Mori Building Digital Art Museum: Epson teamLab Borderless - Odaiba, Tokyo

last update: April 09, 2019

Essential information

Admission:: 3200¥

Opening hours: mon-fri 10-19, sat, sun and holidays 10-21

Closing days: the 2nd and the 4th Tuesday of the month

Where to buy tickets

This museum has quickly become one of the most popular museums in Tokyo. On holidays or weekends it may happen that there are no tickets available for the day.
We definitely recommend to buy tickets online. Choose the number of people and the date of your visit, pay online and that's it, you will have a guaranteed entry for the chosen day. You don't even have to print the ticket, just show the QR code that you will receive on your smartphone. Buy tickets for the Digital Art Museum online

More about the Digital Art Museum of Odaiba

The Digital Art Museum in Tokyo, the first museum of its kind in the world, was inaugurated on June 21, 2018 on the island of Odaiba in Tokyo. It is one of the most interesting places in Odaiba and probably also in the entire city of Tokyo.

The museum occupies an area of 10 thousand square meters on two floors, and the whole interior is characterized by a unique atmosphere, with very dark environments where the only lights are those of the 470 projectors inside, controlled by over 500 computers. Projectors, lights and computers together are used to reproduce a "world" that is difficult to describe in words, it's much easier to look at the photos below. The "creator" of this world and its different artworks made of lights, shapes and colors, is the group Teamlab, a group formed not only by artists but also programmers, engineers, CG animators, mathematicians and architects.

In general we can divide the museum into two main areas, the Borderless World located on the lower floor and the Athletic Forest located on the upper floor. Then there is the artwork Forest of Lamps, the children's area called Future Park, and the tea house En Tea House.

Borderless World

The most sensational area of the museum, the one where you start your visit immediately after entering the museum. Characterized by very dark corridors, here you will find several rooms and open-plans where you can admire the "works of art" exhibited in this museum, made entirely of lights, colors and shapes that constantly change and that often interact with each other and with visitors (via a smartphone app you can influence what happens in some rooms).
Another feature of this place is that inside there are no maps or directions, but only the signs at the entrance of each single work indicating the name. As explained also by the staff before entering, this is done on purpose. Try to explore its interior as much as possible, some rooms might be not so easy to find and the dimly lit location does not help to find them all. Before leaving, make sure you have found at least the rooms you see below. For a complete list of the artworks you can consult this link.

Athletic Forest

To reach this area you have to climb the stairs starting from the Borderless World. As the name suggests, in this area you can make your body interact with some special effects of lights and colors for an even more engaging experience. The heart of this area is a large space with a three-dimensional floor formed by slopes of various height (Graffiti Nature - High Mountains and Deep Valleys), which together with the lights of the projectors contribute to create very special effects. In a corner of the room you can color at will some sheets depicting different animals, and give them to the staff, who will scan your creation instantly. From that moment on, you can meet your projected creature wandering around the area and even reacting to your presence.
Around this area you can find several smaller attractions designed primarily for children but I assure you that even adults will have fun. In particular, I recommend to go jumping on a big trampoline, in the surface of which images of stars and planets are projected (Multi Jumping Universe).

Future Park

An area located near the Athletic World, designed primarily for children, with the aim of stimulating their creativity and cooperation. You can find some interactive attractions, the complete list is here.

Forest of Lamps

This attraction is accessed from the Borderless World, going up the stairs (different from the staircase going to the Athletic World). This is a single attraction, where groups of visitors are allowed to enter for a few minutes and then asked to leave (but of course you can enter again).
Inside there are hundreds of lamps, with glass lampshades, changing color and intensity in breathtaking lightshows. What may seem almost random movements are actually the result of mathematical calculations that make every visitor have the impression that the flow of light is always moving from a lamp to the one closest to it. The technical details are explained by an explanatory sign at the entrance, quite complicated to understand to be honest. If you are curious you can also find it here.

En Tea House

A tea house inside the museum, located on the upper floor.
This is not just a place to drink tea, but a real attraction of this museum, you can consider the experience of having a tea here as another of the museum's artworks.
Everything inside this room is sensational and fantastic. The atmosphere with very dim lights, the furniture, the way in which tea is served, up to its highlight: the light show projected inside your teacup, inside which you will see blooming flowers and other shapes (obviously virtual), and on your table, whenever you move your cup.
The menu is very limited and includes only two hot and two cold kinds of tea. No food. The ingredients used are of high quality. Each teacup costs 500 yen. Once tea is served, the light show will start at your seat. Although there is no time limit and you can sit as long as you want, after fifteen minutes or so the lighting effects projected on your seat will stop.
Depending on the day, you may have to queue to enter. Buy tickets for the Digital Art Museum online

How to get to the Digital Art Museum of Odaiba, Tokyo

The Digital Art Museum is located within the complex called Palette Town, which also includes the mall Venus Fort, the car showroom Toyota Megaweb and the ferris wheel Daikanransha.
Once you get to Palette Town you will find several directions around, but to find the Digital Art Museum you just need to know that it is located in a building right under the Ferris wheel. Just head towards that and you will also find the museum.

The nearest station to Palette Town and the Digital Art Museum is Aomi station of the Yurikamome, 280 meters away. Alternatively, Tokyo Teleport station (Rinkai Line) is about 600 meters away.
The main waterfront of Odaiba, with its shopping centers Decks Tokyo Beach, Aquacity and Diver City, is a 10-15 minute walk from the Digital Art Museum.

Guided tours, activities and other things to do

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