One of the last days in Japan would turn out to be one of the busiest ones of my trip. After the ferry service was suspended due to wind and we were unable to use them to return after our visit to Chiba and Mount Nokogiriyama, we had to come up with another plan for the day. Because there was no ferry, whatever the plan involved would include driving through Chiba and also through Tokyo. Because of this, my sister decided it made sense to experience a couple of things in Tokyo rather than just head back home.
First things first, we had to get to Tokyo. The wind was definitely not letting up. As we drove toward the city it was quite clear why there were no ferries trying to make the trek. It really didn’t feel super safe even driving. As we made our way from Mount Nokogiriyama toward Tokyo, there were some moments with thin roads and basically no clearance if something were to go wrong. It definitely kept us on our toes. Then came the drive across Tokyo Bay.
The drive across Tokyo Bay would normally be something that probably wouldn’t get much note. However, the wind was buffeting the car and the bridge was long! As the car got battered by the wind, the water below did look beautiful. It actually was a beautiful day if the wind could have disappeared. About halfway (roughly) across the bay, the wind no longer was an issue though. This was because the freeway then dropped down into the bay and continued underneath it. It really was a marvel of engineering to see how all of this came together to help drivers get across the bay. The tunnel under the bay really was incredible when one thinks about what it took to build this, maintain it, and also make it safe for earthquakes!
Finally, we arrived in Tokyo for the next set of adventures for the day. We made our way into an area downtown and found parking near our next destination. After a quick jaunt around the downtown area to find a Lawson (an alternative to 7-11), we headed to our next destination. This was teamLab Planets TOKYO. I will admit, I had zero clue about what to expect. I briefly looked at their website and it appeared to be some sort of immersive and experiential exhibit. I had mainly looked to see if my camera would be allowed inside (it was). I didn’t realize just how unique this experience would be… I soon found out.
My sister had made us a reservation to experience teamLab Planets TOKYO when we realized we would be unexpectedly visiting Tokyo. This was a good call as the place was quite popular and it looked like reservations were basically the only way to get in. The line to get in looked like the place was popular. It also appeared that people from all around the world were in line for this experience.
We had timed things pretty close to perfectly so we were able to get in line pretty much immediately as we arrived just as our reservation window opened. The line moved fairly quickly and once inside a video explained part of the experience. The big takeaway from this video was that our shoes would need to be removed and pant legs rolled up. We WOULD be getting wet. My eyebrow went up as I considered my little niece (a toddler) in this exhibit. With a wry grin, we made our way into the first room of the experience. This was a room lined with lockers where people were either taking off or putting on shoes and then locking them up. For each locker, one created a temporary code so that they could leave behind their shoes and whatever else they didn’t want to bring through the exhibits. In hindsight, I really only needed my phone (almost all of my pictures and videos from this were from my phone).
Shoes off and locked away, we made our way down a dark hallway and into the first portion of this exhibit. The whole thing was divided into several sections. Dark hallways with very little light connected each of these different experiences. The first one we entered had us walking down a hall and into a representation of a waterfall. In the dark, this was quite the experience as one had to rely on other senses beyond just their eyes. Entering rooms generally meant walking through a curtain that would block the light from one side or another. This just added to the experience.
We went down in the water. We went out of the water. My nephews’ pants definitely ended up wet with how deep it was, as did mine. The noise of the water movement was almost intense and replicated a waterful from an audio perspective. It was weird not to see a massive waterfall coming down the side of a mountain or something, though. The only thing that could be seen was light in one beam down the middle of the waterfall. There might have also been some light in the water on the sides. I vaguely remember this as well. Appropriately enough, this experience was called Waterfall of Light Particles at the Top of an Incline. And yes, as one entered and left the water, the floor was going down and up.
Another room had thousands of strings of electric lights that changed color. Called The Infinite Crystal Universe, mirrors were on the walls and made the room seem to stretch to infinity. As the lights changed colors on these electric strings, the whole room changed color. A small path could be found to make one’s way from one side of the room to another where another dark hallway awaited. The whole experience was both beautiful and eerie at the same time. It quickly became clear that this was an Instagrammer’s dream.
A short time later, we found ourselves walking into a room that was full of colorful projections and movement. Along with their being beautiful underwater flowers, there were also “fish” swimming around this room. At times one could feel them flutter by. I have no clue how they did it. The effect really was pretty awesome. Once again, the room was beautiful, weird, and almost eerie. It was called Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People – Infinity.
Another room had you walk through different textures that played with the senses. They were so dark they were impossible to take photos of. I believe it was called the Soft Black Hole.
One room had huge balloon bubbles throughout the room. Everything was moving in this room and the colors constantly changed. It made for a unique experience as people all angled for the best photo. This seemed to be one of the more popular rooms for Instagram photos. It was called Expanding Three-dimensional Existence in Transforming Space – Flattening 3 Colors and 9 Blurred Colors.
A room nearby was almost like looking into a colorful version of the galaxy or Milky Way. The bursts of color and flowers seemed to go off into infinity. They also grew and shrank the longer one was in the room. The floors were mirrors and amplified the effect. This was the Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers room.
On the other side of the exhibit, there was a room that was probably the most popular in teamLabs Planets TOKYO. This was the Floating Flower Garden: Flowers and I are of the Same Root, the Garden and I are One. There was a line to get into this room and a time limit for how long one could experience. This whole room was quite organized and people were put in specific places before the floating garden came to life. Then halfway through the experience, they would move. As the floating flower garden descended from the ceiling, the room came to life and moved thanks to the help of mirrors that seemed to be EVERYWHERE. This was easily the most popular room in the exhibit for the experience and also for pictures. It really was a beautiful room and a lot of fun to try and get different angles and perspectives of the garden during the brief time we were in it.
Finally, we made our way back out to the lockers and put our shoes back on before heading back out into the sunlight. The public area outside also had a display that was a pillar that changed while people stood in the courtyard.
Hungry, we made our way to the Lawson that we were unsuccessful in finding earlier in the afternoon. This time, we were successful. It was in an office building and there was a lovely view over a canal (I think it was a canal) that we enjoyed for a few minutes. For their good behavior at teamLab Planets TOKYO, the kids were rewarded with ice cream. After enjoying the snack, we made our way back to the car.
Once in the car, it was decided that there would be one more destination for the day before heading home. This would be the Starbucks Reserve Roastery – Tokyo. This had been something on my list of things I wanted to see before leaving Japan. I also wanted to pick up a mug or two or three or… well, you get it. As we made our way toward the Starbucks Reserve Roastery I thought about the day and what a unique combination of old and new it had included. Off in the distance, I could see the Tokyo Tower. It was surrounded by modern buildings, and beautiful parks, and somewhere nearby I knew was Sensō-ji, Tokyo’s oldest established temple dating back to 645 could be found. It really was quite marvelous to think about.
The visit to teamLab Planets TOKYO is one I probably wouldn’t have picked for myself. However, in hindsight, I’m glad we went. It really was something beautiful and unique. It definitely made a memory and I would love to experience it again. Originally, it had been scheduled to end its run at the end of 2023. Now, it is scheduled to remain through 2027.
What do you think of my visit to teamLab Planets TOKYO? Would you want to visit? What room most intrigued you? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
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