I am going to Tokyo with my family. This includes 2 teenagers 13 & 16.<BR>Do Japanese restaurants have any rules agains children of these ages eating within?<BR>I know here in the UK some restaurants and Pubs can be a bit unwilling.<BR><BR>Muck
Hi Mucky,<BR><BR>When I lived in Tokyo, Shinjuku was sort of my "territory". Shinjuku or any other part of Japan, you would not have problems with your teenager kids. Generally speaking the Japanese are more tolerant with children or family customers, sometimes even a little too much. That's my understanding. Unless your kids are excesively ill mannered, the servers will be polite and find this foreign family customer charming. <BR><BR>Hope you will have a good time.
Hello Kite,<BR>Thanks for your reply.<BR>Yes they are fine so we can expect a good time.<BR>As an experienced "Shinjukuite" could you recommend somrwhere suitable for a traditional but reasonably priced Japanese meal?<BR>My favourite meal in Japan when I was there alone was Sukiyaki, however we are open to suggestions.<BR>We have reserved the Shinjuku New city hotel. It seems to be in a reasonable location by the park what do you think?<BR>Muck
Bonjour Mucky,<BR><BR>Outside of the most high-end kaiseki restaurants and the kind of bars and clubs you certainly wouldn't dream of taking your family to ;-), I can't think of a place that would not welcome well behaved teenagers. <BR><BR>And given what I've seen Japanese children do in restaurants (run between tables, sleep on the floor, ...), I doubt anybody would look at your children twice except to compliment them on their looks or to try to strike a conversation.<BR><BR>On the other hand, YOU may be intimidated to step into some of the bars and pubs your kids will want to go to in areas like Harajuku, and wait until they've seen what Japanese teenagers wear and they'll want to take back 
Hello Mucky,<BR><BR>I tried to post a reply but without success. Maybe it was too long so I send them in 2 parts this time. Here is No 1.<BR><BR>I had to check the location of Hotel New Shinjuku. So itfs at an edge of Nishi-Shinjuku sky scraper area. If you are coming from Shinjuku railway station, you will have to pass all the sky scrapers and at the end of the area and behind the Tokyo city hall (twin tower buildings) are your hotel and the park. This must be a relatively new hotel and to be honest it is just outside my gterritoryh. Even my friends from Tokyo seldom go as far as the park. If you are still flexible with your hotel reservation, you might like to consider a different area of Shinjuku or of Tokyo. If you will be ok with Japanese style hotel gryokansh, Florence would have a few good names to give you in Asakusa area. But assuming ryokans is not what you are looking for and you really want to stay in Shunjuku, the following is what comes to my mind so far. I really donft have a recommendation in terms of hotels as I never needed one. Now about restaurants, if you will be staying in Nishi-Shinjuku area, I canft really give specific names but : the easiest > These sky scrapersfs top 1 or 2 floors (and a few basement/ground floors) are almost always grestaurant floorsh. Each floor have about 10 restaurants of different sorts (Japanese/Chinese/Europeans), and the prices are low to middle-high, often good Japanese ones being at the higher end but not too expensive. <BR>The advantages at such restaurants are, you can have so many choices at one floor and typically you can see what you get displayed in the window in plastic. The expensive restaurants tend to do this less though. <BR>And maybe you will have a great view. I did this few times at NS Building in Nishi-Shinjuku because my sister's office was for sometime and we needed to meet near her office. Also once I took 3 European friends to such resuarant floors of a different building. Actually it could have been in one of the Shinjuku station buildings. I thought they would choose a moderately priced sushi restarant (because they were young budget travelers) but they picked the shabu-shabu/sukiyaki restaurant which looked most expensive on the floor. The great thing for the European visitors was, the inside of the restaurant was furnished traditionally and the server ladies dressed in kimono were really courteous. Finding all these Japanese traditional things on the 30th floor of a modern building really amused my Euroean friends. I forgot to say we had to take off our shoes too to get to our table (which was a semi private room). We took shabu-shabu menu which costed about 5000 yen, with excellent beef, drinks not included. They loved the food and did not mind the price because of the experience for once.<BR>
No.2<BR>The second restaurant my friends took me<BR>was run by (again) a former (American style) professional wrestler. His ring name had been Killer Kahn, thus the name of the restaurant gKan-chanh. They served about the same type of food but also lots of small dishes that the Japanese eat with sake. One remark. These are located in Kabuki-cho where one of the biggest sex industry in Japan is (sex shops, massage parlors, bars, etc) and these sleazy sex related shops are visible from outside so be warned you would pass these streets with your teen ager kids.<BR><BR>Would above give any idea to you?
Florence & Kite,<BR>Thank you so much for your information.<BR>I think I am happy with the Hotel, and I am very interested in the restaurant at the Shinjuku station buildings with Sukiyaki etc and the authentic Japanese surroundings. Could I trouble you for the name of this restaurant?<BR>I would like to make some further enquiries.<BR>Is it necessary to make a reservation?<BR>What is the best time to go there? Lunchtime or evening?<BR>I will keep my children well away from "Kabuki-cho" if possible and thanks Florence "Harajuku" looks like another place to avoid.lol<BR>Thanks<BR><BR>Muck
http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g021400/<BR><BR>I'm not 100 % sure if above is the restaurant I mentinoned on my previous post because that was some time ago (5 years?)and my memory is sort of blurred. It looks like the one I remember, from a few photos. From the description on the page, they have many kaiseki dishes and it does say they serve shabu-shabu(fondue like) but I see no sukiyaki on the menu. Anyway, I'm sure it's fun to visit these restaurant floors, waching those plastic food displays. In order to find the place : location, Shinjuku-station South Exit, Building Lumine 1 (it's a part of the station building), There are 1 or 2 lifts that go drirect to 6-8 restaurant floors. The restaurant is called "IRAKA" on 7th floor. When you are coming from your hotel you arrive at this South (or West depending on the passage you take. Get a map at your hotel.) part of Shinjuku station. Also already mentioned NS building is not bad, one of the sky scrapers, rather a short 30-floor one today compared to new taller buildings. You can recognize it because of rainbow colored transparent lift visible from outside. Don't go in to hotel buildings. There restaurants are much more expensive.<BR><BR>Better avoid lunch hours because the restarants are often full with local business people and it won't be easy for you to take your time enjoy food. Dinner time is easier or what I do on my visit to Japan is entering any of those restaurants at off lunch hours, like 15.00 - 16.00 because I hate eating in the crowd. Many of them stay open from 11.00 till 22.00 or if they close, it's only for a short time of 16.00 to 18.00 or so. <BR><BR>Maybe I scared you a bit for your children but outerpart of kabuki-cho is not bad. Just general lively crowds. Also if you are going in cherry blossom season, try Shinjuku-Gyoen Park (big, unfortunately there is an entrance fee.) and Hanazono Jinja shrine (free).<BR><BR>If you have more questions, I will be happy to answer. <BR><BR>
Bonjour Mucky,<BR><BR>You write:<BR>"I am very interested in [...] the authentic Japanese surroundings."<BR><BR>A great way to see them is to board the Yamanote loop line from Shinjuku to some smaller station (get the book "Foot-loose in Tokyo", by Jean Pearce that covers them all; also Rick Kennedy's "Small adventures in Tokyo"
and get in any restaurant that piques your fancy. <BR><BR>And remember that ALL of Tokyo is an authentic Japanese surrounding, Western buildings and restaurants included (you have to discover miso soup in McDonalds) ;-)<BR><BR><BR>"I will keep my children well away from "Kabuki-cho" if possible and thanks Florence "Harajuku" looks like another place to avoid.lol"<BR><BR>I don't think your children would go blind at seeing kabuki-cho by day, although the smell of some smaller alley early in the morning ...<BR><BR>As for Harajuku, nothing worse than a taste for bizarre fashion can happen to your kids there. You could let them wander down the cowded street lined with boutiques for teenagers (but don't provide them with too much cash ;-) )while you stroll along parallel Omotesando-dori and go shopping in the Oriental-Bazaar and the antiques arcades down Hanae-Mori building. <BR>
and get in any restaurant that piques your fancy. <BR><BR>And remember that ALL of Tokyo is an authentic Japanese surrounding, Western buildings and restaurants included (you have to discover miso soup in McDonalds) ;-)<BR><BR><BR>"I will keep my children well away from "Kabuki-cho" if possible and thanks Florence "Harajuku" looks like another place to avoid.lol"<BR><BR>I don't think your children would go blind at seeing kabuki-cho by day, although the smell of some smaller alley early in the morning ...<BR><BR>As for Harajuku, nothing worse than a taste for bizarre fashion can happen to your kids there. You could let them wander down the cowded street lined with boutiques for teenagers (but don't provide them with too much cash ;-) )while you stroll along parallel Omotesando-dori and go shopping in the Oriental-Bazaar and the antiques arcades down Hanae-Mori building. <BR>Hi Florance/Kite,<BR>I have found some interesting websites about the areas you both mention.<BR>Thanks.<BR>The Yamanote line looks really interesting.<BR>I look forward to visiting Omotesando-dori and going shopping in the Oriental-Bazaar,antiques arcades at the Hanae-Mori building. <BR>I found a website that covers this area nicely.<BR>There appears to be a huge amount of restaurants south of Shinjuku station and we all look forward to trying just a few of them.<BR>Thanks for your tips I have many questions and I hope you can both offer help later.<BR>I was last in Tokyo in 1991 so I look forward to seeing the changes in this exciting city.<BR><BR>Thanks<BR><BR>Muck<BR>Wales<BR>UK <BR>
If you had known South side of Shinjuku station back in 1991, you will find a huge difference today. Back then, nothing much, today a few department stores and even some sky scrapers. Lots more possibilities today shopping and dining wise.
