I find it difficult to recommend certain locations in Tokyo as houses / apartments are snapped up to quickly to recommend, airbnb doesn’t always have the best reputation in Japan, they are often in inconvenient locations and, with small children and the language barrier I feel like I am leaving families without the support of hotel staff in an emergency or for assistance like luggage forwarding in Japan and restaurant bookings (these matters can easily make a family holiday just that much more stressful.) I have spoken more in detail about Airbnb in Japan here.
HOTELS FOR FAMILIES OF 2, 3 OR 4 IN TOKYO: STICK CLOSE TO A JR YAMANOTE LINE STATION
Basically – when you start looking around for family accommodation I’d pull up a map of the JR Yamanote Line (this is the city loop.). There are 30 stations to choose from so it gives you lots of areas to work with.
If you’re near the Yamanote line, it’s really easy to get around the city, transfer to subways, get to the touristy spots, jump on bullet trains and the Narita Express etc.
If you’ve found an excellent deal a few stations out from a Yamanote line station, use google maps ( google maps really is your new best friend in Japan) to help you calculate how many transfers it will take to get you where you need to be.
HOTELS FOR FAMILIES WITH SMALL BABIES IN TOKYO
I recommend being right in the thick of it all and sticking to a Yamanote line stop like Shibuya (my Shibuya with kids post that includes baby rooms and change table info is here..)I would go for as close to the station as your budget allows.
You can then nip back to the accommodation for nap times or changes of clothing.
A little baby in a carrier allows for lots of travel flexibility and I’d recommend being in the centre of town while baby is happy to join you in travelling your own way.
If ‘big city living’ might not suit your baby – maybe they are a lighter sleeper – I also really recommend somewhere like Aoyama.
It has a beautiful cafe culture and is a fancy part of town (walking distance to Omotesando and Harajuku, for example) which might be a perfect way to see the city with a sleeping baby. My ‘Aoyama with kids‘ suggestions are here.
You’re also on the JR line so this is handy if you have a JR pass (although while in Tokyo it’s not much to take the train in the city so I wouldn’t let this be a deciding factor.)
Other good spots that I would happily stay with little babies (comfortably carry in a baby carrier all day age, I mean) are:
Ikebukuro, Omotesando, Harajuku and the trendy area of Daikanyama if you are keen to not be in the centre of town and are happy to take some additional train changes in order to be in a cooler, artsy area. (My Daikanyama with Kids post is here.)
HOTELS FOR FAMILIES WITH TODDLERS IN TOKYO
Basically, I’m talking ‘my kid needs a park right now or we will all go crazy’ stage ( especially keeping in mind that hotels can be small, restaurants need kids to be kind of quiet and sightseeing involves lots of stroller time. You’ve probably never needed a park with a playground more than this time in your lives.)
And that’s definitely the stage my family has been at for a few years now.
I wrote about it in detail in this blog post but Tokyo is a city that sleeps late and that means you might be awake early with small jet-lagged children and have no where to take them but the park. Also, if you want kiddies to sleep in strollers and cooperate with trains and sightseeing later, its easier to do something just for them first thing.
Harajuku is very central and does have Yoyogi Park, but that park doesn’t have a playground. For older kids it can be fun to rent bikes (although not easy to find options with baby seats attached.) So my kids love Yoyogi but only when we have kites or bubbles or scooters. I’ve written more details about fun to be had in Yoyogi and the surrounding area here.
So for those who need parks, I would recommend staying near subway stops Roppongi or Roppongi Itchome (Roppongi with kids post here) or Hiroo (Hiroo with kids post here) or even Akasaka ( Akasaka with kids post here.).
These areas are still near everything touristy but are very kid-friendly – including lots of kid-friendly restaurant options.
The exception : If you have one baby or one toddler and like high end hotels ( I know some people do and room service etc is very important etc) ? Then I recommend you stay at the Hyatt Centric in Ginza. It’s in the middle of the big city shopping and there are still rooftop green spaces and free museums in the area.
With subway stops comes the problems of limited elevator options so you will need to make sure you have a foldable stroller or two parents to help carry a stroller up and down steps. I wrote a lot about this in my post here on the things I first found to be tricky in Tokyo with two small children.
But personally, I would choose parks and just plan my subway trips, taxi trips and slightly longer walks accordingly. Parks are a MUST for us.
If wandering too far from the Yamanote line and potential elevator issues freak you out – why not consider Ebisu? It’s on the Yamanote line, has all the elevators and a couple of lovely parks for kids too. I also really love Ebisu as it feels like ‘real’ Japan to me. Its gritty and lively in all the right ways with lots of bakeries and easy access to all the other parts of town.
You can also walk to the park-laden areas that I mention above.
I do recommend making sure you are close to the JR Ebisu side of Ebisu. Ebisu Garden Place is a bit of a hike from the JR station.
My Ebisu with kids guide is here.
If in Ebisu, you can also walk to one of my favourite areas in Tokyo, Daikanyama (Daikanyama with kids suggestions here.)
Other areas I would be looking to stay in with my 3 and 5 year old now, if I was a visitor to Tokyo, are:
Harajuku, Meguro, Azabu-Juban, Aoyama.
IT’S NOT A MISTAKE BUT I FIND THESE AREAS TO BE A BIT TRICKY TO STAY WITH KIDS IN TOKYO
1) Odaiba
Odaiba is one of my most favourite places to take kids on a rainy day ( or a really hot day) as there is so much to do (post on things to do here.) But it would be one of my least favourite places to stay. Mainly because of the Yurikamome light rail. You’re kind of stuck on the man-made island of Odaiba. Save it for a fun day trip and return to your accommodation on the ‘mainland.’
HOWEVER.. the Grand Tokyo Nikko Daiba does have large hotel rooms for big families and they also have a shuttle to Disneyland. There is also space for a travel cot. ( For a list of other hotels in Tokyo that also have a shuttle to Disney, see my Disney accommodation recommendations here. )
*Some people question why I don’t list Ueno as it is also on the Yamanote line. It’s just a personal choice as I don’t really like the areas around the train lines, personally (just a bit grubby and not as friendly in terms of restaurants and parks in my experience.) If you get a very very good deal on accommodation it may be worth doing your own research to see if it might work for you. In terms of transport, it is an extremely convenient location. I also may be a bit biased as I’m really not a fan of Japanese zoos (except for Zoorasia in Yokohama which is lovely, details here. )
3) Shinjuku
The majority of the big hotels are in West Shinjuku which is quite far from the station. Many of them do have shuttles but still.. it’s not that convenient every time you want to go out. Also, with children, Kabukicho is pretty much the only “red light” district in Tokyo. Although the crime rate is low – this area will involve walking around at night and seeing lots of drunk people and lots of posters for girls bars etc. I’ve also seen lots of rats on the street here. Not ideal. But, if you have booked here and can’t cancel – I really don’t want you to panic. I write more about why here.
For those who are in Tokyo for a very short amount of time OR have a bullet train ride first thing in the morning…
I recommend Shinagawa.
It IS quite industrial and lacks character. BUT it is really convenient for bullet train travel and is on the Yamanote line.
For kid friendly activities in Shinagawa, see my post here.
ohh.. and one extra tip!
Try not to be too dazzled by cheaper prices when a hotel is called ” Something -Something- TOKYO BAY”
I’ve had a few readers that have contacted me once they’ve arrive in Japan and are so sad as they booked a hotel that had “Tokyo Bay” at the end and didn’t realize that it would be so far out.
Don’t get me wrong, some of these hotels are really nice and much cheaper and I know some large families that actively make the distance compromise to make it work but the people that I feel for are those who don’t realize the distance ahead of time.
It will be a 30-40 minute commute into town and the line you will most likely need to take, the Tozai line, often operates at 200% capacity. that means a lot of work for, particularly, parents with kids.
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.
