Japanese cities, like Tokyo and Kyoto, are traditionally known for shrines, temples and historic cultural sites. But as the birthplace of anime, manga and, of course, Pokemon, Japan is also a pop culture powerhouse and a hotbed of kid-friendly activities, from practicing ninja skills to spending time with Snorlax. For a family trip, “the beauty of Japan is you can walk five steps and easily attract the attention of a child,” said Ramesh Krishnan, who goes by the name RamKy and whose company, Japan Unfiltered, specializes in candid tours of Tokyo, Mount Fuji and other destinations. “It could be a capsule toy-dispensing machine, a karaoke bar with interesting desserts on display or even the peppy music heard playing inside train stations.” Here are six stops on a family-oriented tour of the country’s most-visited cities.

Tokyo

Kirby Cafe

Securing reservations at this wildly popular concept cafe at the base of the Tokyo Skytree can feel more difficult than scoring front row seats to a Taylor Swift concert, but fans of Kirby, the lovable pink blob that first appeared on the Nintendo Game Boy in 1992, keep trying. Reservations for the next month are released online on the 10th day of the month at 6 p.m. Japan Standard Time.

Even if you get the timing right, the site routinely crashes. But you can skip the red tape and grab a table using the Kirby Cafe Bot, an online service that scores reservations for $7.50 per person for up to eight guests. Once in the door, you’ll be treated to food, decor and all things Kirby: Eat Kirby burgers sandwiched between smiling pink buns; playful pizzas topped with star-shaped fried eggs; and Whispy Woods feast plates featuring Kirby’s enemy, an apple tree, whose trunk doubles as a ramekin containing potato salad. Tip: Pair your meal with a visit to the Skytree — at 2,080 feet, it’s the world’s tallest freestanding tower and offers unending 360-degree views of Tokyo from its glassed-in observation deck.

Kirby Cafe: Tokyo Skytree Town, Solamachi, East Yard 4F, 1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida City. Entrees 1,200 to 3,980 yen.

Tokyo Skytree admission: adults, 1,800 yen and up; ages 12 to 17, 1,400 yen and up; ages 6 to 11, 850 yen and up.

Pokemon Center Tokyo DX

Of Tokyo’s four Pokemon Centers, this one in the Nihonbashi business district is one of the biggest, but the main draw is the Pokemon Cafe, yet another concept cafe for which it’s nearly impossible to get reservations. For this one, you have to go online 31 days before your visit precisely at 6 p.m. Japan Standard Time.

Or you can just pay: A service called Reserve Japan will do the heavy lifting for a whopping $24.90 per guest (your kids will thank you). At the cafe, you can drink yellow-tinted, Pikachu-themed lemon soda floats and frothy lattes served in red and white pokeball cups before digging into dishes like Snorlax’s Full-Belly Naptime Lunch Plate, featuring a shrimp rice pilaf inside a dish that resembles the fat, sleepy Pokemon (also served with grilled chicken, fried potato and a salad partially made of carrots cut into Zs to mimic snoring). After eating, browse the center’s merchandise.

Pokemon Center Tokyo DX: Nihombashi Takashimaya S.C. East Building (5F) 2-11-2 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku. Entrees 1,540 to 2,420 yen.

Akihabara

This bustling neighborhood in central Tokyo is the epicenter of otaku culture — devoted anime enthusiasts flock to its shops, arcades and gaming centers. Here you’ll find soaring multimedia stores including Yodonashi-Akiba, a 9-story megacenter with an entire level devoted to toys, video games and gacha machines (hand-cranked vending machines that disperse collectible miniatures); superstores such as Animate, a 16-floor behemoth selling manga and all things anime; and Super Potato, a vintage video game shop where you can buy retro gaming consoles and play on the collection of ’80s- and ’90s-era arcade games. Claw machine devotees will love GIGO Akihabara 1 with hundreds of prize-grabbing games. And don’t miss Don Quijote, a popular discount chain jam-packed with anime-inspired souvenirs, obscure Japanese candy and inexpensive duffel bags to bring all those new toys home.

Akihabara is in Chiyoda City, Tokyo, reachable by the JR Yamanote Line, Chuo-Sobu Line, Keihin-Tohoku Line, Tsukuba Express Line and the Tokyo Metro Hibiya subway line.

Kyoto

Toei Kyoto Studio Park

In a commercial neighborhood on the outskirts of town, Toei, a movie producer specializing in period dramas known as jidaigeki, has built a set and theme park where families roam replicas of streets from the Edo period, when Kyoto was the capital. It’s also where Japanese kitsch comes alive, since you can transform yourself into a traditional geisha or samurai; watch live ninja shows before chucking the throwing stars called shuriken; and explore dozens of exhibits dedicated to popular Japanese movie and television characters, including a 50-foot-tall statue of an EVA from the mecha anime series “Evangelion,” whose giant purple hand is perfect for photo ops.

Toei Kyoto Studio Park: 10 Uzumasa Higashihachiokacho, Ukyo ward. Admission: adults, 2,400 yen; children, 1,200 yen and up.

“GEAR”

In an abandoned toy factory somewhere in the fictionalized future, four robots continue to work. They discover a doll that gives each of them special abilities — mime, breakdancing, magic and juggling — which help them become more like humans. This is the plot of “Gear,” a wildly entertaining nonverbal theatrical production that’s been running since 2012 in a building near the Nishiki Market.

In the absence of dialogue, the production uses music, sound and audience interaction to tell its story. It runs for 90 uninterrupted minutes.

“Gear,” 56 Benkeiishicho, Nakagyuku. Admission: adults, 3,600 yen and up; ages 13 to 17, 2,600 yen and up; ages 4 to 12, 1,200 yen; children under 4 not admitted.

—

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

© 2024 The New York Times Company