Tokyo in July is hot, humid, crowded, exciting, and absolutely worth it.
We traveled with our two girls and quickly learned that you can’t approach Tokyo in July like you would a cooler-weather trip. We had to build in breaks, look for air conditioning whenever possible, and be willing to change plans when everyone started overheating.
Here’s exactly how we spent our time in Tokyo.
Day 1 — JFK to Tokyo: We Made It!
Our adventure started with a 1:10 AM flight from JFK to Haneda (HND) on Saturday.
After the long overnight flight, we landed at 4:30 AM Sunday morning.
We had arranged our airport taxi through Viator ahead of time, which made getting four tired travelers and all our luggage to the hotel much easier.
Our home for Tokyo was MIMARU Tokyo Station East
We arrived way too early for a normal check-in, but the hotel was able to hold our luggage, and we were able to relax for a little while before heading out.
Tip: Apps to download
Go Taxi App– cheaper than Uber and easy way to get a taxi in all cities we visited
Universal Studios Japan– to upload your tickets and see wait times
Tabelog– restaurant reservations
Payke– descriptions on items in English after you scan it
smartEX App– bullet train tickets
klook– book tours/tickets
Google maps– download if you don’t have wifi or a mobile hotspot, I used this one, and it worked great.
First stop: DiverCity Tokyo Plaza
Since it was already a warm day and everyone was exhausted from the flight, we decided not to tackle a major outdoor sightseeing day.
Instead, we headed to DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, where we could walk around indoors and stay cool.
This turned out to be a great first-day choice.
There were tons of stores and things to see, including:
- Sanrio
- Godzilla
- Minecraft
- The Unko Museum
- Lots of other Japanese character and pop-culture stores
- A large food court
We had lunch in the food court and learned our first important Japan lesson:
💡 TIP: Get your table BEFORE ordering your food.
At busy food courts, you may need to claim a table first.
💳 Another helpful tip: Suica
Before the trip, I downloaded the Suica app onto my iPhone.
It made paying for things incredibly easy. We used Suica at 7-Eleven and many stores and transportation-related locations.
You can also use ATMs in Japan with your debit card to get Japanese yen, so don’t stress about arriving with a huge amount of cash.
And don’t worry about having a pile of coins for the kids’ games and arcade machines.
There are coin-exchange machines in many of these places, so if you have cash, you’ll be fine.
Dinner: Convenience store sandwich!
After everything we’d done that day, we were exhausted.
Dinner ended up being a convenience-store egg salad sandwich from 7-Eleven.
And honestly?
It was fantastic.
I highly recommend trying the Japanese convenience-store egg sandwiches. They became one of our favorite easy meals.
We headed back to the hotel and crashed.
Our first day in Japan was officially complete.
Day 2 — Shibuya, Shinjuku & Harajuku
After a good night’s sleep, we were ready to start seeing Tokyo.
We booked the Viator tour “The Perfect Start for Your Japan Trip.”
This was a walking tour through Shibuya and Shinjuku, covering many of the major highlights. Shibuya crossing, Hachiko statue, Godzilla Head, and Cat Billboard.
We also visited Meiji Shrine, which gave us a completely different feel from the bright lights and craziness of central Tokyo.
Then came one of the girls’ favorite parts:
Takeshita Street
We explored the famous shopping street in Harajuku, where there were plenty of fun treats and stores for the kids. We grabbed a cotton candy as big as the kids. Was yummy too. Highly recommended.
There was so much to look at that it was easy to forget how hot it was.
Until we couldn’t.
By the afternoon, we were hot, sweaty, and tired, so we did what became our standard Tokyo strategy:
Go back to the hotel and rest.
Don’t be afraid to do this!
You don’t have to squeeze every possible attraction into every day.
Evening: Pokémon!
After everyone cooled down and rested, we headed back out.
This time, we went to the Pokémon Center Tokyo DX, near the hotel.
Of course, the kids were thrilled.
We finished the evening with dinner within walking distance of our hotel at Curry House CoCo Ichibanya.
A perfect end to a very full day.
Day 3 — Asakusa, Kimonos & a Tokyo Food Tour
Today we explored one of Tokyo’s most historic areas.
We booked a Viator tour: Asakusa Temple and Old Town Walking Tour.
We walked around the historic streets, saw the temples and took in the completely different atmosphere of old Tokyo.
After exploring Asakusa, we headed to the Kimono Reborn store to look for unique gifts. We definetly found them here.
This was a great place to find something that felt more special than the typical tourist souvenir.
Lunch: Wagyu Brothers
We had lunch at Wagyu Brothers, near Senso-ji Temple.
After lunch, we headed back to the hotel for a much-needed break.
But we weren’t done yet.
Evening: Ginza Food Tour
That night we headed back out for another Viator experience:
Explore Tokyo Ginza Family Tour
This was a food-focused tour through Ginza, giving us another way to experience Tokyo beyond simply sightseeing. Okonomiyaki, chicken skewers and sushi to finish the night.
By the end of the night, we were definitely tired — but very well fed!
Day 4 — When Tokyo’s Heat Won
This was the day we officially admitted: Tokyo in July is HOT.
The family was exhausted and starting to overheat, so we changed our plans.
Instead of trying to force ourselves through a big outdoor sightseeing day, we made it an indoor Tokyo day.
And it ended up being one of my favorite days.
Art Aquarium Ginza
We started with the Art Aquarium in Ginza.
It was beautiful, unusual, and completely different from anything we’d seen so far.
And, most importantly:
AIR CONDITIONING.
Then we did some shopping, including a stop at the Bao Bao Issey Miyake store for me.
Lunch: Oreno Yakiniku Ginza 4-chome
Japanese BBQ was a great break in the middle of the day and another fun experience for the family.
Viator Tour: Wagashi-making class
Next up was a wagashi-making class at LPC Japan Studio Ginza, which I found through Viator.
This was such a fun experience because we weren’t just looking at Japanese culture — we were actually participating in it.
The girls got to make traditional Japanese sweets and try traditional matcha tea, which made for a memorable afternoon.
After the class, we headed back to the hotel for another rest.
Evening: Tokyo Character Street
Once everyone had recovered, we went back out to Tokyo Character Street inside Tokyo Station.
If you have kids who love characters, this is a fun stop.
There are stores dedicated to all kinds of Japanese characters and franchises.
It was also a perfect evening activity because we could stay indoors.
By now we’d figured out the secret to July:
Don’t fight the heat. Work around it.
Day 5 — Akihabara & Monkey Kart
Today was a completely different side of Tokyo.
We booked a Viator Akihabara tour.
This was especially fun for the kids because we got to explore:
- Capsule toy stores
- Video games
- Maid cafés
- Don Quijote Akihabara
- The colorful streets of Akihabara
Akihabara is one of those places where you can walk around for hours and still feel like you’ve barely scratched the surface.
Lunch: Nikujiru Gyoza no Dan Da Dan Gyoza Restaurant- delicious lunch spot, cheap eats and able to share a bento box with freinds and family.
Evening Activity: Monkey Kart Asakusa
Then we did something completely different: Monkey Kart in Asakusa
We booked the Can-Am option so the kids could ride.
This was a really fun way to see Tokyo from a completely different perspective.
⚠️ Important Monkey Kart tip
If you’re going to drive, you need an International Driving Permit as well as your passport.
We got ours through AAA before the trip.
Don’t leave this until the last minute!
Day 6 — Goodbye Tokyo, Hello Kyoto!
Our last morning in Tokyo had arrived.
At 9:00 AM, we dropped our luggage off in the hotel lobby so it could be sent ahead to Kyoto.
This was incredibly convenient. Offered at most hotels, but need to book in advance, so ask about it when you are checking in. It is a common thing in Japan so most tourist cities do it.
Instead of dragging all our suitcases onto the bullet train, we only had the bags we needed for the journey.
Then we headed to Tokyo Station.
🚄 The Shinkansen to Kyoto
We were finally taking the famous bullet train to Kyoto.
Before getting on, here’s another lesson we learned:
💡 BUY YOUR SNACKS BEFORE YOU BOARD!
There isn’t a huge selection of food available once you’re on the train, so grab what you want at Tokyo Station.
We picked up snacks and drinks, found our seats, and settled in.
And then…
Tokyo disappeared behind us.
After six days of neon lights, Pokémon, Sanrio, shopping, temples, food tours, video games, and A LOT of walking…
It was time for the next chapter.
Bye Tokyo. Hello Kyoto! 🎌
Next post: Kyoto — temples, bamboo forests, traditional Japan, food, and exploring Kyoto with kids in the July heat.
