There is no charming old Japan left!! We spent some time living there with young kids. I have to go pick up the kids, but I'll come up with a list of interesting places later. Might not be old, but will be different. You can do stuff in Japan that would not pass the liability test in the USA!

Alas, I suppose we are partly to blame for that ...

Thanks, Chispa!

Take the train to Nikko. The Togoshu shrine is there and all kinds of cool stuff, including the carvings of the "see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil" monkeys.

How about Kamakura?

I miss Japan!

Here are some links to get you started.

Mori Tower Observation deck, Roppongi Hills (best views, similar experience to being at the top of World Trade center)
http://www.mori.co.jp/en/projects/roppongi/

Tokyo tower
http://www.tokyotower.co.jp/english/index.html

Ryogoku / Sumo Stadium (if you go when they are having contests, you must go see)
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3022.html

Ninja Akasaka Restaurant (food decent, a bit pricy, but kids loved it)
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g1066443-d1010352-Reviews-NINJA_AKASAKA-Chiyoda_Tokyo_Tokyo_Prefecture_Kanto.html

Kodomo No Kinen
http://www.kodomonokuni.org/index2.html

Showa Kinen Park (about 50 mins drive from Tokyo center. They have this trampoline mountain that the kids will never leave. Would never meet USA liability laws! DH and kids loved it)
http://www.showakinenpark.go.jp/english/index.htm

Heiwa No Mori (Obstacle course park. Kids loved it)
http://modernmarketingjapan.blogspot.com/2012/04/best-childrens-sports-park-and-obstacle.html

Restaurant website we used
http://www.bento.com/tf-rest.html

Meiji Jingu Shrine / Yoyogi park / Harajuku (walkable, all in same area)
http://www.gojapango.com/tokyo/yoyogi_park.htm

Graywings,
Nikko sounds lovely, but may be too cold for December. Also it sounds as though a lot of the attractions are outdoors (hikes, waterfalls). Would you recommend it in winter?

Anele, Hmm, nice recc, esp since one article called it "Little Kyoto". It also seems as if you can see Mt Fuji if you are lucky. I was thinking about Hakone for that, but again, winter seems like a bad time for Hakone. What i remember about Kyoto was the lovely shrines, the moss gardens, the narrow streets and old buildings, the koi ponds in little alleys, etc. Id love to show them a glimpse of that.

Chispa,
How very kind of you to take the time to get me all that information! And what intriguing suggestions! Thank you ... I have some work to do now! How long did you live in Japan? Did you see a lot of Asia while there?

Thanks again to all of you!

Mtn, we were there for 3 years, a few minutes walk from Roppongi (to give you a major landmark!). The things you saw in Kyoto, can be found in Tokyo, but in small quantities and scattered around Tokyo.

Winter can be pretty chilly in Tokyo. If you are lucky it will be cold, but sunny and dry. One of our winters there was was very wet and it was miserable.

Another idea, if you can find a large Taiko Drum performance make time to go. Very cool.

Tsukiji Fish Market - what's more Japanese than fresh sushi at 6 in the morning!!! I think they were moving the location due to too many tourists getting in the way of the fish market ... worth checking out of you like fish!

mtnrdredux - I went to Nikko in February. It was cold but manageable with normal clothing on - and I don't tolerate cold weather well. You are walking in and out of buildings. I remember stopping for tea to warm up - a lovely experience.

Twenty years ago, I was was in Japan in late November/early December and it was lovely, cool but pleasant. I still smile whenever I see the 'monkeys' any place (usually other touristy locations for some odd reason), remembering how lucky I was to see the originals.

Gray, didn't you attend a wedding in Japan a few years back? I had hoped you'd post some photos but I understand keeping things private.

mtn, maybe you'll post some scenery photos for us after your trip?

hhireno - yes, I went there for my nephew's wedding. I tend not to take a lot of photos, but I remember taking one of the the tiniest sink I had ever seen, thinking, "this is one for gardenweb."

I have a way of taking photos and then never doing anything with them.

Chispa,

I know Roppongi, I stayed at the Grand Hyatt there a few times. It's very nice, but it's the kind of place that natives always steer tourists to, and to me it feels like the Short Hills Mall, kwim?

I hear they don't let tourists at that fish market anymore.

HHire, Sure, I love to post pictures.

I recommend Asakusa shrine. I think it really contains the kami (essential spirit) of Tokyo: it's big and loud and hustling--but in a good way. It's been that way for a few hundred years. You can buy postcards that show the same scene, pre-photography. Meji-jingu is nice but much quieter. I would also plan to make a stop for an okonomiyaki meal. Tokyo has a university area with a lot of these restaurants. I forget what it's called.

I know the Short Hills Mall well! Used to live in that area many years ago. The cool stuff about Roppongi Hills is driving there and parking in the automated/elevator garages ... the kids loved that! There is a very good conveyor belt Sushi Restaurant there.

Shibuya is the place they use in ads with the billboards and all the "millions" of people crossing the streets. You can stroll from Shibuya to Omotesando and stop at KiddieLand ... a toy store.

Want something very Japanese ... Karaoke! For a seedy, English speaking one try Smash Hits in Hiroo. Or you can go to the high rise type with different themed rooms.

Just watching the Japanese going about their day can be very interesting. You won't see this many dog strollers or clothes wearing dogs anywhere else in the world!

Hakone is nice . . .winter might not be too bad? I dunno. I was there (Tokyo mostly) from November through January and it was fine, but I am comparing it to Midwestern winters.

So excited for you!

Of course, having only taken a taxi to the hotel, I did notice we entered through a garage but nothing else (I'm always beat by the time I get to Tokyo, and barely sentient).

Thanks, Anele, thanks Ogoopgog. I'm a big devotee of TripAdvisor.

A few years ago, we had a Tokyo stopover on our month long trip to Asia. It was January, and while it was considerably colder than our week on Koh Samui in Thailand, it was just above freezing - which is still pretty mild for us as Canadians!

We stayed at the Park Hyatt hotel, in the Shinjuku area. We walked through the nearby park and visited the Shrine, were we were lucky enough to see two wedding parties dressed in traditional clothing. Because we had the kids with us, we also went to the Pokemon store. We visited the Tokyo Tower and went up for the view. We also took the subway (an experience it itself!) to the Akihabara electronics district.

Have a wonderful time!

Carrie

If your kids are at all interested in anime, you MUST take them to Studio Ghibli---about a 30 min. train ride from Tokyo in Mitaka. There is a fabulous playspace there, plus rooms that sort of look like sets from the movies, a short film and a really good restaurant for lunch. DS2 and I spent an entire day there and recall it as one of our best Tokyo memories. BUT--- as a foreigner you will have to get tickets in advance from the JTB in New York, a process that requires your passport numbers. You have time to get them for December if you start now. It's fairly complicated but easier than getting them if you live in Japan, where there is a long waiting list! We are all huge anime fans (Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle are two of my favorite movies of all times) and the opportunity to visit Studio Ghibli was very special for us.

I don't know if Odaiba is open in December, it is a sort of Japanese fun park on a man made island off Tokyo. There is no better place to get a sense of Japanese culture than right there, unless it is the Ginza around dawn, and your kids sound much too young for that :-)

Some places do have a special Kabuki theater experience for Westerners that is only about an hour long---which is enough for most people.

Finally, if you want something completely uniqe and crazy in a restaurant, Akasaka Ninja is the place. It is really difficult to find, and once you are in it is an obstacle course in the dark to get to your table. Haute Japanese cuisine, served by ninjas who also do sleight of hand at your table. The food portions are tiny and it is quite expensive, depending upon what you order, but it is an Experience, capital E, and my 13-year-old really enjoyed it.

I understand what you mean about the "old" Japan--- but IMO you will just not find that in Tokyo, which is all about new. A ryokan in Kyoto would serve that purpose wonderfully, but it sounds as though you have already ruled that out. We spent some time in Nagoya, looking at feudal castles there and in the countryside, as DS was studying medieval history at the time of our visit. We actually went there for him to study Go with a master in Tokyo, and spent most of our time in the city.

Here is a link to Studio Ghibli's website, if you are interested:

Here is a link that might be useful: Studio Ghibli

You might also want to do Takarazuka. Over-the-top musicals done by an all-female troupe. Very famous. Best to book in advance.

Here is a link that might be useful: Takarazuka Revue

Hi Jane,
Thank you, that sounds very cool. I love the fact that they are railroad employees! I think it may be too far for a daytrip, though/

CarrieM,
Sounds like we are going to Tokyo for the same reason you did; stopover. We are really going to Asia to see the places I've never been to and DH and I want to see; Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. But on the way we will see San Francisco, Tokyo and Hong Kong. I am happy to see SF and HK over and over again, but to be honest I've never had any desire to be in Tokyo as a tourist. And it was always my least favorite business trip, with the smoking in meetings, odd seating on sofas instead of at tables, insufficient a/c for American standards, and the frequent spectre of dozing meeting attendees. (possibly my fault on that last one) But my kids wanted to see Tokyo, and I guess that does make sense.

We are staying in the Four Seasons directly adjacent to the train station where Narita Express terminates. I know that after the trip we will appreciate not going far before we plop into bed! You are lucky you saw a wedding; I hear they are something to look out for on the grounds of the Palace, near our hotel.

KSWL, I know nothing about anime, except my older brother watching re-runs of SpeedRacer when I was growing up, which I hated. But should we, as part of our experience, get educated and familiar with anime? I think I might like Howl's Moving Castle a bit better then Speed Racer reruns.
With only three days, I don't think we will be bored enough for a theme park; plus, when we travel, I try to do things that are either educational or a chance to see nature (although I understand that the most mundane things are still educational).

I think a taste of Kabuki is a good idea, since it is parodied so much it would be nice if they understood it a bit.

You are the second person to recommend that restaurant, which is a definite yes! That will be fun. Plus we have to eat anyway.

The only other time I spent leisure time in Japan was at a riokan in Kyoto. It was summer, and I loved it. But I try not to go to the same place twice, if I can, and plus the logistics of our trip already involve 11 flights, so we will keep it to Tokyo.

Thanks, everyone!

Hi Jane,
Thank you, that sounds very cool. I love the fact that they are railroad employees! I think it may be too far for a daytrip, though/

CarrieM,
Sounds like we are going to Tokyo for the same reason you did; stopover. We are really going to Asia to see the places I've never been to and DH and I want to see; Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. But on the way we will see San Francisco, Tokyo and Hong Kong. I am happy to see SF and HK over and over again, but to be honest I've never had any desire to be in Tokyo as a tourist. And it was always my least favorite business trip, with the smoking in meetings, odd seating on sofas instead of at tables, insufficient a/c for American standards, and the frequent spectre of dozing meeting attendees. (possibly my fault on that last one) But my kids wanted to see Tokyo, and I guess that does make sense.

We are staying in the Four Seasons directly adjacent to the train station where Narita Express terminates. I know that after the trip we will appreciate not going far before we plop into bed! You are lucky you saw a wedding; I hear they are something to look out for on the grounds of the Palace, near our hotel.

KSWL, I know nothing about anime, except my older brother watching re-runs of SpeedRacer when I was growing up, which I hated. But should we, as part of our experience, get educated and familiar with anime? I think I might like Howl's Moving Castle a bit better then Speed Racer reruns.
With only three days, I don't think we will be bored enough for a theme park; plus, when we travel, I try to do things that are either educational or a chance to see nature (although I understand that the most mundane things are still educational).

I think a taste of Kabuki is a good idea, since it is parodied so much it would be nice if they understood it a bit.

You are the second person to recommend that restaurant, which is a definite yes! That will be fun. Plus we have to eat anyway.

The only other time I spent leisure time in Japan was at a riokan in Kyoto. It was summer, and I loved it. But I try not to go to the same place twice, if I can, and plus the logistics of our trip already involve 11 flights, so we will keep it to Tokyo.

Thanks, everyone!

But have your children been to Kyoto? You could actually make a day trip on the bullet train which they might enjoy and they can see Mt. Fuji!

Hi Cyn,

No, my kids are in elementary school and one in middle school, this is their first Asia trip. I have travelled a lot and it is always a balance between wanting to show them my favorite places, and selfishly wanting to see something new.

The shinkansen is 2.5 hours one way, a bit much for a day trip, esp as this is just a 3 night stopover. Ours kids don't usually get jetlag but DH does (no matter how nice the bed, he is really too tall to sleep well on a plane). I, on the other hand, once famously slept 20 hours on a plane from NY to Singapore via Frankfurt ... then again I was 3 or 4 mo.s pregnant, so I was sleeping all the time.

As it is, we always cram more into our trips than anyone I know! But one has to be careful not to turn it into a whirlwind of destinations. I don't contemplate another family Asia trip, which is a shame because Beijing is not in our itinerary. I tell my kids I will leave some parts of the world for them to get to on their own! I've certainly taught them wanderlust ...

I have a friend from Japan who contacted a friend who is a travel write in Tokyo. Her advice was Nikko will be too cold, Hakone too difficult to get around, and Kamakura is her vote. Thanks, Anele!

BTW ... calling all linguists. My DH and I are both allergic to crustaceans. I now we will come across many english speakers in many of the areas we will visit, but we think it would be a good idea to learn how to say that. Google translator is not always best for this. For example, it might equate to "we are allergic to marinelife". So, does anyone know how to say "we are allergic to shellfish" in:

Japanese
Vietnamese
Thai