Odaiba with Kids: Best Things to Do for a Fun Family Day
Last Updated on November 14, 2025 by Kay
This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission on any purchases through those links at zero additional cost to you. Whatever I make goes to keeping this website running and I am forever grateful for the support. See my Privacy Policy for more information.
In my experience, Odaiba is one of the most kid-friendly areas in Tokyo because there is so much for little ones to do!
Odaiba (お台場), also known as Daiba, is a manmade island in Tokyo Bay. It was originally meant to keep out foreign ships, which is why I find it a little amusing that now it’s trying to become a hotspot for international tourists.
Although it’s somewhat out of the way, taking about 30-40 minutes to reach by public transport from central Tokyo, Odaiba is absolutely worth visiting if you plan on spending a day here with your family.
In this article, I’ll share my family’s experience spending a day in Odaiba, as well as the best things to do in Odaiba with kids.
Our Day in Odaiba
My daughter and I spent a day exploring Odaiba, and while we didn’t hit everything on our list, it was packed with enough fun that we’ll definitely be back next time we’re in Tokyo. Here’s a look at what we did.
We had morning reservations for teamLab Planets, so we journeyed from our hotel in Gotanda to Shin-Toyosu Station, which is the closest to this interactive art museum.
On the way there, my daughter hurried to the front of the train so she could have the best view as we traveled.
If you’re not going to teamLab right away, I suggest taking the Tokyo Mizube Cruise Line from Asakusa or Ryogoku to Odaiba Seaside Park, exploring that area (which I’ll share below), and then taking a bus to teamLab if that’s on your itinerary.
You might also want to consider getting a Yurikamome One Day Pass, which will allow you to ride the Yurikamome Line for an unlimited number of times within a 24-hour period. This is especially worth it if you’re traveling between Odaiba and Toyosu (where the fish market is located).
teamLab Planets
(10 AM to 11:30 AM)
I’ll be honest, teamLab Planets is one of my least favorite teamLab exhibits, mainly because of the water portion, which my daughter also did not enjoy. However, the newly opened Athletics Park is bound to be a hit with kiddos.
Read my in-depth review of teamLab Planets to find out more about what to expect when you visit and how to be prepared.
My daughter’s undies got wet at teamLab Planets, so I decided to buy her another pair from Nishimatsuya, an affordable children’s clothing store in Japan. I found one in DECKS Tokyo Beach, a shopping mall about 20 minutes away by train.
DECKS Tokyo
(12:00 PM to 1:40 PM)
DECKS Tokyo is an amazing place for kids of all ages. For instance, there’s a Legoland Discovery Center (best for elementary school kids and under) as well as Joypolis (best for teens). I’ll cover these in more detail later on in the article.
They also have a paid play area called The Kids, which I had to tear my daughter away from because she really wanted to go. So perhaps this mall is a dangerous place if you’re not planning to let your kiddo experience at least one of the attractions here.
(By the way, The Kids also has massage chairs, pictured below, that parents can use while their kids burn off some energy, which is a win-win for me!)
But if you don’t want to pay for The Kids or any of the other attractions in the mall, Nishimatsuya does have a free play area shaped like a ship!
This was a welcome surprise because I have been to many Nishimatsuya over the course of my daughter’s life and have never seen one with a playground. So my daughter went crazy here while I looked around the shop, making sure I kept her in sight.
The Nishimatsuya also has a nice breastfeeding and changing room, so I took advantage of it to change my daughter into new undies that I had just purchased. (Of course, I like washing new underwear before using it, but this was an emergency.)
We then decided to look at Daiba 1-Chome Shopping Street (台場一丁目商店街), which is exactly as the name suggests — a retro-style Japanese shopping street that looks straight out of the Showa period. It has old arcade games and shops, as well as displays that make for fun photo spots.
We had lunch at the nearby Takoyaki Museum, which is a food court dedicated to takoyaki. Since we live in Osaka, the home of takoyaki, I was not interested in trying any and instead wanted to have lunch at Bills. However, my daughter was hangry and she’s obsessed with takoyaki (not to mention we would save time eating at the food court), so I gave in.
We got cheese-covered takoyaki since I had never seen it before from a shop called 道頓堀赤鬼 (Dotonbori Red Demon). For me, it tasted pretty awful, especially since it wasn’t crisp on the outside at all (soggy takoyaki is the worst, I’m gagging just remembering). But thankfully, my kid devoured it. And hey, if my kid is fed and happy, that’s a win.
The view from this food court is pretty nice, too, so that also made it (somewhat) worth it.
Afterwards, we checked out DECK’s deck and walked down so we could take a look at Tokyo Bay and Rainbow Bridge from Odaiba Marine Park. The bridge is more impressive at night as it lights up.
From there, we walked over to Aqua City Odaiba, another mall, as my daughter wanted to see the small aquarium there.
Aqua City Odaiba
(1:45 PM to 2:30 PM)
I really liked Aqua City. There are plenty of great shops, including a Disney Store and an arcade called Tokyo Leisureland, as well as small aquariums in the building.
The aquarium my daughter wanted to see is called GA☆KYO. It’s very small and everything can be seen in about ten minutes, but it was an enjoyable experience for my daughter.
The inside is Japanese-style and artfully done, with some interactive projections that kids will enjoy, such as digital goldfish that swim over your hand.
There were also hardly any people inside, and at one point, we had the entire aquarium to ourselves.
I did find that a few aquariums were too small for the number of fish, though, but it is new and clean. I saw the workers cleaning out the tanks and taking care of the fish, so it’s one of the better aquariums in the country.
As mentioned earlier, GA☆KYO doesn’t take much time to see, so wanting to make the most of our visit to the mall, we headed to the roof of Aqua City to see a small shrine.
Unfortunately, it was under repair, but that was fine because we were able to have another view of Tokyo Bay.
We had considered taking the Tokyo Mizube Cruise Line to get back to Tokyo, which would depart from Odaiba Seaside Park, but there was one more stop on our journey, and it was a little out of the way.
Tokyo Water Science Museum
(2:50 PM to 3:50 PM)
My daughter loves science, but unfortunately, Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation) was closed that day, so we decided to see the Tokyo Water Science Museum.
One of the best things about this museum is that it’s completely free! So if you’re on a budget, this is the place to go. However, keep in mind that many of the explanations for the exhibits are in the Japanese language only. (But I guess that’s what the Google Translate app is for!)
You also have to take a bus there and then walk about ten minutes, which was a bit of a struggle for my five-year-old since she was tired from the day. So perhaps it’s best to visit in the morning if you can.
The walk was worth it, though, as my daughter immediately ran to play with water toys on the first floor. There was hardly anyone else there, perhaps because it was late in the day.
My daughter had so much fun exploring and engaging with the hands-on and interactive exhibits.
She also got to do some little experiments with water, and the staff were so helpful and sweet.
We also did a guided tour of the Ariake Water Supply Station, which was entirely in Japanese. My daughter wasn’t that interested in learning how water travels to a house (and honestly, I wasn’t either when I was taken to water facilities when I was a kid), but it’s short and free, so if you understand Japanese, maybe consider joining it.
Overall, we only stayed an hour because we had dinner plans, but I’m sure she could have easily spent more time here. An hour was enough for us to see everything it had to offer, though.
Afterwards, we headed back to Tokyo.
Other Things to Do in Odaiba with Kids
One day in Odaiba was not enough for us to experience everything kid-friendly it has to offer. Here are other fun things to do in Odaiba for kiddos, some of which my friend Lisa experienced with her son, as well as some that I’ve visited with my daughter in other parts of Japan.
Miraikan
The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, also known as Miraikan, is an amazing science museum for all ages. I visited before my daughter was born and I was quite impressed, which is why I wanted to take her on our most recent trip to Tokyo. But as it was a Tuesday (the only day we could go due to our schedule), it was closed! (So if you really want to go, avoid Tuesdays.)
My friend Lisa went with her son, however, and he loved the experience, especially since the museum is very interactive.
Unicorn Gundam Statue
The Unicorn Gundam is a fun place to visit with kids of all ages. I brought my daughter here when she was almost two years old, and she loved posing in front of the massive Gundam statue with her father.
The Unicorn Gundam is also right in front of DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, a massive 8-floor mall with plenty of restaurants and stores like Hello Kitty Japan store, Minecraft, ONE PIECE, GUNDAM (of course), Sylvanian Families, Toys R Us, and LEGO.
There’s a Little Planet here, too, which is a small interactive play area that’s great for younger kids. My daughter has been to the one in Osaka, but although she loved it, it’s one of those places I would only take her once because it’s pricey for what it is (if you’re paid in yen like I am).
Legoland Discovery Center
I didn’t go to the Legoland Discovery Center while in Odaiba because we just didn’t have the time. However, I’m recommending it because I think it’s affordable, and my daughter absolutely loves the one in Osaka.
Here, kids can play with all sizes of LEGO to their heart’s content as well as go on rides and watch LEGO movies on a big screen.
This attraction is one of many in Odaiba that you can select using the Klook Pass Greater Tokyo.
Kidzania
KidZania is a place where kids can learn how to do jobs just like grown-ups!
This is another activity that my daughter is a huge fan of, but we’ve only been to the one in Kobe. I don’t know if we will visit the one in Tokyo because it’s awfully far to travel there from Osaka (where we live now) just to experience something that’s already close to home. I’ve also heard it’s more crowded than Kobe.
Although some of the experiences are different, KidZania operates the same way in both Tokyo and Kobe. This is why I recommend reading this article about KidZania before you go, especially since you need to purchase tickets in advance.
Tokyo Joypolis
Tokyo Joypolis is one of the biggest indoor amusement parks in the country, spanning three floors and filled with rides (including a roller coaster), and SEGA arcade games.
I had considered bringing my daughter here, but there weren’t many rides she could go on since she was under 110 cm at the time.
I also found it was pricey for each attraction, as well as the all-you-can-ride pass, but if you have teens who love rides and games, Joypolis might be worth it, especially with the Klook Pass Greater Tokyo.
Small Worlds
Small Worlds in Odaiba is the biggest miniature theme park in the world, which recreates scenes from different countries as well as popular anime like Sailor Moon. You can also create a tiny version of yourself!
This is another attraction I had considered visiting since it was so close to the Water Museum, but I also found it was too expensive for this trip.
However, I’m considering going now that I know about the Klook Pass Greater Tokyo, which has many other kid-friendly attractions in Odaiba.
Ariake Garden
Ariake Garden is a mall in Odaiba that has an indoor Bornelund playground (which you have to pay to use, but it’s worth it, my daughter is a huge fan) and plenty of shops, such as Nishimatsuya, and family-friendly restaurants.
There’s also a hair salon just for kids with seats that look like cars.
City Circuit Tokyo Bay
My kid does not care about cars, but I’m including this here for my friends who have car-loving kiddos.
City Circuit Tokyo Bay is a go-kart track where you can ride with your child as long as they’re at least 105 cm tall. Make sure to secure a reservation at least a week in advance if you want to go.