Tokyo & Seoul June 2025 Family Trip Report

Culture#japan#korea#seoul#tokyo

In June 2025, we spent a week in Tokyo and a week in Seoul as a family of 4. It was our first time doing either city with kids. This post is what went well and what didn’t. It’s all anecdotes, but hopefully it’s useful to other families.

Also, I know I posted 2026 already, but I might as well post thoughts on 2025 for posterity.

What went well in Tokyo

  • Asakusa: Senso-ji was good to check out, and Suzukien matcha gelato was great to try. Good area to lean into the touristy vibe to check out tourist shops.

  • Harajuku: Takeshita Street is extremely touristy, but it’s great to walk around a street where it’s 1 long, straightforward street. In the surrounding area, Reissue’s 3D latte art was great.

  • Afuri ramen near our hotel was amazing. There are a number of Afuris, and I have to imagine much of the ramen in Tokyo is going to be good.

  • Shibuya Parco: the Pokémon Center and Nintendo Tokyo are in the same building. Kind of crowded and chaotic. Worth checking out since there’s a lot in this Parco building.

  • Akihabara: Yodobashi Akiba’s toy floor was a hit with my kids.

  • Don Quijote: you probably know, but this 24-hour store is great to buy things (tax-free if you spend enough).

  • Unicorn Gundam statue (Odaiba): great photo op, but it’s removed now (2026).

What went well in Seoul

  • Gyeongbokgung Palace with a hanbok rental: a great experience, even in the rain.

  • Seongsu: super hip and trendy. Beton salt bread was super amazing.

  • Yukjeon Gukbap: we went twice. A solid chain for a quick meal.

  • Sulbing: we kept going back for bingsu.

  • Cheonggyecheon Stream: great to walk along.

  • Banpo Bridge: the fountain show was super amazing. We got really lucky and went when there happened to be a night festival.

What didn’t go well

  • We showed up to Seoul markets at night. We went to Namdaemun and Gwangjang Market in the evening, and both were mostly closed. Apgujeong Rodeo and K-Star Road were empty at night. Do your research on when markets and places are open.

  • Character cafes: the Pokémon Cafe food was bad, and the Sanrio cafe in Ueno was overpriced. The merch and photos were ok, but the food was an afterthought.

  • Tsukiji Outer Market: ok, but very much a tourist trap.

  • Mandarake (Akihabara): more expensive collectibles than I wanted. I was hoping for affordable old Game Boys.

  • Seoullo 7017 (elevated walkway near Seoul Station): too hot to enjoy in June.

  • Samwon Garden: the Korean BBQ was hyped up & expensive, but not amazing.

  • Starfield COEX and Lotte Outlets: just malls.

Tokyo and Seoul were both great with kids. We went back in June 2026 and fixed some of these, which I wrote about in Japan & Korea June 2026 Trip.