Kids' Trips in Tokyo : A Family Guide to One-Day Outings

Despite all the concrete and crowds, Tokyo can be a great place for kids. Scores of parks, museums, and imaginative play spots dot the city, at prices that won't send parents into sticker shock. But for newcomers to Tokyo's bewildering urban sprawl, these hidden gems can be hard to find.

Kids' Trips in Tokyo is the answer to every foreign parent's prayers. No Disneyland or Tokyo Tower here-each chapter is a full day's outing that might include anything from a tour through a samurai mansion to an ice cream treat made fresh at a working dairy. Kid-tested and parent-approved, every tour includes complete information on transportation, eating options, schedules, and pit stops.

It's a sampling of the very best Tokyo has to offer young minds and active bodies, with sensitive attention paid to the complications posed by language and culture barriers. From interactive exhibits that teach kids about Tokyo's history to wildlife sanctuaries that will let them escape the city altogether, Kids' Trips is a treasure trove of creative ideas for parents to enjoy with their children ... or even without.

IVY MAEDA, KITTY KOBE, CYNTHIA OZEKI, and LYN SATO, all Westerners married to Japanese, are veteran Tokyo moms. With a combined total of six children, they are authorities on Tokyo for kids.