3 days in Tokyo for Vegan Families with small children

Start the day at Shinjuku Chuo Park playground. I have lots of pictures of this spot here. thetokyochapter.com/shinjuku-chuo-park-playground

Lots of vegan pastries and breads here - the whole cafe is vegan on Sundays.

On the 5th floor of this museum you can see Van Gogh’s Sunflowers (!!) You are allowed to take photos even – just can’t use a flash. Entry is 800 yen and free for kids younger than 18 (as always, you will need to have your passport with you while walking around Japan. They may ask to see your passport here for proof of age.) They accept both cash and card here. Please note that the museum is open from 10am-6pm (last entry at 5:30) and is closed on Mondays – but best to still check the Sompo Museum of Art website before you go. Read more about how the Sunflowers came to “live” in Tokyo here. soranews24.com/2025/03/19/van-goghs-sunflowers-are-on-permanent-display-in-tokyo-and-heres-where-you-can-find-them You can enter here with a stroller as long as it isn’t too busy. There is a place to change baby on the second floor (there is also a space to breastfeed.)

On the B1 floor of Marui Department Store is a specialty supermarket called Bio-Ral. Bio-Ral stocks MANY MANY MANY gluten free and vegan items – including cakes, cookies, gluten-free soy sauce, noodles and pasta, curries etc. *This supermarket stocks a rice flour bread made by a company called “Happy Bakery.” Used google translate to check the ingredients but the purple label usually signifies gluten free items. They also have lots of vegan pasta sauces and curries. There are also lots of delicious vegan soups here. They also sell Oat Milk chocolate.

Shop at Hands for stationery and souvenirs here or go to the 9th floor for the Toys and the Disney Store. I have written about this area with pictures here thetokyochapter.com/theshinjukuareawithkids Go to the basement delicatessen floor for some treats to take to Shinjuku Gyoen next for a picnic.

Explore Shinjuku Gyoen for a picnic. I've written about it here. thetokyochapter.com/shinjuku-gyoen-national-garden-with-kids

Extra Tip: If you’re looking for an amazing thick, gourmet to eat in or after the park – I recommend a sandwich shop called “&Sandwich.” It is located just 2 mins walk from the Shinjuku Gyoen ParkShinjuku Gyoen Park entrance. They have a dining area with seats for 16 people. They are open nice and early in the morning too – from 9am on weekdays and 8:30am on weekends. They have a couple of vegetarian and vegan options too. See here for the “&Sandwich” website and images of their beautiful sandwiches. This cafe accepts most major credit cards and is a non-smoking establishment.

Gyoza in the morning anyone? This is random suggestion but I thought I would put it here for those who want the full Japan experience right from the start of the day. Kakekomi Gyoza is in Kabukicho in Shinjuku. This is an izakaya that specialises in Gyoza of all different types, fillings and colours. They are open 24 hours a day – 365 days a year!!! Kakekomi Gyoza also serve 1-2 vegan options. Please note that this restaurant only welcomes school aged kids and older (6 years +) so if you have younger children – get the takeout options ! For takeway gyoza here it is 1100 yen for 10 gyoza and 1900 yen for 20 !!!!!!! The entire restaurant is non-smoking BUT it is in Kabukicho – the red light district – sooooo if visiting with kids, I will only ever visit between 9am-6pm – just because the area around the restaurant is a bit yucky (not dangerous but just lots of drunkies and light up girlie bar signs etc.) Kakekomi Gyoza is 5 mins walk from the East Exit of Shinjuku Station. It’s right next to the old Robot Restaurant. For a full meal here, I would budget for 2500 yen per adult. They do accept credit cards. You can make reservations or you can just walk-in. They do have an English menu. They have a deal where you can pay 1980 yen for 120 mins of all you can eat gyoza! Please note that this restaurant tends to have a short line out front between 2pm – 10pm (especially on weekends.)

Another great lunch or dinner option for families near Shinjuku Goen is Cafe La Boheme. This is actually a chain for restaurants but this one is particularly beautiful as it has high ceilings and looks onto so much greenery. The food served here is casual Italian. For an extra 200 yen you can also change any of the pasta dishes for gluten free pasta at Cafe La Boheme in Shinjuku. If you are coming by train, it is 5 mins from Shinjuku Gyoenmae Station via Exit 2. It is also 12 mins walk from the free children’s Fire Museum and 11 mins walk from the Tokyo Toy Museum. This is a wonderful rainy day option with kids aged 0-5 years of age. It is best to make a reservation. Although it’s only a couple of options each – there are vegetarian and vegan items on their menu too ( their vegan quinoa and kale salad is so good and they also have some vegan pasta dishes.) At lunch time I would budget for 2000 yen per adult and 4000 yen for dinner. You can see the entire Cafe La Boheme menu here. Please note that at dinner time, there is a 800 yen service charge per person. This restaurant does accept most major credit cards – and are a cashless restaurant. If everyone is tired, these guys are also on ubereats.

Take in the views of Shibuya Crossing while grabbing vegan snacks at Starbucks on Shibuya Crossing. Vegan options at Japanese Starbucks include: (Always need to double check in case they have changed the recipe at all, of course) -the Sugar Donut -the Mushroom Keema Curry Hot Tortilla -the Banana Rice Flour Muffin -the Blueberry Bagel Sandwich

Walk to Nishimura Fruits Parlor - just to lok at the expensive fancy fruit prices through the window (no touching - just looking) These are some posh produce.

Visit Shibuya Sky - pre-book for adults but pay for children on the day.

If kis are needing some park time, this is a simple neighbourhood playground. Keep an eye out for turtles. There are public restrooms here.

This playcentre requires a reservation but it is so so beautiful. A little high rise playcentre with an indoor sandpit and lots of toys. I've written about it here. thetokyochapter.com/6-favourites-playcenters-tokyo

This is inside the Shibuya Scramble Square (Shopping and Dining) complex is Crisp Salad Works. Crisp Salad Works is a salad chain store where you can choose all of your salad ingredients and how finely chopped you’d like it to be. Salads are between 1000-2000 yen. They accept most major credit cards. There is a dine-in area. See the full Crisp Salad Works menu here. crisp.co.jp/menu Crisp Salad Works have vegetarian, vegan, halal and gluten free options.

OR in the Shibuya PARCO complex is a vegan izakaya (Japanese style casual pub) called Masaka. Everything is vegan and I recommend trying the gyoza and “fried chicken.” I would expect to spend around 2000 yen per adult for lunch or dinner. They do accept credit cards. The restaurant is non-smoking.

2 mins walk from Shibuya Station (take the Hachikoen Exit) is Milan Nataraj – an all vegetarian indian restaurant and they are known for the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for under 2000 yen. This restaurant is also popular with those looking for Halal dining options. The food is really good here. Some seats at this restaurant have a power point you can use to charge your devices while you dine. This restaurant has free wifi. The naan here is vegan. Almost always – 3 of 4 of their curries are vegan here. Items with dairy are clearly labelled. All allergens such as flour, milk, nuts, eggs and soy are all labelled clearly, actually. This restaurant accepts most major credit cards for purchases of 1000 yen and higher. I would budget for 1000 yen per person for lunch and more like 3000 yen at dinner. This restaurant does accept reservations- click here to make a reservation at Milan Nataraj now. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. There is a kids menu (which includes kids plates and cutlery) and there is also place to store a stroller while you dine. (There is quite a nice view from the restaurant at night.) Kids 2 and under can eat at the lunch buffet for free when dining with an adult and kids 3-9 years old are half the adult price.

Another more casual lunch suggestion: And if you’re craving Japanese curry, just 4 mins walk from Shibuya Stream is a branch of the well known Japanese curry branch Cocoichibanya . This branch is called Cocoichibanya Shibuya Namikibashi (for when you pop it into google.) Last time I checked this branch also has gluten free AND vegan options too ( customers can choose their own curry toppings such as chicken Katsu or veggies such as spinach.) Japanese curry to me is more like a stew or casserole than a curry -but, regardless, customers here can all choose their spice level from 1 -1o. To dine here, I would budget for 1500 yen per adult. Just to manage expectations this place is super super casual. No need to worry about noisy kids here. Cocoichibanya branches all accept most major credit cards. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. The place is small but it’s not an eat and linger type of place so I would just wait outside until seats open up OR get takeout! This branch also has a children’s menu and offers curry udon as part of their menu.

And one more vegan friendly option within Shibuya Parco basement is Jikasei Mensho, ramen spot. This is not a vegan restaurant but they do serve 4 types of vegan ramen – one of them is spicy ramen. On the flip side of vegan options, they also serve Wagyu Ramen (handy if not everyone in your family is vegan.) Sometimes you need to wait to dine here but it most definitely worth it if you are vegan. The spicy miso ramen is incredible and the Tan Tan Men is also so good. Please note that this restaurant only accepts cash. Jikasei Mensho do not accept reservations. They do take most major credit cards. They do not accept cash. Budget for an adult dining here? Approx 2000 yen. Please be careful taking small children to ramen spots as the broth is very hot and space is limited.

Another lunch idea: If you’re looking for a bit more a fancy sit down lunch in Shibuya, I recommend making a reservation at The Rigoletto in Shibuya. The cuisine is Spanish-Italian. They do welcome children but don’t (of course!) welcome outside food. Also, they have limited seating areas for families with kids under 6 years old so it is best to make a reservation to avoid missing out. This restaurant is a bit of a “special celebration” kind of vibe so, if your kids aren’t great at staying in their seats for meal times it might be worth skipping until they are a bit bigger. You can see the entire The Rigoletto menu online here. huge.co.jp/service/restaurant/rigoletto/rigoletto/Something handy for families – they are happy to do “half & half” pizzas at all times except for during weekday lunchtime hours. The Rigoletto also have several vegan dishes and a gluten free fettuccini option. Please note that this restaurant charges a service charge of 440 yen per person for those who dine after 5pm everyday (and 220 yen per person from opening until 5pm on weekends.) This restaurant is just 2 mins walk from Shibuya Station (via Exit B1).

Warning: this place is busy on weekends.

For a fun afternoon activity, head to Rainbow Karaoke for a family karaoke session in your own private room. One room even has a full drum kit. I've written about this place here. thetokyochapter.com/rainbow-karaoke-in-shibuya

Visit Team Lab Borderless as a family.

Also in the same building as Team Lab Borderless is a restaurant called Alchemy – a fabulous option if you love salads, fresh produce and/or you are gluten free or vegan. As stated on the Alchemy website – “All our food and products are free from meat, fish, egg, dairy, gluten, white sugar and chemicals.” This restaurant is originally from Bali. I recommend the tempeh protein bowl. Please be warned that this restaurant is very busy during high season (March-May) and on weekends. If you must visit on these dates, I recommend being here as the restaurant opens. They do accept reservations for 5pm onwards. If it is really busy, you can always get takeaway. The entire restaurant is non-smoking. Here, you order a main dish (like raw pasta primavera or endomame zoodles) and or build you own salad – using options such as potato salad or kimchi. They also make their own fresh juice. See the full Alchemy menu here. alchemy-japan.com/_files/ugd/7cbc3b_c413da3d3b7145f4aac088dd0145e133.pdf. They also have gluten free wine (some times of day have all you can drink packages.) I recommend budgeting for approx 3000 yen per adult at lunch and 4000 yen at dinner. They accept most major credit cards. They welcome children here and are also happy for your to enter the restaurant with your stroller. This restaurant has free wifi.

Go up Tokyo Tower. The food court within the building has a vegan plant-based tonkotsu ramen option here now too.

Stop for a play at the playground here. It is especially beautiful here in Spring and Autumn.

See the fancy puppies getting their fancy salon treatments through the window.

They have gluten and vegan pizza on the menu here.

Visit the Robot Park (aka RoboRobo or Sakurazaka Park) It's our favourite Tokyo neighbourhood playground. I have pictures here. thetokyochapter.com/robot-park-roppongi

Vegan restaurant with a few dine-in tables. It's so yummy here.

Take a little walk through this small Japanese garden and then use the free kids and babies playroom in Roppongi Hills (entrance is near the Lego store.)

Check the website to see what is on. The museum is on the top floor with the observation deck. On the same floor is the most incredible (small but such good quality) souvenir shop. I have pictures here. thetokyochapter.com/tokyo-art-galleries-installations-and-exhibitions

If it’s ramen you’re keen on… try Afuri . There are two locations – one in Roppongi Hills (underground) and one at Roppongi Crossing. This is a chain store and definitely has a local vibe. It’s a counter around the kitchen and orders are placed on a vending machine out the front. I like the Shoyu (soy sauce) and Shio (Salt) ramen. My kids eat some of mine and have Niku Gohan (Pork pieces on rice). With kiddies, I recommend going before midday so you don’t have to queue and you avoid using up too many seats with little bottoms while grownups line up outside. A full lunch with a beer will still leave you change from 2000 yen. This is chain store so keep your eye out for more Afuri branches ( for eg. Azabu-juban, Ebisu, Roppongi Crossing, Harajuku ) Some of the stores also have a vegan ramen option too. This is one of the few ramen places in Japan that sells chicken ramen – this is handy if you don’t eat pork. If visiting the Roppongi Hills Afuri, there are escalators and stairs underground. When I have the double stroller I use the office elevators in the Roppongi Hills North Tower next to Lulu Lemon. Please note: this store does not accept cash.