on water were fun and cooling. That
our little princess got to meet hers
(Ariel) within the first half hour was
icing on the cake.
Shibuya’s Meiji Shrine is deemed a
must for most visitors and with good
reason. Set inside a huge forested
corridor, the Shinto shrine achieves
ultimate serenity but is still walking
distance to Harajuku. This is the
playground of pink-haired, pale-faced
girls in platforms, whose cartoonish
vibe couldn’t be more different to the
calm timelessness of the shrine. The
primped-up characters were a delight
for the Katy Perry fans in our family.
Some of our finds were less obvious.
We all but stumbled on Shinjuku
Central Park outside our hotel, but
with its adventure playground and
wade pool, the kids begged to stay.
Art galleries frequently hold child-
friendly exhibitions, and we caught
an interactive show at the Museum
of Contemporary Art Tokyo, where
our images were projected onto walls,
and where we made fabric sculptures
and slid a slide in a stark white space.
The laid-back dining room there,
with thick wooden tables and organic
seasonal food, was an unexpected
highlight.
Nuts and bolts
Children in Japan are fully catered
to, and this came as something of a
surprise. Parks with play areas and
even pony rides are not unusual.
Upscale department stores put Hong
Kong’s to shame, with large feed
and change areas containing food-
warming facilities, seating for toddlers
and spare wipes, nappies and bibs.
Almost every restaurant we ventured
into, be it a thumbprint-sized ramen
joint or a ritzy Wagyu beef place,
welcomed the kids and set them up
with utensils and plastic bowls. By
the time our two weeks were up,
our children were happily chirping,
“
Konnichiwa
” and “
Arigato
,” back at
waiting staff.
Naturally, there was some
madness. Squabbles on trains,
confusion finding platforms, the
inevitable being stuck for what to eat.
(Our answer? Dive into the nearest
mall or department store for quick
rice, noodles or sushi.) But even with
our toddler in tantrum mode, we
received more sympathetic smiles than
stares.
Rather than throwing up barriers,
Japan excelled in its extremes by
offering something for everyone, and
when the time came to board the
plane in Tokyo, none of us was quite
ready to utter that other familiar
Japanese word: “
Sayonara
.”
THREE WAYS TO MAKE JAPAN EASY
Download Hyperdia:
Travel would have been our biggest headache
without Hyperdia. This app gives literally up-to-the-minute information
on train schedules, ticket prices and even platform numbers.
Research food:
Look up food terms and pictures in advance. Menus
rarely come in English but do have pictures, so it helps to know what
to point at. Still, with noodles, sushi, fried food and rice all staples,
there’s plenty to please hungry kids.
Secure portable Wi-Fi:
My husband gets credit for equipping us
with Wi-Fi all through the trip, which is rare to access in Japan
and so useful for directions, recommendations and reviews.
Rent before you go at:
January 2015
59
