Family Fun in Tokyo’s Tama Region
Animals, nature, shopping, museums, and amusement parks!

Tama Zoological Park, located in Hino City, is a nature-abundant, 52-hectare (129-acre) zoo home to a variety of Japanese and international animals. The park uniquely uses Tama’s mountainous landscape to form its animals’ habitats and is divided into three zones—African Zone, Australian Zone, and Asian Zone.

Among the park’s many species, some of guests’ favorites are the Asian elephants, koalas, and giraffes. In order to optimize your time, we highly recommend picking up a map (English maps available) and selecting which animals you would like to visit. Given its expansive size, you and your family could easily spend an entire day at this zoo.

Most of the main signage, such as directional signs, is in English and Japanese, while the explanatory descriptions are only in Japanese. Google Translate’s camera function is an excellent way to easily translate this information in real time. In terms of amenities, the zoo has paid parking, coin lockers, bathrooms with changing tables, a nursing room, seating areas, a gift shop, restaurants, and baby stroller rentals.

Couple your visit to Tama Zoological Park with visits to Keio Rail Land and Keio Play Land HUGHUG! Together, these three destinations form Kids Park Tamadou.

If your child is a budding train enthusiast, Keio Rail Land is a must-visit! This museum and play area is operated by the Japanese transportation company, Keio, and creates an inquisitive and fun environment that celebrates public transportation. After purchasing your tickets, which mirror real-life train tickets, enter the facility through ticket gates identical to ones found all throughout Japan.

Inside, the amusement park features a free train driving simulator, real buses and trains that were once in service, a paid train driving simulator that actual conductors used for real-life training (¥300), a diorama where you can operate a small scale train remotely, kids play areas, and more. One of the facilities' most popular attractions is its ball pit, so please note that you need to obtain a free numbered ticket to enter this area.

Outside, Keio Rail Land has five formerly used train cars from various years that you can enter, with the oldest one being from 1941! This outdoor area also has a small train that adults and children can ride in a small loop. Although all the descriptions are only in Japanese, you can still enjoy the museum’s interactive elements and viewing experiences. As mentioned above, Google Translate’s camera function is a great way to address any language barriers.

Keio Play Land HUGHUG is the perfect place for your kids to release their bouncing energy! This indoor facility is home to multiple play areas that focus on three types of growth—brain growth, physical growth, and growth with trees. Given its focus on connecting children with nature, you will notice that many of HUGHUG’s playing equipment and toys are made of wood, symbolizing its theme of growth with trees.

Some of the facilities’ most exciting areas are its craft room, expansive net zone (socks are required), trampolines (which adults can use too), ball pit, and small train that parents can ride with their children.

The complex also has an onsite cafe, called HUGHUG Cafe, that serves a delicious range of meals for both kids and adults, including pasta, rice dishes, pancakes, ice cream, floats, and even alcohol! This cafe is not exclusive to the play areas, so you can enter without paying admission to the entire complex. Although the facility has minimal English, little communication is necessary to enjoy the variety of equipment. Your kids will have a wonderful time playing with other children at HUGHUG!

Isonuma Milk Farm, which is a part of Tokyo Farm Village and a member of the Animal Welfare Food Community, is an urban dairy farm located in Hachioji. This small scale and local operation offers both milking and feeding experiences and thus, serves as an excellent place for children to learn about farming, better understand where their food comes from, and bond with their family.

About a five-minute walk from Isonuma Milk Farm is Tokyo Farm Village’s main building where you can enjoy fresh food and local wares in a quaint farmhouse setting. Inside, the Isonuma Milkstand sells milk-based drinks, soft serve ice cream, premium Jersey yogurt, pudding, and of course, milk. The soft serve is especially popular among children (and adults) and is known for its luscious texture and flavor.

When the weather is nice, we highly recommend that you enjoy your milky treats from the facility’s terrace seats where you can admire a landscape of trees, hills, and residences with a small cow-filled pasture in the foreground. Tokyo Farm Village is also home to a restaurant, called Farm Basel, which sells a range of nourishing meals, cakes, and drinks. Together, the interactive farming activities and fresh cuisine make for a fun and educational outing that the whole family can enjoy.

Showa Memorial Park, also called Showa Kinen Park, is a massive nature space located in Tachikawa that is renowned for its seasonal flowers and plethora of facilities, including open fields, a waterfowl lake, a Japanese garden, a small collection of traditional farmhouses, sports areas, and so much more.

For a leisure, yet more effective way to explore the park, we recommend renting bicycles from one of the three bicycle rental facilities, which are located at the northern and southern ends of the park. For mealtimes, the area has five restaurants where you can partake in tasty dishes or cafe cuisine with your family. You can also opt to pack a lunch and enjoy a family picnic in the pleasing scenery. In terms of bathroom breaks, fear not! The park is scattered with 50 restrooms. Be sure to pick up an English map at the entrance to plan your day! Please check out the park’s Flower Information page (in Japanese) to see which seasonal flowers are blooming during your visit.

Takiyama Park, situated in Hachioji, is a sprawling forest home to lush foliage and the Takiyama Castle Ruins—a national historic site. Throughout the park, structures, such as Honmaru (the innermost part of the castle), small shrines, and more sit interwoven in nature.

To enhance the educational value of these ruins, download the AR Takiyama Castle Ruins app for a map of the area, as well as animated reconstructions of what the castle looked like 450 years ago (English available; Apple Store and Google Play). Thanks to its hilltop position, you can also enjoy elevated lookout points of the cityscape and Tama River beyond.

The secluded and quiet retreat has numerous trails that are suitable for children, making it a leisure destination for historical and natural exploration. The area also has public bathrooms, as well as seating areas where you can enjoy a pleasant lunch encircled by trees. The park is especially popular during spring when its thousands of cherry trees color the area in pastel pink hues. The free parking lot for nearby sightseeing—Google Map link—is located a short two- to three-minute walk from the trailhead on the southern side of the park.

GREEN SPRINGS is a complex located adjacent to the aforementioned Showa Memorial Park in Tachikawa. This large complex blends nature, relaxation, elegance, and fun to create elevated shopping and dining experiences. The chic buildings are connected by natural environments, allowing shoppers to enjoy fresh air as they explore. This central space includes wooden walkways crafted with local wood and a small pond with fish from the area.

Past this tiny tree-filled retreat rests a public square. These two areas are popular among families with young children. After admiring the fish with your little ones, you can walk over to the lawn area where they can run around to their hearts’ content.

Located next to the lawn space is one of the facility’s most notable features, a set of stairs flanked by cascading water. Here, especially during the warmer months, children enjoy playing in the cooling waters. Be sure to check out the Sky Deck too as you can enjoy views of Showa Memorial Park and even Mt. Fuji on clear days! Aside from the previous points, the complex also has a fountain with small fountain shows, TACHIKAWA STAGE GARDEN, which hosts concerts, wrestling matches, kabuki, and more, SORANO HOTEL, and Living Room spaces where people can relax and work.

Located in Machida, Grandberry Park is an outlet-commercial complex with over 240 stores and restaurants and a movie theater. The complex is also near the Snoopy Museum and Tsuruma Park. The wide, open-air facility has small green spaces, seating areas, seasonal decor, and even views of the distant mountains. In fact, from the green area above the Park Plaza you can see Mt. Fuji on clear days.

The complex has seven plazas, with the Oasis Plaza being one of the most popular spots for families with small children. During summertime, kids can play in the plaza’s fountains, and in winter, Grandberry Park transforms the area into an ice skating rink with illuminations! In between the Park and Oasis Plazas, there is even an area with a small, artificial pond where you can try kayaking.

In terms of food, Grandberry Park offers a variety of choices, including sweets, Western cuisine, and Asian cuisine, that are guaranteed to satisfy all your cravings! The Gathering Market, situated in the center of Grandberry Park, is also a great place to explore cuisine. With amenities such as tax free stores, free Wi-Fi, coin lockers, rental baby strollers, and more, Grandberry Park is a fun and convenient place to relax with your family.

Tsuruma Park is directly connected to Grandberry Park and serves as a fun way to add even more excitement to your visit. This greenspace has plenty of trees, lawn areas for playing, picnicking, or simply relaxing, playgrounds with equipment, and nature pathways. The area also has two massive cherry trees that bloom beautifully in springtime.

In addition to its grounds, Tsuruma Park also offers an equipment rental service where you rent items such as tennis rackets, frisbees, and soccer balls to use in the park. You can purchase rental tickets from the ticket vending machine at the clubhouse located near the tennis courts. (¥440 for each item). Please note that you can only use the tennis courts and sports grounds with prior registration. Why not pick up a meal at Grandberry Park after your exploration and enjoy picnicking and playing in Tsuruma Park?

Leave reality behind, and enter a world of cuteness at Sanrio Puroland in Tama City. This four floor, indoor theme park is a celebration of Sanrio’s internationally-loved characters, including (the iconic) Hello Kitty, My Melody, Cinnamoroll, Gudetama, and many more! Upon entering the facility, we recommend stopping by one of the souvenir shops on the third or fourth floor to pick up adorable accessories for you and your family to wear during your visit.

The majority of the attractions are located on the first and second floors. Here, you can enjoy themed theaters, an entertainment hall, a character food court, character ride attractions, and Lady Kitty House—where you meet the one and only Hello Kitty!

The first floor is also home to the Character Greeting Residence where you can meet other equally adorable characters. Be sure to check the characters’ schedules three days in advance since their appearances vary on a daily basis. On the third and fourth floors, you will find additional shops and eateries. When you visit, also remember to review the day’s show schedule so you do not miss out on any endearing performances. Children and parents’ inner children are guaranteed to be enchanted.

Situated in Inagi City, Yomiuri Land is an outdoor amusement park with rides that will make you and your family squeal in delight or terror. The park is divided into seven areas filled with kids-friendly attractions, as well as more thrilling rides for older children and adults.

The guide map (available in English) notates which rides are appropriate for children with a yellow bird icon. You can enjoy many nostalgic attractions, such as a merry-go-round, a ferris wheel, teacups (called dessert cup), arcade games, photo booths, and more. We highly recommend riding the ferris wheel as it provides panoramic views of Tama’s mountains, as well as Tokyo's metropolitan area, including Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower, Shinjuku, and Shibuya.

Apart from the more typical amusement park rides, Yomiuri Land also has a “Goodjoba!! Area” where it collaborates with major Japanese companies to create rides and immersive experiences that reflect those industries. For instance, at the Food factory, guests can create their own cup noodles with personally-selected ingredients and a customized lid. This experience costs ¥500 and requires an admission ticket, which you can purchase at the factory’s entrance. During autumn and winter, the park is also renowned for its dazzling illuminations. With its seasonal offerings and year-round fun, Yomiuri Land makes for a great day trip for families.

Tamarokuto Science Center, located in Nishitokyo, is a museum that explores multiple facets of science through informative, interactive, and kid-friendly exhibits. The three-floor facility has five themes—Meet the Science, Body & Senses, System & Mechanism, Life & Environment, and Geoscience. Each area is filled with displays that prompt children and adults to consider topics they never thought of before.

Some of the top points of interest are a ride that simulates what it is like float, walk, and jump on the moon, a reflex test, a scent quiz, a projector that displays muscles, organs, veins, and bones on participants’ bodies, a piano where people can view its inner workings, a small tank with a rare fish from the area, an elevation map of Tokyo, and dinosaur egg fossils. This list is by no means exhaustive, so be sure to leave plenty of time to explore the museum in its entirety.

Aside from its displays, the museum is also popular for its planetarium, which is the largest planetarium in Tokyo and the sixth largest one in the world. This planetarium is a tilted dome type, rather than a horizontal dome type, meaning that the floors and dome are inclined at an angle. This design makes for an incredibly immersive viewing experience. While some exhibits do have a little English, the descriptions are primarily in Japanese, and the staff do not speak much English. Even so, the staff—who are clothed in orange—are extremely friendly and will do their best to answer any questions. The facility also has a museum shop with plenty of fun goods (including an original capsule toy), a resting area with many tables, and a library.

Everyone loves Snoopy! Snoopy Museum Tokyo, situated in the aforementioned Grandberry Park in Machida, is the world’s only satellite of the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, CA. Upon entering, the Peanuts gang will first greet you in a projection show complete with delightful animation and cheerful music.

The gallery portion of the museum features original comic strip replicas and vintage goods, information about Charles M. Schulz, and photo spots with Snoopy statues and art—all of which are in English and Japanese. Some of the comic strips are located close to the floor, allowing children to easily read their contents. The facility also has a workshop where you can make your own Snoopy plush (advanced booking is required)!

The museum shop, called BROWN’S STORE, is also a must-visit as it stocks merchandise exclusive to Snoopy Museum Tokyo, including prints, stationery, bags, houseware, plushies and toys, accessories, clothes, and more. If you and your family are hungry, the Peanuts Cafe, located in the Park-Life SITE adjacent to the museum, is an excellent place to enjoy delicious themed meals that embody the spirit of Charlie Brown. Since visitors typically spend between two to three hours at Snoopy Museum Tokyo, it makes for a perfect half-day family excursion.

In general, from Tokyo Station, you can reach the Tama area in about 45 to 100 minutes with public transportation. To help you plan your journey, we created a table below with the aforementioned destinations’ corresponding cities, travel times (via public transportation from Tokyo Station), and Google Map links. Once you reach the Tama area, you can use buses, taxis, or rental cars to explore the area.

Next stop, the Tama region

Thanks to its easy access from Tokyo’s central metropolitan area and abundance of family-friendly destinations—including animals, nature, shopping, amusement, education, and more—the Tama region serves as an outstanding family getaway, rain or shine, in any season. Discover your family’s next favorite spot among Tama’s diverse gems.

*Please note that this information is up-to-date as of October 2023. Check the destinations’ corresponding websites for the most recent details.

Visited Sep 26 and Sep 28-Oct 13, 2023, for this article.