They were doing the same as us with children who were around 5 years old -- going to to parks, playgrounds, and other organized activities -- it was all organized and controlled. Many locals complained to me about how exhausting it was to have kids in Tokyo and didn't enjoy it.

I never felt like an outsider at all, that wasn't an issue. The issue was that you have to make a daily effort to get your kids outside whereas in the suburbs here in Seattle, they can just go outside when they want. That's not an issue once your kids get older, but at 5 and 6 it's a little early to let them run around Shinjuku. It would have been easier if we lived outside the Tokyo center.