Tokyo in the summer can be hot and humid. In fact, it’s widely regarded as the worst time of the year to visit Japan! But with the kids off school for their long six week holidays, for many families, the summer is the only time they can visit Tokyo.

The average temperatures in Tokyo in the summer ranges from 30-35 degrees Celsius, but which such high humidity it feels much much hotter.

That means if you’re visiting Tokyo in the summer with kids you’ll need to make sure you have some cool-down activities in your itinerary. And although heading inside when the sun is shining seems counterproductive (especially for us Brits!) you’ll need some cool indoor escapes too.

So what is summer in Tokyo really like? And what activities should you add to your itinerary to beat the heat? Here are some of my main suggestions:

Splash And Play: Tokyo’s Best Water Parks

We’re a family of dedicated water babies. We live near the beach and we try to visit at least 3/4 times a week during the summer months. So my number one suggestion to beat the summer heat in Tokyo? It’s to get yourself into water. And splash and play with your kids!

Luckily Tokyo is within easy distance of two pretty good water parks.

Tokyo Summerland

This is a proper waterpark. It has both indoor and outdoor zones, including wave pools, water slides and a huge lazy river. It can get beyond crowded during the summer months when everyone has the same idea to get wet so they can cool down, but it’s still a lot of fun.

The big plus about this place is that it’s partially indoors. This means that kids can splash around and play on even the hottest days and you won’t have to worry about sunburn or melting into a puddle! In this indoor area are tonnes of family friendly pools and small slides just for littler kids.

If you’re travelling with bigger kids looking for the thrills then the outdoor Adventure Lagoon area is the place for you. From death-defying water slides to a floating obstacle course, this is packed full of fun thrills!

TIP – Just make sure you pack water shoes for you and your kids, because the attractions are surrounded by pavement that can get unbearably hot in the summer months.

You can currently get tickets for Tokyo Summerland for wildly discounted prices. A one day park admission costs £5.19 on a weekday and £9.35 at the weekend. These prices are the same for kids and adults. Code THATMUMTRAVELLIFEKLOOK gets an extra 5% discount too. Here is the booking link.

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Yomiuriland

Yomiuriland is best known as a theme park. It’s packed full of roller coasters, rides for all the family, and the shows and junk food you’d expect from the theme park.

But in the summer, a whole extra area of the park is opened. Yomiuriland transforms into Pool WAI, which is a water park that boats a whopping five pools. This includes a huge wave pool and a family-friendly lazy river.

There are a couple of solid water slides here too, though not as many as at Summerland. And a fun kids pool that has a couple of mini slides just for the younger members of the family.

What I like about Yomiuriland is that it offers the best of everything. You can combine some time in the water with some fun on the fairground. The best plan of action is to focus on the theme park at the beginning and end of the day when the temperatures are lower, then spend the heat of the day in the water. If this sounds as appealing to me as it is to you then you’ll need to book a combo ticket, but these aren’t expensive.

As an added bonus, Yomiuriland is easy to get to from central Tokyo: you can get a direct train from Shinjuku in around 30 minutes.

TIP – Try to visit during the week if you can because this park is sooo busy during weekends in the summer. And just like at Summerland, don’t forget your water shoes!

A combo ticket for the pool and the theme park will cost £33.15 for an adult, £26.95 for a youth aged 12-17 and £23.95 for a child aged 6-11. You can buy these tickets and see the other ticket options available here.

Free Splash Areas

If you’re travelling on a budget then don’t worry, there are other options to keep your kids cool in the water that won’t require you to spend a single penny.

First, you could head down to Odaiba Seaside Park. Not many people realise that Tokyo has a beach, but it does have a small beach area right here in the bay. You can’t actually swim here, but there is a wading area and it’s the perfect place for little kids to paddle and cool down.

As an added bonus you can visit Odaiba Seaside Park for free AND it’s right by the many malls of Odaiba, all of which have air conditioning if you want to get indoors to cool down or stop for lunch.

Many of the parks in Tokyo also have water play areas that are completely free (you can read my complete guide to Tokyo’s parks in my guidebook). One of the best of these is Shinjuku Central Park Water Play Area. This is covered in a shaded area and is a great spot for toddlers and young kids to splash and play.

Indoor Attractions In Tokyo In The Summer

Because the summer heat in Tokyo can be so oppressive, it’s a great time of year to get indoors and explore some of the city’s amazing indoor attractions. In fact if you do you’ll be like a real local, with many choosing indoor activities over outdoor ones in the summer months.

All of the locations I’m recommending below have air conditioning and are specifically set up to help you cool down in Tokyo in the summer.

If you’re already in Odaiba, who not try:

Legoland Discovery Center

The Legoland Discovery Center is an indoor Lego wonderland perfect for escaping Tokyo’s summer heat. It is best suited to kids aged 3-10 and you’ll find a 4D cinema, building zones, and a play area. But the best part of the centre? The miniature model of Tokyo that’s made completely of Lego bricks!

Tokyo Joypolis

Tokyo Joypolis is a fun, futuristic indoor mix between an amusement park and an arcade. It’s fully air conditioned throughout, and you can read our full review here.

The Unko Museum

Would you believe me if I told you that Tokyo had a part museum, part modern art gallery, part kids play area that’s completely dedicated to candy coloured poop? Well it’s true, and it’s as weird as it sounds! You can read our full review of this place here.

Teamlabs Planets

Spoiler alert: I love Teamlabs Planets! Its new area expansion is amazing for kids and adults alike and you could spend the whole day here fully immersing yourself in its otherworldly art. Like the other indoor attractions on this list, Teamlabs Planets is air conditioned. But it also has a water room where you wade through water with art projected onto it. Cooling off your feet and making you feel refreshed at the same time. What better indoor activity?

You can read our full review of Teamlabs Planets here.

Have you visited Tokyo in the summer? How did you find the heat? And have you got any tips and hints to help you cool down?

We’re planning on heading back to Tokyo for the whole of the summer holidays next year, so I think I’m looking for all the hints and tips I can get!

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