It’s no secret that Japan is one of the top travel destinations in the world right now, with 2024 seeing record-breaking visitor numbers and spending due to the weak yen. This means it’s prime time for a family holiday, with Japan brandishing plenty of shopping spots at much more affordable prices than ever before. And in a country where the distinction between children and adults is less rigid, there’s arguably no better place to take your kids, or even be a kid, than in Japan. From straightforward children’s toy stores to character shops geared to fans of all ages, there are several family-friendly hotspots in Tokyo, giving everyone a chance to explore popular areas while satisfying their inner child.
Pikachu statue at Shibuya PARCO’s Pokémon Center – Photo Credit: Pokémon official website
Shibuya
The trifecta of Shibuya-Harajuku-Omotesando is typically known as Tokyo’s center of art, fashion, and youth culture. Still, not many people know it’s also an ideal shopping spot for the whole family.
Just a stone’s throw away from the kawaii Harajuku and the luxurious Omotesando, Kiddy Land is packed to the brim (five floors in fact) with your favorite characters and cute mascots. Take your time browsing Shibuya-exclusive goods of classics like Disney and Hello Kitty, as well as the irresistibly charming Chiikawa and Sumikko Gurashi. And in case you can’t choose amongst all the cuteness, there’s always the promise of tax-free shopping to justify purchases of more than 5,000 yen.
Department stores can be a treasure trove of shops, restaurants, and attractions for people of all ages, and this is especially true for Shibuya PARCO, located just five minutes away from JR Shibuya Station. Its convenience extends to housing not just one, but two must-visit spots for fans of Japanese games and media, namely the Nintendo Tokyo store and an especially stylish Pokémon Center to go with Shibuya’s trendy image. Talk with a giant, animatronic Pokémon and expand your collection of battle cards before getting your hands on some Japan-exclusive Nintendo merchandise from right across the hall.
Little girl considering her gacha options – Photo Credit: Chatchai.wa
Ikebukuro
Sunshine City is where you’ll find floor after floor of establishments catering to your every need. But it’s certainly hard not to take notice of Sanrio Gift Gate along the way. The colorful Hello Kitty entrance offers an enticing glimpse into a wonderland of everyone’s favorite Sanrio characters in plushie form.
Once you’re finally able to convince your children to move on, Ikebukuro’s status as an otaku mecca will certainly become more apparent in the form of Sunshine City. Emerge from an underground passage and be greeted first and foremost by the merchandise shops of the family favorites, Disney and Ghibli. Each store has everything from dolls, badges, and jigsaw puzzles to mugs, aprons, and lunch boxes, infusing not just play time but your family’s everyday life as a whole with some of that Disney/Ghibli love.
Again, make sure to hold back a little until you head to the upper floors, where an even more vast and immersive shopping experience awaits. After all, Sunshine City’s Pokémon Center Mega Tokyo is the flagship Pokémon Center and thus is the place to go for the full Pokémon-related experience in Japan. Flanked by a Pikachu Sweets Cafe on the one hand and a Pokémon GO Lab on the other, fill up your child’s stomach with a cute snack before letting them catch some Pocket Monsters using real Pokémon GO trainer merch.
If your child can’t help trying out every capsule toy machine, or gachapon, they see on the street, you will want to make sure to visit the biggest gachapon store in the world: the Gashapon Ikebukuro Main Store. With 3,000 gachapon spread over a spacious chunk of Sunshine City’s top floor, it’s hard not to get excited over the vast selection of keychains, mini figurines, and limited edition posters under the relatively affordable price of 300-500 yen per turn. True to Ikebukuro as a melting pot for all kinds of fandoms – from famous anime to more obscure, kawaii subcultures – make sure to browse all the machines before trying out only the ones you’re most curious about, lest you end up with a basketful of plastic balls that aren’t suited for catching wild Pokémon afterwards.
Giant Gundam statue at DiverCity Tokyo, Odaiba – Photo Credit: Mitsui Shopping Park official website
Odaiba
This man-made island might be famous for its beach and the night illumination of the iconic Rainbow Bridge. But did you know it also has not one, but three shopping complexes within walking distance of one another, making them the perfect one-stop shopping destination away from the overcrowdedness of central Tokyo?
Each of these malls has its own notable spots for keeping the kids entertained throughout the day. Right next to the Legoland Discovery Center Tokyo theme park in Decks Tokyo Beach, you’ll find the Legoland Shop with over 400 of Lego’s latest products – and you don’t even need a ticket to the park to go in!
Decks is neighbored by Aqua City Odaiba, which houses the most dining spots in the area and similarly holds several of Tokyo’s most familiar, kid-friendly shopping brands, including a Disney store, Toys “R” Us and Babies “R” Us, and “C-pla” (stands for “capsule toy planet”) with over 700 gacha machines!
Last but not least is DiverCity Tokyo Plaza. Certainly, with a life-size Gundam statue and The Gundam Base Tokyo, where you can buy and even make these iconic plastic models on the spot, this shopping complex would be first on the list for any Gundam fan.
Sanrio World Ginza – Photo Credit: Sanrio official website
Ginza
You might not expect to go toy-shopping in Tokyo’s most luxurious district, although this ironically explains that when you do, it is at one of the biggest toy stores in the entire city. Situated among designer brands like Gucci and Giorgio Armani, Hakuhinkan Toy Park is just as, if not more, impressive with its 200,000-plus toy collection spread across four floors. Divided into the clear themes of variety goods, plushies, toys, and games (including card, board, and video games), there’s bound to be something to catch any kids’ and adults’ fancy. Complete with a tax-free and free gift wrapping service, explore the must-visit district of Ginza and come back with a more cost-effective souvenir than you could’ve possibly imagined from the high-end shopping district.
You can easily find Sanrio-related goods in Hakuhinkan – or anywhere in Japan, for that matter. But if you’re a true Sanrio fan in search of the rarest, limited edition merch to bring back from the franchise’s homeland, then Sanrio World Ginza can’t possibly be missed. As the largest collection of Sanrio goods in Japan, with 10,000 different items, let your child and/or yourself bring out your inner Hello Kitty, Kuromi, or Aggretsuko through dressing in the unique apparel and accessories inspired by your favorite Sanrio character!
Kobayashi Toy Store – Photo Credit: Azabujuban Shotengai official website
Other Notable Spots: More Character Goods and Some Old-School Japanese Toys
Tokyo Skytree is an iconic landmark of Tokyo, but it would be a shame to simply go up the tower and then immediately move on to nearby districts like Asakusa. Well, not when you have Solamachi at the tower’s base. This shopping mall is a gathering of the most iconic Japanese character shops of Pokémon, Studio Ghibli, and Shonen Jump works like One Piece, alongside a bunch of other stores selling souvenirs with a traditional Japanese twist.
Similarly, Tokyo Character Street features more than 20 character shops in the basement of the maze-like Tokyo Station. Nevertheless, this passageway is even harder to get out of than it is to find if you’re a Japanese media fan. From the merchandise of popular shonen anime, to old-school Japanese superheroes, to the signature toy cars and trains of manufacturing giant, Takara Tomy, this street takes you on a journey of the most popular creations from Japanese pop culture in one underground stretch.
Yamashiroya, Ueno – Photo Credit: Yamashiroya official website
Waiting for you past the throng of gacha machines at Yamashiroya’s entrance are seven floors worth of toys, collectibles, and pro models. Again, divided based on specific brands, otakus would most appreciate the lower levels where Studio Ghibli, Naruto, and Dragonball goods abound alongside the international brands of Disney, Star Wars, and DC. Puzzles, toy vehicles, and impressive figurines make up the upper floors, rounding off the densely packed haven for collectors and otaku fans of all ages.
But if you’re looking to try out some traditional Japanese toys, consider dropping by Kobayashi Toy Store on the way to Tokyo Tower. Perfectly embodying its neighborhood’s, Azabu-juban’s, distinct old-school atmosphere, this shop specializes in Edo era toys and a variety of games for the whole family. Feel free to ask the English-speaking staff for recommendations, and celebrate the holiday seasons of Christmas and midsummer in the traditional Japanese way with kites, fireworks, and card games.
A father smiling with his kid at the Legoland Shop – Photo Credit: Legoland Discovery Center official website
Visiting a foreign country for the first time usually means ticking off a bunch of overcrowded tourist spots from someone else’s tried-and-true bucket list. But don’t forget to listen to your own simple wants and those of your kids from time to time through shopping for unique toys and games, which you’ll use even after going back home and will also remind you of the fun memories you made during the holidays. And what’s a true holiday without a bit of childish fun, regardless of where you are in the world?
Featured Photo Credit: Nintendo Official Website
