We visited Shinagawa Maxell Aqua Park and left a little after 4 o'clock.
After having fun at the aqua park, my son Onu took his second nap in the stroller. He only took a nap at home, but the trip must have been tough. He took two naps during the trip.
To take Onu, who was sleeping, to Tokyo Tower, our last destination, we took the Keikyu Main Line from Shinagawa Station and got off at Daimon Station. We moved in one go without changing, and the subway cost was 310 yen.
We purchased the admission ticket in advance on the official website.
It is cheaper to purchase tickets online than on-site, so be sure to purchase tickets online!
Even if you purchase it on the official website (online) right before entering, you can enter right away, so even if you suddenly plan to visit Tokyo Tower, you can purchase it online.
We showed our admission ticket and immediately stood in line to take the elevator.
There were a lot of people lining up in front of the elevator just at the time when the sunset could be seen beautifully, but the line quickly narrowed.
I have a severe fear of heights, so I decided to only go up to the main deck (150m), so I bought a ticket that only goes up to the main deck.
The top deck tour allows you to climb up to 250m, but the admission ticket is 2,800 yen based on online tickets, which is more than twice as expensive as the ticket that only goes up to the main deck (1,200 yen).
Still, if you are not afraid of heights, you should go to the top deck. The weather was nice, so we was able to see the pretty sky and sunset.
As soon as we got on the main deck, Onu woke up from his nap. He started looking around as soon as he woke up.
Aren’t babies afraid of heights? Onu was hanging from the window and watching so well, but I was so scared that my hands were sweaty.
Onu looked out the window and looked at a car for a long time, and even put a toy car on the window sill, and seemed to enjoy it more than anyone else.
I felt motion sick because it felt like Tokyo Tower was shaking.
Nevertheless, I came down after watching the sunset and fully appreciating it.
Before coming down, I changed Onu's diaper in the bathroom stall where the baby changing table was located.
I came down from Tokyo Tower a little after 6 and couldn't decide where to go for dinner.
I searched for nearby restaurants on Google Maps, but couldn't find any suitable places. First, we decided to walk to Daimon Station and look around.
On the way to the station, I couldn't see any restaurants that felt like gourmet restaurants, only hamburger restaurants. We went into the McDonald's and ordered a bacon and tomato deluxe set and one single item. I paid 1530 yen and took a seat in the basement. I fed Onu the rice and miso soup that I brought from our accomodation. Onu ate soybean paste soup throughout the trip, but I was thankful that he ate it without getting sick of it.
The Korean version of the Bacon Tomato Deluxe tastes better. I think the Japanese version had a stronger sauce flavor than the Korean version.
I took the subway from Yurakucho Station to Shinagawa Station. I went to Shinagawa Maxell Aqua Park where there is a dolphin show.
The day version of the dolphin show was at 11:30, 1:00, 2:30, and 4:00, and the night version of the dolphin show was at 5:30 and 7:00. (The time can be changed at any time, so be sure to check the dolphin show time before your trip.)
We had a tight schedule to go to Tsukiji Market in the morning and Tokyo Tower in the evening, so the 2:30 dolphin show was the perfect time for our schedule. Also, there is 'Dolphin Touch' where you can experience touching dolphins by paying a separate fee. This service is available twice a day (12:00 and 3:00), so I thought it would be perfect to watch the dolphin show at 2:30 and then experience the dolphin touch at 3:00.
We stayed up late while resting at the cafe and came out a little late. We tried to arrive at a leisurely pace, but we arrived at Maxell Aqua Park just at 2:30.
We showed the aqua park entrance ticket purchased in advance on the official website and went in, and we ran straight to the dolphin show without having time to look around.
There were a lot of people at the dolphin show. Many people stood in the back and watched, but many of the chairs in the front were empty.
Lucky!
We went and sat right in front. It was so fascinating because it was my first time seeing dolphins so close.
But the dolphins started splashing the water. In an instant, it came towards our seats, splashing water and passing by.
I couldn't help but scream. Only then did I notice that the people around me were wearing raincoats.
Did I say lucky earlier?
Yes...it was unlocked.
I was covered in salt water from head to toe.
Not going to lie, I squeezed my hair and clothes and water dripped down.
Of course, my shoes were wet too.
The camera also got wet, so I sent it to a repair center after my trip to Tokyo, but the salt water corroded it, so I had to replace the parts.
We belatedly moved to the back and stood and watched like everyone else.
*If you want to watch from the front seat but don't want to be splashed with water, you can buy a plastic raincoat as they sell it on site.
*And in case you weren't wondering, I'd like to tell you that every time the dolphins splashed water, the diligent staff went around wiping down the chairs, so I didn't feel like I was going to get hit by water if I sat there. If the chair had been soaked with water, I certainly wouldn't have sat on it.
My Onu was enjoying the show when he suddenly got splashed with water and Onu's mom and dad started yelling, so he was startled and seemed to be in a bad mood.
Still, he did her best to enjoy. He enjoyed the show while holding the figures taken from home in his hands.
The dolphin show seemed to last about 20 minutes.
After the dolphin show, it was dolphin touch time from 3 o'clock.
Dolphin touch reservations must be made in advance, and dolphin touch reservations open one week prior to the date you plan to enter the aquarium.
I reserved tickets to the aquarium, waited, and made a reservation right away on the official website as soon as the dolphin touch reservation window opened.
Children under 4 years old could enter for free with one adult.
I decided to take pictures outside while my husband and Onu did the dolphin touch experience.
No belongings are allowed during the dolphin touch experience. Since I wanted to take pictures, I opted to capture moments outside instead of participating in the experience.
Although Onu, Mama, and Papa don't know any Japanese, when the Japanese broadcast came on, it seemed like they were providing instructions for those interested in touching dolphins. As I looked around attentively, I noticed people standing in line and the staff checking the number of attendees.
I quickly approached and presented my Dolphin Touch ticket. They confirmed my reservation and assigned me a number.
It was number 4, which was really fortunate.
The experience begins with number 1, so we could observe what the person in front of us was doing before proceeding. If we had been assigned the last number, we would have had to wait for a long time. However, since we were number four, our turn came quickly, allowing us to proceed without much delay.
Before proceeding with the dolphin touch experience, we had to put our belongings in a basket and sanitize our hands.
It was finally Onu's turn!
At first, he seemed to be touching the dolphin well, but he looked a bit confused... It appeared that he stiffened up while touching the dolphin.
It was a short moment, but I managed to take a lot of pictures.
However, unlike the photos taken by the staff for sale, the angle was not satisfactory.
So in the end, I paid 3,000 yen for two photos priced at 1,500 yen each and purchased them.
The photo I purchased had a QR code embedded in it, so I was able to download the photo and store it on my phone. I liked the photos and I really liked being able to download them and keep them on my phone.
The photo below is one I took, but the angle is a bit disappointing, right?
The angle of the photo I purchased is as follows.
After leaving the dolphin show, I was about to go back to look at the fish, but I couldn't help but see the cute penguins waddling outside!
I rushed out as if I was captivated by the sight of the cute waddles. It seemed like the penguins were putting on some cute show. It was a really short show, but it was so amazing because it was my first time seeing the penguins this close. There was no window and they just walked back and forth under my feet, so all I could say was that it was amazing.
After seeing the penguins, we decided to take a closer look at the inside of the aquarium, which we hadn't seen before because we was in a hurry.
The aquarium itself wasn't big, but I was able to see some amazing sea creatures.
We also saw a sturgeon. Why is it swimming like that? All I could think about was this. It was so exciting.
My son and I really liked Maxell Aqua Park, and other adults also liked it. If I go to Tokyo again, this is a place I want to stop by again. It was really fun and worth the 2,500 yen admission fee and 900 yen for the dolphin touch experience.
Before moving to the next location, I also purchased a dolphin figure for 1,380 yen. It was a collector's item, and I liked it because it was the same brand as the other animal figures I had at home. Onu had a great time with his new friend, a dolphin figure, making movements to represent a dolphin jumping into the water.
We decided to have ramen for lunch and chose to go to Kyushu Jangara Ramen Ginza, which is an 11-minute walk from Pain Maison.
The line was long, so we placed our order in advance while waiting.
However, other customers ahead of us had strollers, and the staff insisted that strollers should be left outside. So, the customer had to leave the stroller outside and enter.
Our Onu is currently taking a nap soundly in the stroller, but not being able to take the stroller into the store was quite unexpected and disappointing.
We couldn't wake the baby up for a meal, even if we had already placed our order..
The most important thing is for our little one to eat peacefully without disturbance. Just as we were about to ask the staff to cancel our order and find another place to eat as a family, our little prince suddenly opened his eyes wide.
I thought I was going to have a leisurely meal, but in the end, I ended up dining with my son, hehe...
I entered the ramen restaurant holding Onu, and it was a really, really small place.
If we had asked for a baby chair, they would have provided one, but we felt it would be okay to hold him while eating, so we declined.
The table was so small that it would have been full with just my bowl of ramen on it.
I brought along Onu's soybean paste soup and rice, which I had warmed up at our accommodation and put in a thermos, and set them out on the table.
My husband ate uncomfortably while holding Onu, but he said he enjoyed it nonetheless.
According to my husband's review, this ramen restaurant was the most delicious food he had during his trip to Tokyo. The ramen that my husband ordered (Bonshan/Creamy Tonkotsu Soup) was more delicious than the cool and light ramen (Kyushu Jangara/Mild Tonkotsu Soup) that I ordered.
(Left)Kyushu Jangara (Right)Bonshan
I paid 2840 yen for two pieces of Kyushu Jangara ramen, and it was a very cost-effective meal in expensive Tokyo.
My friends ate quickly and moved on to find the next place, a cafe, while we ate and fed Onu slowly.
There was a wait at the cafe, but it was nice that my friends went first and stood in line.
The cafe was HARBS LUMINE Yurakucho, located on the second floor of Ginza Lumine, and a 10-minute walk from Kyushu Jangara Ramen Restaurant.
The cafe is a place for adults, and Onu felt very frustrated because he had to sit still.
But the adults can't give up caffeine and sugar.
Onu relieves boredom by looking out the window
We each ordered a cup of Americano and a signature cake (Mille Crepes).
A crepe cake with fruit came out, but I would say the fruit didn't look delicious.
I thought the delicious-looking fruits on the cake were berries, and the fruits included here, such as papaya and banana, were pale in color and did not look mouth-watering.
But it was so delicious than I expected..
The bread was delicious, not too creamy and light, and the fruit was sweet and soft, so it went really well with the bread.
The coffee was too bitter so I drank it with water.
I tried to give Onu snacks, but since all the adults ate cake, he wanted to eat what the adults were eating too. He ended up giving it a bite...
There is a time limit for using the store here, and it is 2 hours. But we had an upcoming schedule, so we could only stay for about an hour. Everyone was so tired that they seemed to want to cancel their plans for the next day and rest more at the cafe, but since we had reserved the aquarium admission tickets in advance by specifying the date, we had to cheer up and leave.
The cost for coffee and cake for two was 1960 yen. To depart for Mexel Aquarium, I purchased a 170 yen ticket at Yurakucho Station and took the Yamanote Line to 5 stops. I was so excited to go there in one go without having to transfer to the other line. A little happiness while traveling.
Makeup done, Onu's diaper bag packed, and Onu's meal prepared, we had to wake up earlier than the other members of the group to ensure everything was ready. We woke up around 6 a.m. It was a group trip with 7 adults and 1 baby, a total of 8 people, and despite booking an Airbnb with two bathrooms, there was still a morning rush for the shower and bathroom.
We ended up leaving around 8:30 a.m. It wasn't too bad, considering.
During our trip to Fukuoka early last year, we rented a car and drove around, but we heard that Tokyo's traffic can be quite congested. Onu doesn't particularly enjoy riding in a car seat, and with the traffic situation in Tokyo, public transportation seemed like a more viable option. Our brave decision to rely on public transportation was made easier with the support of our friends who helped with carrying luggage, folding the stroller, entertaining Onu during subway rides, and guiding us through elevators. We hadn't used public transportation with a baby in Korea, so this was a new experience, and having friends along made it much more manageable. I were grateful for their assistance and decided to continue this tradition of traveling together.
Returning to the travel story, we started our journey from the subway station near the accommodation, Kuramae Station.
Our first destination was the Tsukiji Market. We took the Asakusa Line (A) from Kuramae Station and traveled six stops, then got off at Higashi-Ginza Station.
It was convenient that we didn't need to transfer.
The Japanese subway system generally has elevators for those with mobility challenges, but still, we often encountered the challenge of navigating stairs with a stroller, diaper bag, and a little one in tow.
As many can empathize, once a baby is comfortably seated in the stroller, we want to avoid disturbing that peace. However, when faced with stairs, the inevitable transition from stroller to carrying the baby begins.
So, we put a lot of effort into choosing accommodation and planning travel routes to minimize the need to change subway lines. In the end, the location of our lodging and the travel itinerary were the best compromises, making the journey with a stroller more manageable.
I used an iPhone, registered and charged the Pasmo transportation card, while my husband, who uses a Galaxy, purchased subway tickets every time we rode the subway. When we calculated later, there wasn't a significant difference between using the Pasmo card and buying subway tickets each time.
As it was a short-term trip, it seemed like there wasn't much of a distinction. With Pasmo, since charging is available in increments of 1000 yen, there ended up being some unused balance.
It cost 220 yen for a one-way subway ticket from Kuramae Station to Higashi-Ginza Station, covering a distance of 6 stops. (Note: In Tokyo, all subway ticket fees were paid in cash. Neither the Travel Wallet nor credit cards were accepted! Make sure to prepare enough cash for transportation expenses!)
My husband purchased a one-way ticket for 220 yen, while I charged 2000 yen to the Pasmo card registered on my iPhone at Kuramae Station.
It seems we arrived at Tsukiji Market after 9:00 AM.
The market alleys were narrow, and each narrow alley was filled with people.
However, instead of enjoying the sights, it became a mission to navigate through the crowded streets. Our group had scattered, and maneuvering the stroller was quite challenging. The prices seemed high, typical for a tourist spot, and our little one seemed a bit restless. So, we decided to break away from the crowd, leaving our friends behind, and headed to a nearby park we had planned to visit.
We let Onu play freely at the quiet park playground.
He enjoyed sliding down the slide and showed interest in our Japanese friends.
While we were playing, our friends bought street food. The lines at the street food stalls were really long, and I wondered how they managed to wait in line and bring the food. If we had come alone with the baby, we might not have been able to enjoy such street food, so we were grateful for our friends' help once again.
The next destination was the original bakery for "salt bread," called Pan Maison.Onu fell asleep in the stroller, making the movement more comfortable.
Original salt bread was indeed affordable at 110 yen per piece. In addition to the basic salt bread, there were various flavors such as potato and cod roe.
And they seemed to keep baking continuously. Seeing the shelves being filled with freshly baked, hot salt bread made me eager to taste it as soon as possible.
I purchased four with the original flavor. As soon as I bought them, I tried one right in front of the shop, and it truly lived up to its reputation as the original. Full of buttery flavor, and the texture was perfect, moist inside and crispy outside.
My friend insisted I try the potato and cod roe flavors by giving me a taste. However, as expected, the original flavor was the best. I had one for lunch, and the remaining three were enjoyed for dinner that day and breakfast the next day. It was a good decision not to be too greedy and buy only four. It seems they tasted the best right after purchase.
I ordered a variety of skewers (2), an egg roll (1), ramen (1), and three colas, and it came to 3,531 yen.
Even though it's Tokyo, isn't it a bit expensive?
I'm not sure if this is the usual price, but I went ahead and placed the order.
The meat had a slight smell, but it wasn't too strong. The cola had a slightly flat taste, which seems to be a common feature in Japanese cola.
While waiting for the ordered dishes, I searched online and found a Google review stating that someone felt deceived about the price. So, I decided to be extra cautious and check the price carefully before making the payment. However, when I later looked at the receipt, I noticed that the price for the egg roll was 10 yen higher. It was a very small difference, but it left me with a slightly strange feeling.
The reason we ordered a menu with a relatively small portion, despite having five adults, was because we wanted to try other skewer restaurants as well. We ventured into a livelier area where tables were set up along the street. The street was bustling with pedestrians.
Also, there was a strong smell of cigarettes. I've heard that in Japan, there are many pubs where smoking is allowed indoors, so I suspected that the prevalence of cigarette smell might be due to that. Many of the main alley skewer restaurants were not suitable for children, and there was a pervasive smell of tobacco. Considering these factors, we decided to buy food from a convenience store and have a relaxed time at our accommodation.
Before entering the accommodation, we stopped by Don Quijote, a takoyaki shop, a convenience store, and a supermarket.
At Don Quijote, we bought some toys for Onu, painreliefpatchs for legs, and gifts for colleagues, spending a total of 4602 yen. If we spend over 5000 yen, we can also get a tax refund, but we decided to save our energy for the 25-minute walk to the accommodation instead of spending an additional 400 yen and waiting for the tax refund process.
We purchased 15 takoyaki balls for 950 yen, and at the supermarket, we bought fruits for Onu (Shine Muscat and bananas) for 1521 yen. we bought a lot of snacks and returned to the accommodation.
Onu, holding the toy car he got from Don Quijote, fell asleep in the stroller. When we arrived at the accommodation, we laid out a blanket for him, and he slept soundly until morning.
After arriving at Tokyo Station, the first thing we did was leave our luggage. Since our 40-inch suitcase didn't fit in the coin lockers, we used the Tokyo Travel Service Center to store our luggage. At the Tokyo Travel Service Center, you can leave one piece of luggage for 700 yen, regardless of its size!
We took the airport bus around 11:20 AM and reached Tokyo Station by 12:45 PM. It was the perfect time for lunch.
However, a major flaw in our plan was not deciding where to eat beforehand. After storing our luggage, we wandered around Tokyo Station, unsure of what to eat. For travelers without a baby, exploring the alleys outside Tokyo Station to find hidden gems might be an option. However, with our 19-month-old baby in tow, we opted to choose a restaurant within Tokyo Station.
We didn't realize just how vast Tokyo Station was. We decided to enter Daimaru Department Store. On the 1st floor, there were various desserts, and the basement was filled with bento boxes.
We went up to the restaurant floor on the 10th, and the prices were incredibly high. It seemed like we couldn't afford to go in. A seemingly ordinary tonkatsu was priced at over 3000 yen, which made me give up.
Leaving the department store, we headed back to the restaurant area on the 1st floor of the subway station. I wanted to quickly enter a restaurant considering my baby, but I didn't want to enter a restaurant without a waiting line either.
We decided to wait in line at a tonkatsu restaurant (Tonkatsu Suzuki) with a reasonably short wait. After about 30 minutes of waiting, we finally got in.
Our little one hasn't developed a taste for meat yet. He doesn't eat beef, pork, or chicken—just refuses them all. (If anyone knows a secret method to get a child to eat meat, please share it with me! 😭)
So, anticipating this, I boiled some soybean paste soup at home. I also packed some ready-made rice. we brought it with the intention of feeding him in case we went to a restaurant without a menu for kids, and the tonkatsu restaurant was the perfect opportunity to bring out our secret weapon: the soybean paste soup.
We warmed up the soybean paste soup and rice and brought them in a thermos. This way, we didn't have to order a separate 'meat' dish; we just fed him the prepared rice.
Our meal cost 1,700 yen for the pork cutlet with shrimp tempura, and the katsudon alone was priced at 1,180 yen. In total, we paid 2,880 yen.
After finishing lunch, we went to explore the character shop located underground in Tokyo Station.
There was even a Pokémon shop, so we went inside, but it was small.
The others wanted to buy some snacks to have at the accommodation, so we went back to Daimaru Department Store.
Our son, Onu, was taking a nap in the stroller, so we could move around comfortably.
We planned to explore Marunouchi Nakadori Street and the Secret Garden near Tokyo Station, but we were too tired, and all we could think of was recharging with caffeine. We didn't care about hidden or unique cafes; we just wanted to go to the nearest place.
That's how exhausted we were, and everyone in the group felt the same way. We felt like our energy was completely drained.
We decided to go to Kitte, a café near Tokyo Station.
We scanned the menu boards hanging in front of the cafes at Kitte. Once again, we realized how expensive the cost of living in Tokyo is. Opting for something reasonably priced, we chose TULLY’S COFFEE & TEA.
We enjoyed a coffee break with desserts.
We paid a total of 1,811 yen for coffee and cake.
Around 4:30, we headed to our accommodation. We booked an Airbnb near Kuramae Station. Since Kuramae Station is on the Asakusa Line, we walked about 9 minutes from Tokyo Station and then took the Asakusa Line to Kuramae Station.
It seemed like we spent over 30 minutes wandering around even though Google Maps indicated a 9-minute walk. With our toddler, a 40-inch suitcase, and a stroller, using stairs was not feasible, so we were on a quest to find an elevator. Finding the elevator consumed more than 30 minutes of our time.
We wasted a lot of time. Even inside the subway station, finding the Asakusa Line was tricky.
We purchased a subway ticket with cash, as cards weren't accepted. It cost 180 yen for a one-way ticket covering 4 stops.
By the time we arrived at our accommodation around 6:00, it had been about 1 hour since we set out from the cafe.
First, we fed Onu dinner. For dinner, we had brought along miso soup and dried seaweed from home.
Just like that, it seemed like a perfect time to relax, but on the other hand, it felt regretful to rest at the accommodation from 6 PM during the trip. So, we mustered up the energy and proceeded to visit the Ameya-Yokocho shopping street as originally planned.
