All the rides were about 200-300 yen. The kids were thrilled with the mini trains (there was a Thomas and a Shinkansen)
and the drive-your-own buses that they raced across the roof.
The hubby and I were thankful we found yummy ice cream here. We are totally addicted to Japanese ice cream sandwiches-the cookie on these sandwiches is more like a cake cone than a cookie and they are often only about 100 yen making it a pretty reasonably-priced snack.
The guys were also entertained by the little pet store that was on the roof too.
Another ride park we found was near Ueno Zoo and because we love zoos anyways we decided to check it out as well.
Ueno zoo is Japan’s oldest zoo and it feels a little outdated in parts-some animals need a lot more room and there are some exhibits that are very cagey. But it looks like they are working on things; the polar bear exhibit was being worked on when we were there and the guys appreciated some innovative touches in exhibits that we’ve never seen before. There was a glass box enclosure that jutted out from the otter exhibit that the otters could swim in
and an underfoot walkway where they could peer in and see someone’s flippers.
The monorail ride to the other side of the zoo was also a big hit (This was a few hundred yen extra each way but very worth it because they still talk about it). But because there is only one I can imagine sometimes the wait gets excruciatingly long because there were many field trippers at the zoo the day we visited and even though we tried to time ourselves against the flow we once had to wait for two trains before we could get on.
The guys had fun playing in the water washing their hands at little stands that served as both drinking fountains and wash stations near the food areas. (I wish we had more of these type of thing in Seattle.) There were many people just sitting around the hundreds of tables at this zoo and it seemed eating was a big part of the zoo experience. Of course we joined in. The hubby heard that the soft ice cream was something you should try and it was really delicious. I enjoyed my matcha gelato.
I also thought this panda bento was adorable.
And when it came time to find the rides we found them just outside the zoo entrance so it’s not necessary to go to the zoo in order to enjoy the rides. They were about 100-200 yen and it was a fabulous way to end a day of walking in the heat.
Terumi Pong is a Seattle-based family travel writer and mom of twin teenage boys. She loves coffee and pastries, shopping local and looking for greener ways to live. She is also known as Scout’s mom (Scout is a 5ish pound little black yorkie-poo)
