Here’s our list of free (and almost free) fun things to do with kids in Tokyo.

Explore the oldest temple in Tokyo, run around Imperial Palace grounds and climb up stones of Edo castle keep, picnic in Japanese gardens, miniature landscapes with ponds, islands, bridges, trees and flowers, visit a drum museum (kids can play the drums) or kite museum, look for dragons everywhere in the city.

Gardens and parks throughout Tokyo. are perfect for picnic lunches, plenty of take-out options, picnic tables are available.

For takeout picnics, convenience stores, Tokyo Station and Tokyo Skytree on first floor, and department stores such as Daimaru, Mitsukoshi at B1 basement level have lots of food options – grab bento boxes to go.

Tip: Four things on our list, two gardens and two museums, have a small admission fee, less than $3.00.

 

Senso-ji – Asakusa walking tour

Asakusa is a delightful area for kids, combining the best of old and new, and a great place to just stroll around.

The Senso-ji is the oldest temple in Tokyo, dedicated to Kannon, Buddhist goddess of mercy.

From morning to night, it’s a busy place – in the morning people stop by the temple to make offerings on their way to work, after school kids meet friends and munch on snacks as they walk up the Nakamise shopping street, at night the five story pagoda and giant lanterns are lit up.

To get to the Senso-ji, take the Ginza line, Asakusa subway stop.

First stop is red Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate). On either side are two guardian deities to protect Kannon. On the left is Raijin, god of thunder, on the right is Fujin, god of wind.

In the center of the gate is a large red lantern. As you walk through through the gate, look up at the dragon on underside of the lantern.

Go through the gate, and walk up street lined with shops, Nakamise-dori.

At the end Nakamise street, on the left side take a look at nine paintings about the founding of the Senso-ji temple.

Paintings illustrate story of two fisherman who capture a small golden statue in their fishing net. They toss it back, but the statue is brought up again and again. The village elder recognizes this is Kannon, Buddhist goddess of mercy, and founds the Senso-ji temple.

To mark this miraculous event, a golden dragon also descends from heaven, and the Golden Dragon Dance is celebrated each year in March and October at the Senso-ji.

Go through the Hozomon Gate (Treasure Storage Gate), also decorated with a red lantern and two fierce Nio guardian statues on either side.

In front of you is the Main Hall, to the left is bright red five-story Asakusa Pagoda.

Inside the Main Hall is stored the golden statue of Kannon (not on display). The temple is always busy, with people praying for blessings, putting coins in the offering box, wafting incense for good fortune.

Look up at the ceiling – in the center is painting of a blue dragon clutching a large pearl. On either side are two lovely floating guardian deities.

 

From the Main Hall, turn right into the Asakusa Jinga.

This Shinto shrine (also called Shrine of the Three Guardians) is dedicated to the two fisherman who found the Kannon statue and village elder who founded the Senso-ji.

Two stone statues of lion-dogs (komainu) protect the shrine against evil spirits, there is a washing fountain with three dragons.

For a longer version of this walk, including the Thieves of Denboin St., read more about Asakusa on Travel for Kids website.

Tip: If you’re up early with jet lag, take a walk through Nakamise and Denboin streets. Shops are closed, but the metal shutters are decorated with different scene – samurai on horseback, daily life in the neighborhood, festivals, spring flowers and snow scenes.

 

Imperial Palace – East Garden

The Imperial Palace is situated on the original site of Edo Castle. Today it’s hard to grasp how big Edo Castle was, covering an area about 10 miles. Most of the Imperial Palace is the royal residence, but East Garden is free to explore.

East Garden is closed on Mondays and Fridays, also last week in December.

Walk through the Ote-mon Gate, with two separate gates to trap any invaders.

Go straight on, past the Doshin Basho wooden guardhouse, then turn right to go into the Ninomaru garden.
Wander through the garden with irises, azaleas, cherry trees, pine trees, willows, a large pond, wooden bridge, and stone lanterns.

Go back to the guardhouse. Then go up the hill to Honmaru, central castle keep area. At the top is a wide grassy area, feel free to bring and picnic and flop down on the grass like local families.

At the north end are remaining walls of the Tenshudai donjon, once tallest castle keep in Japan. Go up the walkway to the top – imagine the donjon. a black tower five stories high covered in golden roof tiles.

From the donjon, take the path north, exit at the Hirakawa-mon Gate. Walk across the bridge, and look back at the remaining moats and stone walls of the castle.

 

Kokyo Gaien National Garden

Looking for a place to kids to stretch their legs, Kokyo Gaien National Garden has plenty of grass to run around and open space.

It’s a public park with lots of benches, bring a picnic lunch.

In the southeast corner of the park is the super bronze statue of samurai Kusunoki Masashige on horseback. For the statue, the most convenient subway is Hibiya.

 

Two gardens

Gardens are a place to enjoy nature, in the midst of busy Tokyo. Look into the ponds, watch the serenely gliding through the water, giant green water lilies growing, nature is a very important part of Japanese life.

Tip: Both of these gardens have a small admission fee, less than $2.00.

Kiyosumi Gardens

Kiyosumi Gardens is a lovely example of Japanese gardens, a landscape with large pond, islands, stone lanterns, bridges, rocks, trees and flowers.

Words from the poet Basho are inscribed (in Japanese) on a large rock – “An old pond, a frog jumps in, the sound of water.”

Join Japanese families with kids, hopping over stepping stones or feeding ducks and colorful fish in the water. Shaded picnic tables, this is delightful spot for picnic lunch.

Gardens are open daily, closed one week at end of December.

Kiyosumi Park – Next door to the gardens is a park, with grass to run around, and a small playground.

 

Hama-rikyu Gardens (Hamarikyu-Teien)

Hama-rikyu is smack in the middle of downtown Tokyo, but the gardens are peaceful and filled with sounds of birds.

The gardens were used by the shoguns and nobles, where they hunted ducks with nets, and came here to relax and drink tea. Some of the pine trees in the garden are hundreds of years old. In different seasons are flowering cherry trees, and trees that turn colors in autumn.

This is a great place to relax, gardens have shaded picnic area, benches, teahouse where you can get snacks.

 

Taikokan Drum Museum (Asakusa)

Drums (taiko) are important in Japanese culture, rituals and festivals.

On exhibit are drums of Japan in all sizes, plus drums from Asia, South America and Asia. Drums labeled with a musical note label can be played, drum sticks are available. Kids will have fun trying out different drums!

Museum is located on the 4th floor of Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten store, closed Monday and Tuesday.

 

Kite Museum

Kite flying is national pastime for over 1,000 years.

The Kite Museum is full of kites from Japan and other Asian countries. Kites are painted with mythical creatures, including a blue dragon with large pearl, fierce samurai ladies wearing kimono, birds, owls, roosters and cats. Also there’s a shop to buy kites.

Take the elevator to 5th floor for the museum. Museum is closed on Sundays.

 

Look for dragons

Throughout Tokyo, dragons are painted on ceilings and carved on gates, bronze dragons ornament a bridge, and multiple dragons spout water in fountains to wash (purify) your hands at temples and shrines.

Dragons are protectors, and often associated with water or rain. Japanese dragons have a Chinese style, dragon is long like a serpent, with three claws, sometimes holding a pearl.

Look for dragons in these locations:

Sensoji temple complex

Dragon on underside of lantern in Kaminarimon – Thunder Gate.

Six dragons on washing fountain in front of Main Hall.

Main Hall blue dragon painting on the ceiling.

Asakusa Jinga shrine has a washing fountain with three dragons.

Ueno Park

Shinobazu Pond – Bentendo Temple
Washing fountain with single dragon.
Ceiling of the temple, painting of a water dragon associated with the goddess Benzaiten.

Tosho-gu Temple – Two carved dragons on either side of the entrance gate
In legend, at night the two dragons leave the gate to have to have a drink in Shinobazu pond.

Fukagawa Fudo-Do Temple –
Stone washing fountain has three bronze dragons.

Nihonbashi Bridge –
Two pairs of bronze dragons in center of the bridge.
In legend, the Dragon King lived in the river underneath the Nihonbashi Bridge.

Golden Dragon Dance
Each year, March and October, the Golden Dragon Dance celebrates the golden dragon that came down from heaven when the Sensoji was founded.

This is a painting of the Golden Dragon Dance on Namakamise street in Sensoji complex.