You have probably seen the photos on Social Media of the Mori Building Digital Art Museum and wondered is the TeamLab Borderless worth visiting? It’s a definite yes from us!
Pictures don’t lie, some say, but in this case, we do agree! This exhibition is totally worth your money! It is not just huge, but also so well done and has a variety of activities you can easily spend a few hours here. Well, and if you love taking photos you will not want to leave…
Klook.comTeamLab Borderless or how it is officially called “Mori Building Digital Art Museum: EPSON teamLab Borderless” opened in 2018 and was an immediate success. It uses the latest in digital technology and projection mapping and has managed to capture its audience with Mythical worlds, forests made of light and places that could be right out of a sci-fi/fantasy movie.
It manages to beautifully merge technology and art to create these often nature-themed exhibits for you to immerse. And is definitely worth a place on your itinerary!
5 things you need to know before visiting TeamLab Borderless!
1. Plan your visit
As you can already imagine, this is one busy Attraction here in Tokyo and is really a highlight you won’t get to experience anywhere else. So to make the most of it, make sure to get your tickets before, as it often sells out!
2. Eat before!
Also, many people do not realize that there is no Restaurant on site. So make sure you are prepared and get something to eat before. You will easily spend 2h inside and the last thing you want is a grumbling stomach.
3. Think about what you wear
Ladies, do not wear a skirt! Many of the rooms, including the ” The Crystal World” and “Forest of Resonating Lamps”, have Mirrored floors! They will give you a blanket to wrap around you, but you can avoid the hassle by being prepared.
Also, with the projections, white or brighter clothes will give you a better effect on Photographs.
Flat Shoes are also recommended. Many of the floors are uneven and some of the exhibits are also climbable. So heels will be not your best friend…
4. Bring an extra power bank
Sounds basic, trust us you would be surprised. The only outlet we found to charge our Phone, was in the Toilet…
5. Try to enjoy
We also have seen many people getting very serious to get that perfect selfie. Or frustrated with other visitors being in the way. All we are trying to say, try to leave your camera in the bag every now and then and really inhale the experience. You will so much more enjoy it!
How to get there?
Now that you have decided that TeamLab Borderless is worth visiting, how do you get there?
It is located in a 10,000 m2 complex in Tokyo’s Odaiba. And it is fairly easy to get to. With the Tokyo Teleport Station being the closest one, only about 5-10min walk. Just take the Rinkai Line from Shinagawa.
How to navigate TeamLab Borderless
Once you arrive you will see how big the digital art museum really is. set across two floors, you will be asked to scan your ticket and enter the ground floor. After that, you are free to explore!
The Museum is pretty much divided into 6 sections such as “the Athletic Forest”, “Future Park”, “The Crystal World”, “Forest of Resonating Lamps”, “the Borderless Word” and the “En Tea House”. Each of them has its own charm. Besides the famous exhibits, we also loved the “the Athletic Forest”, as you can get to interact even more inside these Exhibits.
With some exhibitions being crazy popular pretty much at all times we recommend you to visit them first. These are “The Crystal World” and “Forest of Resonating Lamps”.
Especially for the later one. You will only be able to stay inside this room for 5min. And as the light is changing, you may get 5min with red lamps. So if you like a special colour you may end up queueing a few times…
Exhibitions
TeamLab Borderless features constant installations, but also seasonal exhibits. Which means you may discover a new world every time you visit. Although we do think it may not be a place to go every week or month, we feel if you live in Tokyo or visit regularly it is a nice place to revisit once in a while.
Let’s have a look at the amazing Worlds that are withing the TeamLab Borderless exhibition and if they are worth it.
The Forest of Flowers and People: Lost, Immersed and Reborn
This is one of the first Rooms you will enter and quite likely you will get a little lost in it. As it is probably their biggest Exhibition. And it is easy to also get lost in time here. As the images keep changing and the music is so peaceful, it is almost impossible to move on..
Forest of Resonating Lamps
Probably the most famous of all the exhibits! With the mood changing with the colour of the light, it is one of the highlights. But as already mentioned, time is limited inside this special room, so you may end up spending a fair bit of your time queuing…
Black Waves
Another Exhibit we loved for its mood is the “Black Waves”. It is calming yet full of energy. The creators stated:
“When viewing this artwork, as opposed to watching waves shot with a video camera, people may feel that the barrier between themselves and the waves disappears. They feel immersed in the work, perhaps even feeling life in the collection of lines, as if the waves are luring them in.”
The Crystal World
The Crystal World is one of the highlights at TeamLab Borderless, with its thousands of LED-lights creating this stunning visual maze, so much like digital rain.
The Tea House
Make sure you also check out “En Tea House” a magical space, to rest and let your cup of Tea show you a wonderful display or flowers. Depending on your Tea these will be different so if you can choose different flavours 🙂
It is also the only Cafe on site. Despite a few vending machines near the toilets, you will not be able to buy ant food or drinks. Make sure to plan ahead. But the great thing is, with plenty of Restaurants outside there should be no issue. We found this great Mexican Restaurant last time…
So, is TeamLab Borderless worth visiting?
Well, our conclusion, as you may know by now, we love this place!
So the question of whether it is worth visiting or not, we think it definitely is! To be honest writing about it makes us think it might just be time for another visit.
So if you are in town, we highly recommend this Tokyo attraction. For an afternoon of outer-worldly explorations and fun! Also, make sure to check our other recommendation for Museums and Art in Japan to really get the best out of our visit! And if you did not get enough just yet, why not check out Toyosu TeamLab Planets?
