Tokyo, Japan | April 2023

Come join us in Tokyo, Japan, for a fun-filled and community-centered worldschooling gathering April 5-11, 2023.

The Worldschool Pop-Up Hub provides super casual, budget-friendly opportunities to gather, connect with other worldschoolers, learn about the local area, instill new friendships, share your insights, and immerse in a friendly, accepting mobile community. Our activities highlight local nature, arts, history, food, and culture... but you'll also have plenty of time to relax, get to know each other, and even stray from the itinerary to add activities that cater to the group's interests.

Pop in for a few days or the full week. Join as many activities as you'd like. It's up to you!

Our itinerary will include activities such as the following:

*Ueno Park with its zoo, paddle boats, and national museums

*Ameyoko, a lively outdoor street market with discount shops and restaurants 

*Asakusa, a cultural center with temples, pagodas, and shops showcasing Japanese traditional snacks, clothing, & toys 

*Akihabara, the electronics, manga, and anime mecca 

*Shinjuku, the skyscraper city within a city along with a vast underground network and 45th floor observation deck atop the Tokyo Metro building

*Odaiba, an expansive area on reclaimed land from Tokyo Bay with entertainment-oriented attractions, science center, shopping centers, and Tokyo's wholesale food market

*Yokohama city with its Chinatown and bay area attractions including the Nippon Maru sailing ship, Cup of Noodles Museum where you can design and make your own Cup of Noodles, and the monstrous Gundam moving robot 

*Eating at an izakaya restaurant, where each restaurant serves up a variety of small, delicious Japanese dishes, generally unique to each establishment 

*Eating at kaiten sushi, a rotating conveyor belt sushi restaurant 

*Singing your heart out in a private echoing karaoke room, or applauding (or laughing) at the others while enjoying snacks and drinks 

*Cherry Blossom viewing at Shinjuku Gyoen park (our dates line up with the tail end of cherry blossom season although viewing season changes yearly depending on the weather, so this is not guaranteed)

*Peace Forest Athletic Park (obstacle & climbing course)

COST per Family

Note: This event is limited to 15 families.

US$70 Early Bird Rate, expires February 15th, 2023

US$100 Regular Rates (solo parents receive a 25% discount, use code SOLO at checkout)

MEET YOUR HOST:

Hello, my name is Ken and my wife, Linda, and I are excited to be your hosts for the Tokyo Pop-Up Hub. Last year I retired early to start worldschooling with our 11-year-old twin daughters. I am from Canada and first got interested in Japan back in 1992 and have visited Japan more than 20 times. In 2018 we moved from Canada to the Tokyo area where we’ve lived for close to 4 years. Linda is native Japanese, and we are both functionally bilingual in both Japanese and English. You can ask us anything about Japan and we will likely be able to give you the inside story.

We like to travel to places to explore new cultures, food, adventure activities, meet new people, and experience nature. Like you, we want to give our kids learning opportunities from rich real-world experiences and travel, rather than from a traditional school setting. Last year we visited Costa Rica, Mexico, France, Italy, Romania, UAE, & Vietnam, so we also learned some Spanish, French, Italian, and Romanian, although some of it may already be starting to fade away. Can't wait to meet you all to introduce you to many of the fascinating things in Tokyo, Japan, and make some worldschooling friends for our kids as well.

LODGING & NEIGHBORHOODS:

Most of our activities will be in, or around, central Tokyo. This area is generally defined by the Yamanote loop train line. 

Try to reserve accommodation as early as possible because our pop-up coincides with cherry blossom season, which can be very busy. Recommended areas include Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Shinagawa, Taito, Shibuya, Meguro, Ueno, Sumida and Setagaya. Follow this link to a map of Tokyo's "23 Wards." https://www.greenandturquoise.com/a-beginners-guide-to-tokyo-popular-districts/ 

Although lodging in the central area will be the most efficient, there are are trains crisscrossing the entire region out to the suburbs (which may offer less expensive for accommodations). 

Google Maps is reliable to determine the cost and travel time to get to the center. There are regular express trains from the suburbs to downtown. A 20km ride may only take 30 minutes. The major stations on the Yamanote train line include Tokyo, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Shinagawa, and Shinjuku. If you are able to stay within Tokyo's "23 Wards," you will be in a good spot. If you are up to 20km into the suburbs, but close to a train station, you will generally be fine. 

Note: Staying in the Odaiba area is not recommended because it is serviced by the slower and more expensive monorail line. 

Here are some possible accommodations. Most are no-nonsense accommodations, generally classified as business hotels, but Airbnbs (if you can find them) will usually be more economical. 

https://www.superhoteljapan.com/ 

https://www.sakura-hotel.co.jp/ 

https://www.toyoko-inn.com/ 

https://www.apahotel.com/ 

https://www.asiacenter.or.jp/ 

https://www.sakura-house.com/ 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Join the private Facebook group to ask questions, stay up to date on activities in the area, and interact with other potential attendees:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/tokyopopupapril2023

Browse our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about how our pop-ups work:

https://www.worldschoolpopuphub.com/faqs

Sign up for our mailing list to get notifications of future events! Visit www.worldschoolpopuphub.com and fill out the subscribe form in the footer.