.png)
RTW Trip Day #4: Shibuya Sky Views, Harajuku Eats & Arcade Fun in Shinjuku
- andrewsco3
- Oct 3, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Welcome to our Round‑the‑World Family Sabbatical diary! We’re a Calgary‑based family travelling for 100 days, documenting each step so other families can get an honest, real‑life look at long‑term travel with kids - the highs, the chaos, and everything in between.
This is Day 4 in Tokyo, where we set out to explore some of the city’s busiest and most iconic neighbourhoods: Shibuya, Harajuku and Shinjuku.
You can browse the full 100‑day contents list here, but for now, join us as we take in skyline views at Shibuya Sky, hunt for the perfect bowl of ramen, and experience the energy of Shinjuku after dark.
Day 4 Highlights at a Glance
Stunning views from Shibuya Sky
Experiencing the Shibuya Crossing at street level
Our first ramen lunch in Harajuku
Braving the crowds at Meiji Jingu Shrine
Shinjuku at night - 3D cat billboard, Godzilla head and arcade fun at Taito Station
Shibuya
This was one of the days we had something fixed in the schedule because we’d pre‑booked Shibuya Sky before leaving Canada. It was a good thing we pre booked as it was fully sold out on the day that we visited! You can buy tickets here.
Thankfully we missed the previous day’s rain and got clear blue skies for our photos.
Shibuya Sky
While we had already pre-booked the adult tickets, the kids’ tickets had to be bought at the kiosk. It's a little strange the way they do this, but even on sold out days, you can purchase a kids ticket, so there is no need to get there especially early.
Luckily it only took a few minutes, and soon we were riding the lift up to the top floor. The moment we stepped out it was obvious why this place is so popular, and I can see why the sunset slots always sell out so quickly.
It was busy, and we had to wait in line for photos at a few of the most popular viewpoints, but it was still worth it. I expected the view of the Shibuya crossing to be clearer from the top, but it turned out we were almost too high up to really see it.
Shibuya Crossing
Shibuya Crossing is one of the most famous intersections in the world, and it was a lot of fun to join the crowd with people crisscrossing in every direction.
It wasn't as busy as I expected it to be when viewing from above, but it was definitely busier when we were down there in person around lunch time.
Ramen Lunch in Harajuku
After exploring Shibuya, we started walking to Meiji Jingu Shrine expecting to find somewhere to eat along the way. We seemed to be walking along the only street in Tokyo that didn't have any places to eat on it!
Eventually we found a small ramen shop near Harajuku station that only held about 20 people. Each seat was an individual spot at the bar but we luckily got 4 next to each other after a bit of a wait.
Me and Susie both ordered ramen and the girls both got given sharing bowls. Jess liked the noodles best and Evelyn the broth, because of course, they can’t both like the same thing!
Meiji Jingu Shrine
I have to say that the Meiji Jingu shrine was really impressive, but after the more relaxing and peaceful experiences that we have had so far at the other temples and shrines, it was a bit of a disappointment.
It was SO BUSY, it was almost impossible to make our way up the steps to the front of the shrine. If we did it again, I'd try visiting early in the morning or later in the day.
We still managed to get another goshuin into our goshuincho – and if you’re curious about how goshuin, eki stamps, and other Japanese stamp traditions work, our full guide breaks it all down.
We were all pretty worn out and I think still suffering from jet lag, so we headed back to the hotel for a few hours to recharge.
No photos (for obvious reasons!) but we all experienced our first Onsen at the hotel. Basically it was a large hot tub but the difference is that you have to go in naked, and it’s all same sex. An interesting experience for sure…..!
Shinjuku at Night
Shinjuku was a lot of fun, and we were glad we chose to visit at night. It was crowded but in a good way that added to the experience.
The lights, the energy, the animal cafés, everything felt exciting and so different from the quieter part of Tokyo where we were staying.
Right outside the station there is a huge 3D cat billboard that the girls enjoyed watching. I’ve never seen a 3D billboard before - very cool! We literally had to drag them away!
Next up was a walk down the Main Street to see the famous Godzilla head. We also found a shop selling over ten flavours of Kit Kats!
The girls convinced us to go for dinner at Shogun Burger and it was actually pretty good! The burgers were made from wagyu beef and they were incredibly juicy!
To round out the evening we went to play at the Taito Station arcades! It was tacky as hell but the kids had the best time. Evelyn even won a toy from one of the claw arcades which she was over the moon about.
This journal entry is part of our 100‑day Round‑the‑World family sabbatical, where we’re sharing the real, everyday moments of long‑term travel with kids - the fun, the frustrations, and everything in between.
If you’d like to follow along from the beginning, jump ahead to another destination, or explore our full itinerary, the links are below.
Previous Day: Day 3: Ginza, Zojo-ji Temple & the Tokyo Tower
Next Post: Day 5: Senjo-ji Temple and Ueno
Comments