After two weeks in the Philippines, my wife, my 7 year old son, and I will be in Tokyo for four days. My question is which city, Tokyo or Kyoto, would be more memorable for my son? I've heard from a few people without kids that Kyoto made a much bigger impact on them than Tokyo. and I know both cities have their pros and cons. I'm hoping for some advice from those that have been there, done that, with kids.

I don't have kids, but it seems you have not recieved any responses.

I have been in Tokyo for 6 months now. It is a big city, much like any other big city. The only thing that may make it better with children is that it is very english friendly.

Kyoto is awesome though. Cultrural capital. There are plenty of sites to see. Plenty of temples and Japanese gardens.

It depends on your kid. If he likes temples and real Japanese history / cultural, Kyoto is the place to be. If he likes big city lights, incredibly crowded trains, and having millions of restruants of all kinds to choose from, then Tokyo might be better.

If you have any specific questions, send me a PM. Good luck!

Definitely depends on your kid.

Most 7-year-olds would probably find the bright lights, video game arcades, and futuristic electronic culture of Tokyo to be pretty cool. Perhaps a bit exhausting, but cool. There are tons of interactive, modern, stimulating distractions in Tokyo. I don’t think the kid would be bored.

On the other hand, if you play it right, 7-year-olds can also like castles, temples, and other features of old Japan you’d find in Kyoto (and between Kyoto and Osaka, you’ll still get plenty of the “modern” Japan vibe).

My gut instinct, though, is that a lot of 7-year-olds would tire after too long on the Kyoto temple circuit. There’s a lot to see, it would probably get tiresome after a while for a 7-year-old. Then again, there are always tons of Japanese schoolkids (age 7 and younger) at the big Kyoto sites. They look a bit antsy, but they do it ...

I stayed in Tokyo for 6 months in 1994. Although the place has probably changed a lot since, I would be very comfortable bringing a 7 year old there. Ueno Zoo would be nice, but mostly, TOKYO DISNEYLAND should make him happy!!!!

Thanks for all the good advice everyone. I figure either experience will be great for him (and us). Personnaly, Kyoto holds more appeal to me, especially since we'll be going in March, but with our limited time (4 days) we're probably better off staying in Tokyo. Of course, with five months to think about it, I'm sure I'll change my mind about forty times...

I'd head where you want to go... and take your 7 y.o with you. At that age, there are things to keep him entertained anywhere.

Tokyo was fun, but in many ways it was overwhelming with all the shopping etc. Kyoto seems much smaller. The nice thing about Kyoto is that you'll get to ride the Shinkansen (bullet train), which any 7 year old would love. The Kyoto train station is pretty good too from a kids point of view, with a terrific arcade. The other thing we liked about Kyoto was the 'home visit' arranged with the Kyoto Information Centre: we went for supper with a Japanese family whose kids were approximately the same age as ours - not sure if they still do this.