Odaiba [お台場] is one of the most fun places in Tokyo, a large shopping center full of entertainment. In this article, we will see everything this incredible island offers for your enjoyment, from its rainbow bridge, its shopping malls, and museums.
The trip already starts fun as soon as you need to take the Yurikamome train line, which takes you on a ride through Tokyo Bay allowing you to appreciate and take many photos, even seeing the famous rainbow bridge.
Odaiba is a large artificial island located in Tokyo Bay, it is also known by the name of Rainbow Town. The island is 6 kilometers from Tokyo and belongs to the Minato ward. It was built as part of a large architectural project in 1986.
The island was built on top of 110 million cubic meters of earth and incineration waste. Odaiba is a major destination for tourism and leisure. It is home to huge entertainment complexes, themed shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, and residences.
Table of Contents
Main Tourist Attractions in Odaiba
Odaiba has some of the most original architectures in Tokyo, now let’s see some of the main tourist attractions, museums, complexes, and other highlights that make this island so popular:
Rainbow Bridge – A modernized bridge that was completed in August 1993. It is decorated with 444 lights that gain special illumination according to the festival, event, or time of year.
Tokyo Big Sight or Tokyo International Exhibition Center – This is the place where numerous important events of the year take place, such as the Tokyo Motor Show.
Fuji Television Building – This building of the Fuji TV network is one of the symbols of Odaiba, its design is quite interesting with a great view. It is open for visits, and you can see the recording studios and some exhibitions about TV shows.
The Ferris Wheel – Odaiba has a 110-meter tall Ferris wheel, which presents a charming view at night.
Toyota Mega Web – An exhibition hall of Toyota that showcases all the latest models from Toyota.
Panasonic Center – A complex where the latest technologies from Panasonic are presented. Here you find computers, TVs, games, appliances, and more. On the third floor, there is a museum of mathematics and science.
Leisureland – An entertainment complex that features arcade games, bowling alleys, karaoke, darts, tennis, and sports games.
Oedo Onsen Monogatari – A bathhouse/onsen park that reproduces the atmosphere of the Edo Period. There you access a small town that simulates Edo while wearing a Yukata and you can also access a mixed foot bath.
Telecommunications Center – Here you can access an observation deck full of satellite antennas. You have a great view of Tokyo Bay and sometimes even Mount Fuji.
Poop Museum in Odaiba – In this museum, everything is shaped like poop or a toilet. Balloons, foods, toilets with poop inside, and many colorful and fun things for you to visit. Don’t miss the chance to visit the poop museum in Japan!
Rainbow Bridge – The Rainbow Bridge
The Tokyo bridge called “Rainbow Bridge” (レインボーブリッジ) is one of the most beautiful icons of Japan. It was built in 1987 and completed in 1993, taking 6 years. It is 570 meters wide and 918 meters long and has 2 levels.
The bridge connects Shibaura Pier, Odaiba, and Minato-ku facilitating access to various other tourist spots, shopping centers, and restaurants in Tokyo. The bridge can be accessed from Tamachi station or Shibaura station.
From the bridge, you can see Tokyo Bay, Tokyo Tower, Sky Tree, Odaiba waterfront, and even Mount Fuji. The support towers of the bridge are white, designed to harmonize with the sky of central Tokyo.
The bridge is named Rainbow (Rainbow) because of the red, white, and green lights that illuminate the bridge, which operate through solar energy that is charged during the day.
The bridge has a walkway on each side of the bridge, with free access for anyone to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Bicycles are not allowed on the deck or the walkway of the bridge. Watch a video from the Santana Channel that shows more details of the bridge:
Mori Building Digital Art Museum
The Mori Building Digital Art Museum teamLab Borderless is an amazing place in Odaiba. This is not an ordinary museum, it is all digital and colorful that impresses anyone, even those who do not like museums.
This museum is perfect for a romantic date for couples, children, and people of all ages. Here you embark on a universe full of colors made through technology using mirrors, LEDs, spotlights, 3D cameras, augmented reality, and others.
There are more than 50 works and some even interact with the public. You enter and find yourself in a place full of mirrors and animations, arts and colorful images moving all over the floor and wall along with effects created by strategic mirrors.
I had the chance to explore this amazing museum, I leave a video below:
Miraikan – National Museum of Science
The Miraikan is a national science museum that is used to showcase Japan’s scientific and technological research efforts. The museum was founded in 2001 in Tokyo and was recently renovated and is located in Odaiba.
The Miraikan can be literally translated as “corridor of the future” and its full official name is the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation. This museum appeals to families with small children, who gather here especially on weekends and holidays, attracted by the various educational and fun activities.
The centerpiece of the museum is a large globe known as Tsunagari covered with an LED display designed by German artist Ingo Gunther. The globe is used to display real-time historical and future projections of scientific data.
Another permanent exhibition illustrates the earthquakes that regularly hit Japan in real-time, including micro-earthquakes that occur almost continuously. Other exhibitions cover space, deep sea, robotics, physics, environmental science, and biology themes.
The museum also hosts several special exhibitions each year. Miraikan is well connected to both Japanese and international research communities and attracts some excellent exhibits over the years.
In addition to science, the Miraikan is known for the variety of events and exhibitions that include themes such as art and society. As the name suggests, the museum is focused on the future and raises open questions about the fate of humanity.
The Shopping Complexes of Odaiba
Venus Fort – This small themed outlet of the Roman goddess is great for taking good photos. Upon entering, it feels like you are really in ancient Rome, the ceiling has a blue sky that can fool your friends in photos.
DiverCity Tokyo Plaza – A gigantic shopping mall with many floors famous for the giant Gundam statue at its entrance. When I went there, idol events were still happening. The old Gundam was replaced by a more modern one.
In addition to all this, you find another shopping mall called Aquacity Odaiba with a cinema complex. To finish, we can mention Decks Tokyo Beach, another shopping mall with several stores, restaurants, and theme parks.
Have you had the opportunity to visit this artificial island in Tokyo? Don’t miss this chance! We await your comments and shares.
We also recommend reading:
- Yoyogi Park – The largest park in Tokyo
- Walking in Tokyo – Ginza, Ikebukuro, and Shibuya
Leave a Reply