Asobono, Tokyo Dome City

For those days when it's too hot, rainy or cold to blow off steam outside, good indoor play areas and activities are essential for kids. One such place that has recently been renovated and is proving to be a favorite place to disappear from the heat with the kids for a few hours is Asobono at Tokyo Dome City.

The home of the Giants baseball team is also home to a seriously well-equipped amusement park, shopping center, bowling alley, rollerskating rink, spa, hotel, and more, which are collectively called Tokyo Dome City. Asobono is just one draw to this huge multi-purpose complex. One of Tokyo’s largest indoor playgrounds, it is divided into five themed zones: ocean, town, train station, forest, and a babies-only area.

After its massive renovation last year, Asobono has become truly amazing. Even when packed on a Saturday afternoon, there is always space to play, and hidden areas such as the library provide a place for kids and parents to enjoy an afternoon in a cool and stimulating setting.

As you enter from the reception, the first place you will come upon is  the Adventure Ocean—a huge ball pool room with a treasure ship, multiple slides, bouncy castle and treehouse. This space has been well thought out, offering plenty of seats in and around the ball pool for parents to watch and join in.

This gives way to the Pleasure Station room, sponsored by toy manufacturer Tomica. It is a large room filled with building toys: train sets, plenty of tracks and construction toys such as Legos.

Next comes Colorful Town, a pretend café and supermarket area. With no shortage of props, kids relish the role-playing nature of the space, weaving in and out of the various buildings in the town.

The Toy Forest area is comprised of some smaller rooms and hideaways filled with more intricate toys, board games, doll houses and a small library offering older children some mental stimulation.

The younger crawlers are not forgotten either as there is the Hi-hi Garden, an enclosed area with smaller ball pool, soft toys and foam shapes—all just waiting to be explored without any infraction from the older kids.

A rest area and drinks corner provides a reprieve from the activities, particularly for the adults, while their kids are off exploring.  Also worthy of note are the excellent baby changing and nursing facilities. For any family looking for a great place to spend a day playing indoors, Asobono is a great bet. For more places to take the kids when the weather isn’t cooperating, click here, here, and here.

The Deets

Address: 1-3-61 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-5800-9999

Open: Mon-Fri 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat, Sun & hols 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

Admission: Children up to elementary school age ¥1,500 for a day pass Mon-Fri, ¥900 for first 30 min and ¥400 for each additional 30 mins on weekends and holidays; Junior high school students to adults ¥900 for a day pass

Getting there: Conveniently located in the center of the city, Tokyo Dome City is just a short walk from Suidobashi Station (JR and Mita lines), Korakoen Station (Marunouchi and Namboku lines), and Kasuga Station (Oedo line). Parking is available on site, but can get congested and is quite expensive for longer stays.

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