Domo domo.


Bottom-line: Expect that it's not okay to bring in outside food for the 21mo. But you could still ask the restaurant if you so choose.

Also: It'll be fine to take a toddler to most restaurants in Jpn. Booths, and particularly private rooms (koshitsu), help a lot in this regard.

Other stuff is up to debate imo. Counter seats at ramen joints may have worked for LapLap's toddler, but I know it wouldn't have worked with mine when they were <2yo. There're some great hole-in-the-wall ramen joints in Ikebukuro and northwest of Shinjuku station that are almost exclusively counter seats. If you show up to these places with a toddler, of course they're not going to turn you away (they might turn away your stroller, though). But there's a reason why you hardly ever see little kids at those places. And why force the issue when there're other great ramen places that are more conducive to coming with kids? I think izakayas are potentially more feasible for bringing toddlers. But it largely depends on the location and the time you go. Personally we haven't and still don't take our kids to izakaya. Well, we actually did go once out of necessity, but we regretted it. We had a booth table and it was supposed to be n/s section. The older daughter liked the food, but of course the place was loud with very much an alcohol environment, and we could still smell the cigarette. So we don't do izakaya with our kids and, while I do sometimes see kids at izakaya, I'm quite certain that many Japanese people feel the same way we do. But this is a personal call. If you do decide to go to an izakaya with your kids, I'd agree with mkjr that you should go early when before it gets busy. Also, I forget whether it was Sapporo or Hakodate, but I went to an izakaya in an area packed with Asian tourists and oddly enough that place had many families (presumably Asian tourist families).