Tokyo Pop Culture Tour for Kids

Learn about Japanese pop culture in buzzing Tokyo with a family-friendly expert
From US$295 privately
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Tour Details
Duration
2 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
  • Takeshita Street
  • Shibuya
  • Themed café
Photos & Highlights
  • Introduces children to Japanese popular culture with interactive, family-friendly stories
  • Led by a guide trained to work with kids to help history come alive for them as they immerse themselves in powerful stories
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Tour Description
Growing up in a city like Tokyo, with its electric lights, buzzing arcades and lively otaku culture might be very different from what most children are used to. Is life here really like it is in animes? In this two-hour Tokyo for Kids Tour, we’ll try our best to explain what it is like to be a child here today by exploring the world of anime, arcades, manga, and themed cafes, but mostly we will explore why Japanese pop culture is so appealing to children all over the world. 

We offer 2 different tours according to the age of your children. Tokyo for Kids is best for children ages 13 and under. If you are travelling with teenagers, we suggest checking out our Otaku Culture Tour.

Our tour meets in the Harajuku district, the center for entertainment and popular culture in Japan. Lively Harajuku serves as the ideal place to begin our discovery of different aspects of Japanese culture. Our guide will help your family to imagine what growing up in Japan could be like. How is everyday life different for a child in Japan compared to a child growing up in the US or Australia? The sights and sounds of Harajuku provide ample material for us to explore during our anthropological journey into contemporary Japanese culture.

Let the Games Begin!

Along the walk, we will make a variety of stops so that we can witness the different elements of Japan's pop culture firsthand. We will make a stop in a Japanese dollar store where we will discover the ordinary items Japanese children carry with them to school every day and learn about how they are used. We may go for a shopping challenge where children pick up their own goods to take home. We will then pay a visit to a cat or hedgehog cafe or other themed animal café, where we will interact with the animals and learn about the significant role these cafes play in Japanese society today.


We may wander down Takeshita Street, the iconic street of all things ‘kawai’ and cool. We will enjoy the funky Japanese fashion and unique styles displayed throughout the street and pick up fun street food like rainbow cotton candy and Japanese cream puff rolls We may even stop for a family photo in a Japanese purikura (photobooth), where we can add effects to create a unique Japanese-style family picture.

Tokyo for Kids Tour

From Harajuku, we may hope on the train and head to the Shibuya district where we can find a shop that will open the discussion up to talk about manga, their popularity in Japan and the rest of the world. We will perhaps pay a visit to a traditional Japanese arcade - a place which can sometimes be daunting and difficult to navigate without knowledge of the Japanese language. Our guide might help us as we try our luck at a 3D car-racing game or test out our musical talent on the renowned Taiko no Tatsujin (a Japanese rhythm drumming game). This will give us the opportunity to discuss the history of Japanese arcades and witness how Japanese children or teenagers might choose to spend their free time. We'll delve into the realms of anime and manga as our guide explains the history and current trends associated with these fascinating subjects.

Take Aways

By the end of our adventure through the playful streets of Harajuku and the arcades and shops of Shibuya, we'll have the vast influence of Japanese pop culture today.

Read more about our local team's tips and tricks for navigating Tokyo with Kids in our Context Stories!

FAQ

Is this walk appropriate for young families?
We've designed this walk to be appropriate for younger audiences.

Can this walk be catered to teenage interests?
Tokyo for Kids is best for children ages 13 and under, if you are travelling with teenagers, we suggest checking out our Otaku Culture Tour.

I don't want to go to a cafe. Is there an alternative?
If you let us know in advance, we can arrange something else for your family based on your interests.

Is it okay to tip my guide in Japan?
Yes. Context clients generally tip anywhere from 10-25% of the purchase price of a personal service such as this, depending on the quality of the experience and their tipping habits.
Where You'll Start
31 Reviews (4.17)

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Kara struck exactly the right balance of history, novelty, planned, and unexpected. She offered contemporary insight and cultural and historical context for all parts of our exploration without being too heavy handed for a 9 year old. No small task! We had a great tour and a great day. This was our first Context tour and my son and I agreed, Kara set just the right tone.
It was a great variety of activities!
At very short notice, Context Travel organised a ' Tokyo for Families tour for my husband, 8 year old daughter and me in Tokyo on Friday 6 July 2018. Kara was our guide and we were so impressed with her knowledge, energy and the rapport she immediately established with our daughter. She was interesting, funny and so passionate about sharing her love for and knowledge of Tokyo, in particular the 'cute culture' with us. We loved every minute with her. We would love to engage her when we return to Tokyo - which we plan on doing before too long. We barely scratched the surface of her deep knowledge and understanding of Japanese art, architecture and culture in general. I will recommend her and Context travel without hesitation. Please pass on our heart felt thanks to her personally and to the wonderfully helpful people in your Asian office who made out tour happen.