A Tokyoite’s Day Off for Families by Train with Ex-JR Conductor

Duration7h - 8h

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesJapanese, English

Private tourOnly your group will participate

Overview

Give the children an adventure, and give the parents a day off too.

Not every day of a family trip to Tokyo needs to be filled with sightseeing. In the middle of a busy trip, this tour gives your family a “day off during your trip.”

For 22 years, Samurai Guide Sho supported passengers as a conductor on the JR Chuo Line.

Now it is your family’s turn to be the “passengers.”

Travel comfortably with Sho aboard the JR Chuo Line Green Car (premium seating) and leave Tokyo’s tourist areas behind. The train is not just transportation. It is part of the journey: a transfer from tourist Tokyo to everyday Tokyo.

For one day, why not stop rushing between attractions and enjoy a day off as a Tokyo family?

Spend the day in a vast park loved by local families.

Children can run, climb, cycle, ride boats, and make memories, while parents can simply enjoy the day with them.

Take home more than another sightseeing memory: the feeling of having spent a day as a Tokyo family.

Options

Tokyo Station (Start & End)

Duration: 7 hours 30 minutes
An Unexpected Tokyo Memory: A break from sightseeing may bring its own surprise: a Tokyo memory made simply by spending the day together.
Starting point:
Tokyo Station, 1 Chome Marunouchi, Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan

Shinjuku Station (Start & End)

Duration: 7 hours 30 minutes
An Unexpected Tokyo Memory: A break from sightseeing may bring its own surprise: a Tokyo memory made simply by spending the day together.
Starting point:
Suica Penguin Park, 5 Chome-24 Sendagaya, Shibuya, Tokyo 151-0051, Japan

What's included

Private tour
Stroller rental at the park (first come, first served; limited availability)
Family-friendly park admission & activity fees in western Tokyo (bike rental, boating, Park Train)
Former JR Chuo Line conductor (22 yrs): Green Car, stroller boarding/transfers, delays, disruptions.
Family-paced park support (play areas, meal areas, breaks, toilets, diaper stations, stroller paths)
Former JR East professional (23 yrs): station help for families (tickets, Suica, gates, elevators).

Adult round-trip train fares & Green Car (premium seating) fees; physical Suica card recommended.
Food and drinks (Credit cards accepted at many park restaurants and shops.)

What to expect

Tokyo Central Railway Station
10m

Departure from Tokyo Station (Tokyo Option Only)

This stop is for guests who booked the Tokyo Station start/end option. If you booked the Shinjuku option, meet Sho at Shinjuku Station instead.

Meet Sho just outside Tokyo Station's Marunouchi South Gate. With Sho, a former JR Chuo Line conductor, board the Green Car (premium seating) toward a large park in western Tokyo. There is no need to travel to Shinjuku first.

Sho helps with tickets and boarding, including for families with young children or strollers. As the scenery changes, leave tourist Tokyo behind and begin a day off the way local families do.
10m

Departure from Shinjuku (Shinjuku Option Only)

This stop is for guests who booked the Shinjuku Station start/end option. If you booked the Tokyo option, meet Sho at Tokyo Station instead.

Meet Samurai Guide Sho at Suica Penguin Square, outside JR Shinjuku Station's New South Gate. After 22 years working as a conductor on the JR Chuo Line, Sho knows how to help families navigate the station, from tickets and ticket gates to boarding with children or strollers.

Travel west on the JR Chuo Line Green Car (premium seating). The ride is more than transportation: it is the beginning of your family's day off in everyday Tokyo.
Tokyo Prefecture
6h

A Tokyo Family's Day Off in Western Tokyo

Leave the sightseeing crowds behind and travel with Sho aboard the JR Chuo Line Green Car to a spacious park in western Tokyo. Before boarding, Sho can help you pick up bento, rice balls, snacks, or drinks for the ride.

Open lawns, playgrounds for different ages, cycling, boats, the Park Train, and seasonal scenery offer a different side of Tokyo. Sho guides you along stroller-friendly paths and helps you find restrooms, diaper-changing facilities, and places to rest or eat.

There is no need to rush through every activity. Enjoy the park as a Tokyo family might, choosing what feels right for your children's ages, energy, and the day's weather. Some activities depend on conditions and availability.
Suica's Penguin Park
5m

Return to Shinjuku with Sho (Shinjuku Option Only)

This is the final stop for families who booked the Shinjuku Station start/end option. Families with the Tokyo option continue with Sho to Tokyo Station.

After a day of play, relax on the JR Chuo Line Green Car (premium seating) while Sho accompanies you back to Shinjuku Station. For children who have spent the day running and exploring, the train becomes a comfortable place to rest.

Watch the city return outside the window, and take home a memory of Tokyo that did not begin with another sightseeing checklist. The tour ends at Shinjuku Station with Sho.
Tokyo Central Railway Station
5m

Return to Tokyo with Sho (Tokyo Option Only)

This is the final stop for families who booked the Tokyo Station start/end option. Families with the Shinjuku option finish at Shinjuku Station.

After exploring the park, relax aboard the JR Chuo Line Green Car (premium seating). Sho stays with your family beyond Shinjuku and accompanies you all the way to Tokyo Station.

The return ride offers a quiet moment to look back on the day, whether your children loved cycling, boating, or simply playing in the open air. A day away from the usual sights becomes a memory of spending time together in everyday Tokyo. The tour ends at Tokyo Station with Sho.

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Meet just outside the Marunouchi South Gate at JR Tokyo Station.

Search “Marunouchi South Gate” on Google Maps.

Use the ground-floor gate, not the Marunouchi Underground South Gate.

Your guide Sho will wear modern samurai attire and be easy to find.

Meeting point

Meet at Suica Penguin Square, directly in front of JR Shinjuku Station’s New South Gate.

Search “Suica Penguin Square” on Google Maps.

The address is shown as Shibuya City, but it will take you to the correct meeting point.

Your guide Sho will wear modern samurai attire and be easy to find.

End point

The tour ends at Shinjuku Station.

If you are continuing to Tokyo Station, you may stay in the same Green Car after Sho gets off at Shinjuku, so you do not need to change trains.

Before boarding, Sho will ask where you plan to get off and help you purchase the correct Green Car ticket.

Additional information

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Public transportation options are available nearby
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
This tour is independently operated and is not affiliated with JR East. Samurai Guide Sho’s railway background is part of his personal story and guiding style.
To give you a genuine sense of the park, all park photos shown were taken at the actual park visited on this tour.
Only the round-trip train and Green Car fares for your selected start/end station apply. For ages 6–11, the estimated cost is ¥2,100 from Shinjuku or ¥2,300 from Tokyo. Children aged 5 and under generally travel free. We recommend loading about ¥4,000 per adult and ¥3,000 per child aged 6–11 onto a Suica or PASMO, or bringing similar amounts in cash.
Please bring a physical Suica or PASMO card for a smoother Green Car experience. If you are not sure how to charge it, please bring cash on the day and I will help you.
Bicycle rental, boating, and the Park Train are included in the tour price. Activities are selected according to your family’s interests, children’s age and energy level, weather, crowds, and facility availability. Some activities may not be available due to weather, crowd conditions, operating schedules, safety reasons, age restrictions, or other activity requirements.
Travel both ways aboard the JR Chuo Line Green Car (premium seating). Spacious seats, a restroom, and trash bins make the journey calmer for families with children and strollers. Bring bento, snacks, and drinks purchased before boarding to enjoy at your seats. Power outlets are available, so you can charge your phone if you bring a charger, while watching the scenery change together. On the return trip, it becomes a traffic-free “moving lounge” where tired children can sit back and rest.
The day may be adjusted to suit the weather, crowds, opening hours, and your children’s condition and family’s pace.
The tour may include playgrounds, cycling, and boating. Sho will guide with care, but parents or guardians must remain with their children and supervise their health and safety.
Reasonable care will be taken for safety, but the organizer cannot accept responsibility for illness, injuries during normal activities, or loss or damage to personal belongings. Please keep valuables with you.

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.