Travel Tips for Tokyo with Young Kids
Feeling so incredibly grateful that we could travel to one of our most favorite places in the world, again! This time with our kids - a year older, I hope a year wiser? At 6.5, Chase wasn’t much of a problem as he had the stamina and the energy to travel, but at 2.5, Jasiel was a menace haha. I’m just glad that she had her own seat on the airplane!!
This trip, we flew ANA which we really liked. The big bonus was that it would arrive at the Haneda Airport, which is a lot closer to Tokyo than Narita airport (30 minute drive vs. 1.5 hours). I also thought that the food was a lot better on our ANA flight than our JAL flight last year. Because we had some lounge passes at the airport, we decided to take advantage of it and it was pretty nice getting to see the airplanes landing and flying out of the airport. It was also nice cause right beside the Plaza Premium lounge was a little playground to get the energy out of the kids before the flight.
With the flight being at 4PM, it was an awkward time for Jasiel to nap. She’s pretty stubborn these days about going to nap, because she’s FOMO and wants in on whatever big bro is doing. But, she fell asleep around the time that our flight took off, which I’m grateful for!
What I packed in my bag to help make the flight easier
Lollipops / Ring pops - I normally don’t give these to my kids, but on airplanes, everything is “yes” because we’re stuck with each other and don’t really have an option. But these are great for helping with the pressure. The ring pops make it more fun, too, I think!
Baby wipes - you never know what you need to wipe, including their sticky hands after the lollipops.
Inflatable Airplane bed - Chase had something similar to this one last year, and he loved it but he was getting too big for it. So we got two of these Kooshy kids ones this time around, so they just inflated to the height of the airplane seats. We also travelled with this small electric pump that helped us inflate and deflate in seconds. Jasiel used it a lot this time, which is why I think it was worth bringing. Thankfully they pack up really small, so C was able to stuff it into his backpack.
Doggy bags - I use these as small garbage bags, for diapers / possible puke / anything else. Jasiel has been potty trained for 6 months by the time we went on this trip, but just in case, I put a pull-up on her even though she refused to pee in it.
iPad - both kids have an iPad with a case that stands it up for them to watch. While this flight had TV, I felt that it was still really helpful that they had their own shows downloaded, and some offline games as well that they can enjoy.
For Chase: Offline Games this game has a lot of games in it, which I think is pretty cool. I purchased the no-ad upgrade, as the ads on this game can still show pretty random ones. I also have the Epic! Books subscription for him.
For Jasiel: She really likes her Eric Carle games - Hungry Caterpillar and etc, Miffy, and this Bebi: Baby Games for Preschool. The Hungry Caterpillar and Miffy I paid a little bit extra for the extended versions, but for Bebi, I don’t do the subscription and just do the free options, which are still quite a bit. These apps work great offline.
Activity Books - knowing Chase, he could really care less for activity books during the flight because he likes to watch some of his shows that he downloaded already, so I don’t bother bringing for him. But for Jasiel, she’s really into sticker books these days, and these dot ones were a hit for her.
Snacks, snacks, snacks - this is the time to pack their favorite snacks! I also bring a set of saltine crackers that are easy on the tummy, can’t go wrong with a pack of Skyflakes. My kids also really like hi-chews and Welch’s fruit snacks - again, these are more on the candy side and I normally don’t give it to them often, but on a trip, anything goes to keep them sane (and keep mommy sane too). While the ANA food was great, sometimes the kids still don’t want to eat airplane food, so snacks and candy help stave off the hunger.
Gravol - last trip, Jasiel had a few instances feeling a bit motion sickness, so I made sure to bring the Gravol for kids and a syringe for easy eating.
I find being on the airplane it gets very dry, so I make sure I bring my Naetal Skincare baby butter!
Stroller - we packed our lightest stroller, the gb-pockit something that we’ve had since Chase was a toddler. For some reason on Japan flights, they can gate check-in, but they don’t give you the stroller right away when you land, it shows up in the luggage area. So, we learned from this experience and just put in the overhead compartment because that way we could use it right away. Especially the Haneda airport, there’s a lot of walking involved after you land.
arriving at the haneda airport
As much as we’re always excited to go to Japan, I find that the customs lines at the airports rather long, which is to be expected considering there are so many people arriving in Japan. Thankfully, having kids (especially with a stroller), you will often get sent to the priority lane and so it will be a bit quicker.
Also, before you go to Japan, make sure that you get your QR code setup before you arrive! It’s for the customs declarations and you should read through the instructions to get it setup for everyone in your party. You’ll have to select each person and add in their information. This will really help you breeze through the airport customs especially after you get your luggage. This will also be helpful for the tax-free services as you go shopping.
Additionally, I also get Airalo, which is an esim provider, I get that setup before I exit the airport, that way I have data. If you would like my referral code, it is: KARLA4244
Managing Jetlag with Kids
Everyone has their own take for jetlag, but for us, we try to get on the new timezone cold turkey. This means that we either stay awake on the flight when needed, or sleep on the flight when needed. Regardless, when we arrive, when it’s time to sleep, I give melatonin gummies to the kids and I take timed-release melatonin for myself. Melatonin only helps you fall asleep but it doesn’t help you stay asleep, so timed release for me really works. My kids both take to the melatonin gummies really well and it helps them sleep for a decent amount at night. Even though they may wake up a bit earlier in the day the next day, at least it will be easier to deal with than waking multiple times at night. I only do this for about 3 days, when the trip start and after we get back home, that way they don’t get used to it.
how I spend money in japan
Since the last trip, I also used my Wise card a lot. Wise gives you awesome rates for converting CAD/USD to JPY, with minimal fees. You can convert anytime you wish, so I usually try to time it and pre-purchase my Japanese Yen ahead of time. I was able to get them at a really good rate this time, vs. using a traditional credit card that uses daily rates. You can use it as a credit card as it’s a Visa, but it works like a debit card because because you need to put in money and can only use the money you have in your balance. This trip to Tokyo we noticed that more and more places take card now, which is awesome. I use it at convenience stores, department stores, taxis, vending machines, restaurants etc. I ordered the physical debit card so that I can use it at places that don’t allow the tap option. Saves you from using a lot of cash (except of course if you want to use gashapon machines and transportation), and because they use a lot of coins still and they can be quite heavy to lug around. You can also use the Wise Card at the ATMs to retrieve some cash if you run out. Prior to our trip though, I did get some cash converted at the VBCE because you will still need some cash here and there, such as for transportation and some restaurants that have a ticket system. When they ask you how you would like to pay, I just say “kaa-do” which means credit card.
getting from airport to hotel
Because we are travelling with small kids and have 2 large suitcases, we hired a private driver to pick us up from the airport via Klook and drive us directly to our hotel, kind of like getting a taxi, only that you pre-book it and you can ensure that the taxi is big enough to hold you. Last year, we arrived with 6 of us with lots of luggage, so our van was bigger than what we had. Really convenient than taking the local trains, only that you might hit some traffic if it’s in a car, which does happen! On our way back home, we hit some traffic, so instead of just a 30 minute drive, it ended up being around 45 minutes.
getting around
Travelling with two young kids, we often took the train. We highly recommend getting IC cards (we still had some extra ones from our previous trips). I personally like using the physical card rather than adding it to your phone, but everyone to their own! For Chase, as he was 6 years old still until March 31, 2025, he didn’t need to get an IC card to get around, but next time, we’ll get him a child IC card so it’s half the price of the regular transport. Younger than 6, the tickets are free.
I also find that taking the bus can be quite convenient as taking subways also means taking the time to go all the way down and all the way up, with so many possible exits. It sometimes is easier to just be at ground level and actually see where you’re going. Google Maps is pretty accurate these days, showing all the stops so you don’t need to guess when you’ll need to stop.
Alternately, you can always get an Uber. Some days, when we’re really tired, we take an Uber which is essentially a taxi. It is more pricey, but sometimes you gotta just take the taxi to get somewhere a bit easier!
where to stay
I personally love staying at the Mimaru Hotels because the rooms are spacious, and they have a fully-stocked kitchen, a coin laundry system, an English-speaking concierge that can help you do a lot of things like receive packages (like if you purchase items from Amazon or other online shop), send your luggage, make reservations at restaurants, and so much more.
We really like staying at the Tokyo Station East location because it’s close to Tokyo Station and the Ginza area, and it has two bedroom suites, which is convenient for us. This also puts us really close to Akihabara and Ueno area, which are really fun as well. Another area we would consider in the future would be the Ikebukuro location, because it’s pretty close to the Shinjuku/Shibuya area and really close to the JR Ikebukuro station which is a main station.
shinkansen tickets
I purchased our tickets in advance using the SmartEx App, as we were going to Hakone this time around. It’s nice because you don’t have to line up to get tickets, and you can get your ticket and reservation at the same time (which is nice you get to pick your seats), plus it’s a little cheaper as well. You will need to find an entrance with a QR code reader (not all entrance gate turntables have them). Of course, it does mean that you will need to be there in advance to get on your train on time. I would make sure I’m on the platform close to the car entrance 15 minutes before the train will arrive as the train stops only for a short time (1-2 minutes) for you to board.
Luggage transfer
This trip, we were able to use the luggage transfer service which was quite convenient because we didn’t want to lug all our luggage to Hakone and back, just for a few days. Our hotel concierge helped us with it, which is pretty awesome. We sent out luggage to our next hotel which was 2 days later, so you can also delay the arrival as well (usually next day delivery).
You got this, mama.
Travelling with young kids isn’t easy, but grateful for the chance to travel, right? I hope you enjoy your trip as much as we did ours. Travel can be very stressful, so lower your expectations towards most things so you won’t get frustrated. It gets even tougher if/when the kids get sick! So just make most of the trip!