My Tokyo guide: where to stay, eat and shop
And a seriously intense designer consignment guide (don't believe everything you see on TikTok).
The way I like to travel is to go to nice neighbourhoods that are at the intersection of chic and cool where I can people watch, window shop and sit in cute cafes. If that’s not your thing, skip this.
Oh, and now it involves going to places where a toddler can run around and have some fun, and play with local Japanese kids. Yes, this is slightly baby-friendly, but I promise this isn’t lame. Also, with a toddler, I eschewed the Disneyland/theme parks/themed cafes because he’s too young. And kitschy Tokyo isn’t really my thing.
TO STAY: MUJI HOTEL
Having visited Tokyo a couple of times, location is so personal in Tokyo.
In the past, I have stayed at the Muji Hotel in Ginza which is very reasonably priced considering the location is excellent and the room is relatively on the larger size (for Tokyo!!). It’s a very quick walk to Ginza train station — you want to be near a train station in Tokyo — and it’s on top of one of the largest Muji stores ever, so yes, you feel like you’re living in a big Muji shop, and hey, that’s okay with me.
The room also has a list of what items you can take for free (such as the slippers) and what you have to pay for if you want to keep (towels and dressing gowns) — I’m sure they’ve had customers get overly excited and try to clear the room.
If you choose the breakfast package, you’ll have a delicious traditional breakfast in the lobby restaurant; I’d recommend this if only to have the option to eat something in the morning as there aren’t a lot of breakfast options in Tokyo.
Oh, and despite it being a ‘accessibly priced chain store’, the hotel is truly beautiful and so well designed especially considering the price (which I know I keep on saying) — Tokyo hotels are on the expensive side, there AirBnbs are less of a thing in Tokyo. (Though, to be fair, I’ve never had much luck with AirBnbs anywhere in the world, and would much rather stay in a hotel.)
One thing to keep in mind though is like many Japanese website, it is VERY annoying to use, it’s difficult to see availability, and it often books out because it’s so popular. They do come back on email but you know, don’t hold your breath if you have a time-sensitive inquiry. It’s kid-friendly, but I wasn’t able to book it when I last went — it’s high on my list for next time though.
TO STAY: MIMARU AKASAKA
Everyone I know with kids going to Tokyo has referred to the Tokyo Chapter blog, written by an Australian woman living in Tokyo with her children. It is a must-read guide for taking baby and kids to Tokyo. On her blog, she recommends the Mimaru chain of ‘apartment-hotels’, essentially, serviced apartments which are quite rare in Tokyo. The Mimaru chain have kitchenettes and larger rooms and although not necessarily separate rooms, I found the room large enough so that I could darken one side of the room for the toddler to sleep, while still have a lamp on the other side so I could read in the evenings. Personally, I needed the space because my toddler does not want anyone anywhere near him when he sleeps; I think other parents might find it okay to stay in smaller rooms because they are able to co-sleep or etc, but no way will my kid have any of that.
Mimaru have several locations in the city — this blog post expands on the benefits of each location. I chose the Akasaka location because I liked the more local, neighbourhood feel, there’s plenty of playgrounds, and there’s a lot of smaller, family owned restaurants — according to the Tokyo Chapter blog, a lot of young families live in the area. It’s right next to bustling Roppongi but it borders the ‘nicer’ side of Roppongi; when I mean nicer, I mean it’s leafier, quieter, lots of fancy mansions and very nice apartments — many expats live in the area, too. There’s also a local shopping centre, Tokyo Midtown, which has a fancy supermarket and other food outlets that we ate at frequently.
It’s also relatively close to many of my favourite areas in Tokyo such as Aoyama, Omotesando, Daikanyama and Nakameguro.
A major bonus is that it’s a few minutes walk to Hinokicho Park, which is a really really lovely medium-sized Japanese park with a playground. There are a lot of playgrounds in Tokyo, but few are surrounded by parkland and lawn and this was a favourite — we went there everyday. It was especially nice to go and see other locals kids around with their parents and carers.
WHERE TO EAT: BREAKFAST ONLY!
I’m making this a separate section because not many places in Tokyo are open before 9am and if you have a small child who wakes up between 6-7am and you’re sick of making porridge in your apartment hotel, it’s nice to have options.
BLUE BOTTLE COFFEE, ROPPONGI
13 minutes walk from the Mimaru hotel, open from 8am. It’s a coffee chain from San Francisco, which ironically was inspired by Japanese coffee shops (longtime readers will be familiar with Kyle Chayka’s AirSpace concept — THIS IS IT!). Food is limited but decent, when we were there there was a granola bowl (very small), tomato soup with cheese toastie and some cookies. As it’s underneath an office building there’s a huge outdoor space which is perfect for kids to run around and go nuts — other Japanese families come here too. Compared to prices in Sydney, this is ‘okay’ but the food is very expensive for Tokyo.
Aoyama Flower Market, Akasaka
8 mins walk from Mimaru, open from 8am. Back in the day Aoyama Flower Market would be SO popular so it’s now since opened a few other outlets around the city; this is one of them. Limited menu (pancakes/waffles and a yogurt bowl from memory) but it is cute. We didn’t get coffee there but the tea was nice (and it’s a tea house so…). You can sit outside so the kids can run around a bit, but it’s not a lot of space.
Common, Roppongi
12 minute walk from Mimaru, open for coffee from 8am but you can’t order food till 9am. Amazing coffee and Scandi-influenced breakfast food. It’s quite large inside and there’s huge stairs to sit on with pillows so kids have fun climbing up and down. I met a few other tourists with their kids here, including a Danish couple who really loved the food because it reminded them of home.
Bricolage, Roppongi
20-25 minute walk from Mimaru Akasaka, but one of my favourite places, open from 8am. DELICIOUS bakery with food like baked eggs, sandwiches with communal seating. I love the story of this place too — it was founded by a famous baker and a Michelin-starred chef who met while working on the relief teams for the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami — then they roped in a third partner, a well-known coffee roaster. They wanted to come together and open a bakery with food that was really high quality and a farm-to-table feel. There’s high chairs but not that much space really, so something to keep in mind, but I love the relaxed atmosphere, and the delicious food. This is my pick, if a bit further to walk to.
Bun Coffee, Akasaka
Basically next to the hotel, this was probably the best coffee we had on the trip — it’s a bit of an ‘Australian-themed’ coffee place, where they sell lamingtons and Colbram Estate olive oil. Sadly, it is only open from 9am.
Trunk Kitchen, Jingumae
45 minutes walk from Mimaru Akasaka and opens at 7am (yes, far, but we were up early and time to kill because there’s not much to do at that time in Tokyo…) or you can catch a train. As recommended by Tokyo Chapter. It’s quite classic Western (scrambled egg, salad, big breakfast) but surprisingly delicious; I’d say it’s at a higher quality to many places in Sydney even. Trunk is one of the original boutique hotels in Tokyo so the interiors are beautiful.
Convenience stores: 7-11, Lawson’s, etc
A great, viable option especially if you want something quick and odd hours. There’s a novelty in it for sure and buying items that you can’t get so readily in Australia — for me it was the mochi in brown sugar desserts, or frozen fruit that would get whizzed into smoothies. However I read a Japanese person comment on how odd they think it is for tourists to be so excited eating there — they compared it to eating regularly at our local service station, and it’s inherently still ‘junky’ food and you can eat quite healthily and accessibly elsewhere in Tokyo — it did make me think twice about eating regularly there.
WHERE TO EAT: LUNCH/DINNER
Roku Roku, classic edomae sushi at the Grand Hyatt
I was craving really delicious sushi in Japan but it can be challenging to find a good sushi place that is fine with toddlers. Roku Roku is in the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi, and offer set lunch menus which are really great value — there’s several to choose from and ours was around $80 for several sushi courses. You can also order a la carte as well, but if you look at those prices, you really realise how good value the lunch sets are. Oh, and it’s very easy to book online and view the menu, which is a rarity in Tokyo.
It’s going to be excellent sushi but it’s likely not going to be the mindblowing crazy good Michelin-starred sushi — I’m with a baby though, you have to give in somewhere! (We did try to go to those places, well, not even the Michelin-starred ones but ‘nice’ ones, and as soon as they heard there was a baby they very firmly said no.) The tuna toro was CRAZY good though, and the quality is incredibly high and we thoroughly enjoyed everything we ate. It’s filled with very chi-chi Japanese families and older couples having their meals — we were the only tourists at that time.
Service is absolutely outstanding — I had written in my reservation notes that I had an almost two-year-old with me and they had prepared a high chair, colouring pencils and paper for him, and there was so many wait staff nearby who were so quick to pick up anything that fell off his table, or to play with him. It made for a really relaxing atmosphere, and they just sensed what we needed, passing us napkins, extra water, etc without us even having to ask for it. There’s also a ‘kids menu’ where they suggest sushi for kids, such as a plain salmon (raw!) and egg one which was a HIT (he thought it was butter and he loves butter…)
This is absolutely invaluable when you’re trying to have a nice lunch with a baby and made it a highlight meal.
TONKATSU MAISEN AOYAMA
Yes, this is touristy, but it is delicious, the line moves quickly and is an institution. Specialising in tonkatsu, the lunch sets are particularly good value (two adult meals and a $10 kids meal came up to about $70 in total).
SHAKE SHACK, ROPPONGI HILLS
Sometimes you just want something quick, and I love Shake Shack and I miss eating it in New York. I know not very Japanese, but I love it unashamedly. I’m usually such a foodie but it’s a bit harder with a baby this time around, I’m sorry to disappoint.
NAKAU, VARIOUS LOCATIONS BUT WE WENT TO THE ONE IN AKASAKA, JUST A FEW MINUTES WALK FROM OUR HOTEL
This is one of the most popular homegrown chains in Japan that specialise in home-style comfort food making it a beloved chain. And, it is CHEAP, like, the three of us ate for under AU$20. We ordered a chicken and rice bowl for the baby, and I had a chicken udon soup and my partner got a curry. And, you can get salad and miso soup, too. Delicious, wholesome, and quick, AND they have high chairs. Read this for a bit more on an explainer on Nakau.
SOBA MAREN, SHIBUYA
Look, I hate Shibuya with a passion but we ended up there on a rainy day because they have an indoor soft play centre for kids (here’s the link, you have to secure you spot ahead of time but I just did it on the day). I stumbled on this soba place (basically ramen with less soup) and it was EPIC. I mean, all ramen is basically good in Japan but this was a stand-out; the one on the left is roast duck with foie gras, and the right is a chicken with truffled egg. I don’t know if I’d travel there again to go there because I really dislike Shibuya (anyone, convince me otherwise) but this was a memorable meal. This is originally from Osaka I believe — this is their only outlet in Tokyo.
NB: ramen/noodle bars are incredibly not baby-friendly in Japan because they often have bar seating so you have to either leave the kid in the pram or balance them on a knee while having your noodles, which is not ideal.
Suju Dining, Tokyo Midtown Shopping Centre, Roppongi Hills
Tokyo Midtown is a very fancy but quite local shopping centre in Roppongi Hills. It’s filled with very well dressed housewives doing their daily shop, and Suju Dining is very popular with them and many of the suits in the area. The set lunch is great value; you choose a main (such a Wagyu, a curry, grilled fish etc) and it comes with classic Japanese sides like pickles, salad, soup and rice. It is beautifully presented, and you have a great view overlooking the nearby park. Oh, and it had high chairs! They were ‘classic Japanese’ style high chairs so he could get out easily so you had to put it right up against the table to trap the kid, but still, high chairs!
WHERE TO VISIT
TeamLab
This deserves its own section. There’s two TeamLabs, Borderless or Planets. They offer different worlds, and Planets have a component where the ground is wet which I thought would be tricker with baby, so I decided on Borderless. Borderless was also closer to where we were staying so the travelling time wasn’t as far (approx 30 minutes walk from the hotel) whereas Planets, which I’d been to before, is quite far to get to on the train comparatively.
Obviously, this is a boon for kids. I will note though that the toddler was totally hyped up afterwards and it wrecked his nap because it was just SO MUCH STIMULATION. The next day he had a weird tantrumy day which is unlike him, and I wonder if it was because he had way too much stimulation the day before — we’ll never know.
(My other tip which I was told but forgot about is that about three to four days into a holiday, have a NOTHING day where you just hang out near the hotel and going to parks and keeping it easy because they’re going to feel crazy and hyped up. Needless to say, we didn’t QUITE do this as I forgot so he melted down at the local cafe, at an art museum and so forth. But, something to keep in mind for next time!)
My general tips for TeamLab is to get to the first session if possible because it’s not so busy in the first hour. By an hour or two in, it is absolute mayhem and some people stay there for hours so the crowds start banking up.
Secondly, is not to get too fussed whether it’s Borderless or Planets. I get DM’d all the time agonising which one to go to — having been to both (I did Planets in 2019 when I was last in Tokyo), they have some of the same rooms, and some different ones. It’s fine, you’re not going to miss out and you’re going to have a great time. Pick whichever is most convenient to get to.
Thirdly, is that the area where Borderless is has a small but select shops, including the most amazing fancy supermarket I’ve ever seen, Azabudai Hills Markets, and bakeries and specialty stores.
NATIONAL ART CENTRE
Stunning, must-see architecture. They also provide a daycare service a few times per month; we did actually book it but it was the day he had a total meltdown so I thought I would save them from it. I had to get a friend to book it in Japanese however, and they are reluctant to take kids on if you aren’t able to speak Japanese; their concern if something were to happen, like an earthquake, they would have difficulty communicating with the parent and the child if they aren’t able to get a translator in time. But, if you speak Japanese, this is a wonderful service.
WHERE TO SHOP
GINZA SIX
Shopping hub that’s surprisingly kid friendly. Ginza Six is the fancy shopping centre that I spent a lot of time at NOT just for shopping, but because they have an epic rooftop park that seems to be very popular for local Japanese parents and their toddlers. The toddler would be so excited every time we were there because he could run around relatively freely, and play with other local children around his age. The other parents are so understanding and lovely too, and sometimes chat with us asking where we were from, how old he was, what he liked to eat, etc.
Ginza Six itself has loads of brands, namely The Row (nice to browse), Alaia, and all the other heavy hitters. The downstairs food hall is also very bougie — I got addicted to the stall 10Factory’s special orange juice made from some sort of special Mikan oranges (Japan as you will discover gets very obsessive into making something Absolutely Perfect), pity it was about $10 for a tiny container each time. You can choose what sort of flavour profile you want; sweet, sour or a bit of both. Hid it from your kid because you don’t want them to scoff all your fancy orange juice.
ITOYA, GINZA
If you like stationery, you HAVE to come here. It is multiple levels of everything you can imagine; arts and craft, rows and rows of paper, pens and more. I would have stayed longer here but it was tricky with a pram in here as it’s quite narrow and super busy. I did buy some gel pens that had won Japan’s 2024 stationery awards that I was very excited about… because I am at that stage in life where I’m into nice pens and I’m left-handed so I’m always wondering if there’s better options out there for me.
UNITED ARROWS IN ROPPONGI HILLS AND AZABUDAI HILLS
United Arrows is a multi-brand store all over Tokyo that stocks Cecilie Bahnsen, vintage Chanel jewellery, Toga and so much more, but I adore their house brand.
I specifically prefer their Roppongi and Azabudai Hills stores (pictured below) because they’re a bit more elegant and cool, rather than ‘young fun street!’ (which is the case in the Shinjuku store). I never really see this brand mentioned by other visitors to Japan; it’s not as out-there as Dover Street Markets, the designer labels aren’t as blockbuster as department stores, but I love that this is really where chic Japanese women shop for their clothes. Their online store is uninspiring — just take a look at their stores in person.
ESTNATION, ROPPONGI HILLS
Right next to United Arrows is Estnation, a specialty department store that has a florist and stocks brands such as Proenza Schouler, Jil Sander and 3.1 phillip lim. It is a STUNNING store to walk through with plenty of staff, lots of space, amazing merchandising and a very, very cool yet wearable buy. It makes me excited for brick-and-mortar retail, but also makes me sad that we don’t have anything like it in Australia. Again, like United Arrows, I don’t really see Estnation get mentioned much by other visitors — I guess many people look for more street-leaning styles — but again, Estnation is more for locals buying very high end brands, than tourists finding the next DESIGNER LOGO piece, y’know?
IN GENERAL…
Tokyo retail is on another level, and it’s just fun to walk around and see what they have on offer. International brands really bring the best of the best in terms of architectural design and product and so many interesting activations. I’ve included some highlights below, but there’s so many more I didn’t photograph.
DESIGNER CONSIGNMENT STORES + TIPS
This is one of the major drawcards for Tokyo for me. If you’ve been on any TikToks about Tokyo, you’ve seen people shop for at designer consignments. Okay let me tell you, as someone who has been to Tokyo before, all the places on TikTok are SO OVERPRICED. Vintage Qoo and Amore, yes, they are beautifully appointed but you pay for it in the markup. I went to Vintage Qoo back in 2018 and purchased a couple of pieces there when it was very reasonably priced; back when it was in an office building hidden away and you had to really know about it to go there. Nowadays it’s been on Bella Hadid’s Instagram account and tourists flock there, so go there to see the store but I wouldn’t necessarily buy from there — again, this is just personal experience. I’ve also aged out of wanting like, a Prada nylon shoulder bag to go out so a lot of the TikTok designer consignment store picks just aren’t for me.
Designer consignment stores are all over the city (and country) and sometimes it’s just about stumbling into them as you find them. I find they vary from area to area as well; the Ginza designer stores (even from the same chain) are very chi-chi and are filled with Chanel and Hermès, whereas the ones in Shinjuku have a broader mix of pieces. (More below for paid subscribers.)
Japan has strict counterfeit rules so while that is of some comfort, I would still say to exercise caution and to double check, double check, double check. Mercari Japan is a popular marketplace where locals sell and buy things, and it is RIFE with counterfeit products. My tips are to buy from reputable designer consignment stores, and compare the product you’re looking at to others from the brand from other stores if you are able to.
Furthermore, they have a very strict coding of condition in Japan, and often customers prefer something that is brand new/box new rather than something that’s used. This is also where you can get decent deals, say if there’s a crease in the leather or a minute scratch on a piece of hardware — an item could be immediately downgraded from an ‘A’ condition rating to a B, but to the naked eye and the purchaser, you might not even notice.
There are not going to be bargains, but for certain pieces that aren’t so ‘hot’, they may be less than retail. The benefit of these stores is to find rarer pieces that are either not available where you live, sold our immediately, never came here, or they’re so old season they’re impossible to find anywhere else.
For certain coveted items (like, an Hermès Kelly) they will often be more than retail prices because they’re so hard to find in store as it is — you’re paying for the convenience and the speed of being able to buy it immediately. Oh, and you can get tax back at the store.
I’ve included photos and prices and which stores have what for paid subscribers, below, so you can get an idea of what they’re like, and also the likelihood of what kind of pieces you’re going to buy.
And, below are my tips on how to buy beyond what you can see on the shop floor, and how I got them to source a black suede Margaux 15 from The Row for me (which I ended up NOT buying over something else, and I’ll explain why…), and which stores were my favourites (these are NOT on TikTok).
If you can’t see my designer consignment tips, you can become a paid subscriber and get access to my archive and other paid content here.
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