Updated: February 12, 2024
TeamLab Planets Tokyo – When I was making our itinerary for our Japan trip, I stumbled upon TeamLab Planets Tokyo and thought it was an ideal place for toddlers to enjoy. It was the best decision to book a reservation because I can’t forget how delighted my son was during our stay.
I wrote this TeamLab Planets Japan guide and put all the necessary things you need to know before you go. So, I hope you enjoy your visit as much as we did!
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How to Get to TeamLab Planets?
Just a 10-minute walk from Toyosu station (a 15-minute train ride from the Tokyo station), TeamLab Planets Tokyo showcases a borderless experience to remind you that you are a part of the world and the people around you.
You can also stop at Shin-Toyosu station for shorter walking to get to Teamlab Planets Japan location.
Toshiyuki Inoko, TeamLab Planet’s founder, wanted to change our perspective by letting us connect to our surroundings. He teamed up with Tsunehiro Uno, an art critic, and created a “world without boundaries.”
TeamLab Planets Tickets Price
While I was at the TeamLab Planets website, I saw that you can book your tickets online so you can immediately enjoy a 2 to 3-hour exhibition at TeamLab Planets.
Three months before your date of travel, you can start checking for available TeamLab Planets Japan tickets and book them online.
When you click the TICKET on the upper right of the screen, you will be directed to a page so you can choose the date on which you want to visit TeamLab Planets. On the same page, you can check how much each person costs and if there are still slots available on your chosen date.
Once you have chosen the date and time of when you want to enter (note that the time only applies to the entrance time, not the length of stay), you will have to select the number of tickets you need.
NOTE: Prices for weekends, holidays, and days with extended opening hours are pricier than other dates.
Upon entering the total number of tickets, you will immediately see the total amount on the same page. There is a box to enter your coupon number if you have one, but I don’t know where to get it, so I just left it blank.
For the next page, you have to enter your details – name, email address, telephone number, and, payment information. The payment process is fast and you will receive an email about the confirmation of your purchase soon after you finish your transaction.
Your QR code aka tickets will be available on the day that you have scheduled, so make sure to screenshot the QR code on the day before you go if you don’t bring a WIFI with you.
Get discount from Klook
Want to score DISCOUNTED TICKETS? You can purchase from Klook and input the voucher code “BetterOnApp.” The voucher code gives a 5% discount on your first-time booking in Klook.
TeamLab Borderless in Tokyo
Apart from TeamLab Planets in Tokyo, you can also visit another art museum in Tokyo. After closing in August 2022, TeamLab Borderless Odaiba has reopened and moved to a different location but still in Tokyo.
Although a bit smaller, the newly opened (yes, it just opened on February 9, 2024) TeamLab Borderless in Azabudai Hills in Central Tokyo also showcases amazing artwork that would surely make you get lost in time.
Vegan Ramen UZU Tokyo
After having an enjoyable time at the TeamLab art museum, you must be looking for things to do near TeamLab Planets. Of course, you can’t leave the place with an empty stomach!
That’s why you can enjoy lots of good food at the vegan ramen restaurant near TeamLab Planets Tokyo.
In front of the TeamLab Planets location is Vegan Ramen UZU Tokyo which serves vegan noodles and ice cream. The soup base is made from Japanese shiitake mushrooms, vegetables, and Rausu kelp.
The chef uses Hokkaido Prefecture flour and Miyazaki Prefecture organic whole grain flour for its noodles. As of writing, the available flavors of ramen are soy sauce vegan ramen and spicy miso vegan ramen.
Besides serving vegan ramen, the resto in front of Teamlab Planets Tokyo Japan also serves vegan ice creams with pistachio, pink rhubarb, mint cucumber, and caramel coconut flavors. There are also many different drinks to choose from.
How Long to Spend at TeamLab Planets?
At TeamLab Planets, how long should you stay to ensure that you make the most out of the money you paid for?
It’s one of the things I also look for before going places. Of course, since we want to make sure we spend the right amount of time without overstaying at places, we want to know how long to stay in each place.
We spent about 2 hours inside TeamLab Planets, but you can stay longer if you want to. Art enthusiasts might want to stay a bit longer to enjoy more. So if you’re planning on going in a bit later in the evening, take note that you should be there at least 2 hours before TeamLab Planets closing time (that’s 10 PM) so you can enjoy each station to the fullest.
Water area
We booked the time from 11:30 AM to 12:00 NN and arrived at the site a few minutes past 11:30. While the queue wasn’t that long, we waited for about 5 minutes before we were allowed to enter.
The assisting people will invite you into a black room with a TV showing instructions on what to do. After waiting for a while, the same person will orient you in Nihongo about what to expect inside.
You need to remove your shoes and socks and keep them safe in a locker you can choose in the next room. And since there is a wet area, you need to roll your pants up or change into your shorts to avoid your pants from getting wet.
NOTE: If you did not bring any SHORTS, you can RENT them in the place for free.
Besides your shoes and pants, you also need to keep all your belongings inside the locker. But you can bring your camera and cellphone to take pictures.
Waterfall of Light Particles at the Top of an Incline
A slanting waterfall will greet you upon entering the wet area. This is a clever way of making sure that all the visitors will cleanse their feet to maintain the cleanliness of the museum. After that, towels are available in the next room for drying your foot.
Soft Black Hole
Once you are dry, you will enter a room called the soft black hole. In it, you have to pass through by walking on soft holes. The weight of your body will affect the hole and your feet will sink. This allows your body to interact with the space and in the same way, affect other people around you.
This phenomenon allows us to become more conscious about our bodies because it reminds us of our weight. And it is a way to let us know that others are affected by our actions.
Our toddler had a lot of fun inside the soft black hole. At first, he got curious as to why his feet sank on the floor that he was walking at. Soon, he got accustomed and enjoyed interacting with his surroundings.
The Infinite Crystal Universe
After the soft black hole, the next attraction consists of dots of lights to create three-dimensional objects. Infinite crystal universe has a very relaxing vibe that lets visitors enjoy not only taking photos but also getting lost in time.
The sound and transition of lights in the area let you into a magical world unlike any other. You can easily get lost as you stroll through the waves of dotted lights. My toddler was in awe of the stream of lights he has never seen before.
It took us more than 15 minutes to stay in the infinite crystal universe because not only it is Instagrammable, but also a great way to forget about all our worries behind. With hesitation, we had to leave to move to the next attraction.
Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People
Walking through the hallway of water, the next one after the lights is the water surface created by the dance of koi. You will see digital koi swimming in the almost knee-length water surface upon entering the area.
The swimming jewels are affected by the people present in the water. Notice that if a koi touches you, it turns into petals of flowers. And the flowers that they turn into are based on the season the country is currently in.
Expanding Three-Dimensional Existence in Transforming Space
My toddler’s excitement rose again upon seeing gigantic balls coming his way. The light white spheres change in color when moved. The change in color affects the surrounding spheres that create a three-dimensional space.
My son was thrilled that there were big balls everywhere. He kept pushing one ball from another. The people were also pushing the spheres around and it made my son jump with glee. He instantly made new playmates!
Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers
When you are done with the giant spheres you will move to floating in the falling universe of flowers section. In it, you can engulf yourself in a dark space where flowers fall. You can either lie down or sit on the floor to be connected with the falling flowers.
You will see the life cycle of flowers as you watch the artwork generated by a computer program. After watching the continuous falling of flowers, you’ll soon feel that the floor is rotating even though it is not.
We didn’t realize how much time we spent staying in this attraction. So, after some time, we stood up and left so we could move to the next one before we surpassed our toddler’s naptime.
Garden Area
After the water area, you will proceed to the garden area with the last 2 attractions. You will pass the locker area at the starting point, so you can use the comfort room before you go to the next part of the TeamLab Planets Tokyo museum.
Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms
Before you step out into the moss garden, the staff will give each one of you slippers so you don’t have to walk barefoot on the floor. You will see ovoids all around the moss garden. These silver ovoids reflect the world around them.
You will notice that when you try to push them, they fall but rises back again, much like a punching toy we used to enjoy when we were young. I believe you will enjoy this area more if you go there during the sunset.
The rays of the sun setting will reflect and bring out a shiny glow among each ovoid. You will hear a sound tone when one ovoid touches another. We noticed that the moss garden is exposed to the environment so you can feel the weather outside of TeamLab Planets Tokyo museum.
After taking pictures, we decided to move on to the last part of the museum. You have to return the borrowed slippers to the shelf for others to use. We saw a couple who forgot to return and wore the slippers to the next attraction, thankfully a staff was there to help them.
Floating Flower Garden
Last but definitely not least is the floating flower garden. This must be one of the attractions that are the most remembered because it is the first image I saw when I first checked the TeamLab Planets Tokyo website.
After returning our slippers to the shelf, we entered a square room and were asked to line up. A few minutes after queueing, the doors opened and we saw floating orchids that filled the garden. And we had to line up again to wait for our turn.
We didn’t wait that long, and when it was finally our turn, we entered the garden where the floating flowers hung by crawling. We were very careful not to touch the flowers as we were instructed that it was prohibited.
Very quickly we took our pictures, and not even 5 minutes had passed, the staff told us to vacate the garden for the next visitors. Maybe the area was getting too crowded already so the staff had to rush us.
I hope that they had allowed us to stay longer in the floating flower garden to help us feel more of the flowers and enjoy them more because it was the last part of the museum.
Teamlab Planets Tokyo Review Conclusion
Our experience in TeamLab Planets Tokyo was indeed one-of-a-kind. It was a great decision to visit the child-friendly art museum in Japan especially because our toddler enjoyed the attractions to the fullest.
The Japan art museum started to operate in 2018 and was said to close down a year later.
We were able to see, feel, and experience the extended opening of the TeamLab Planets Tokyo. And according to TeamLab’s official website, it will run until the end of 2027. Next time, we might try out its other museum: TeamLab Borderless located in Osaka.
Since we weren’t able to capture the best sight in some of the areas like the moss and floating flower garden at Tokyo TeamLab Japan, I think we have more reasons to come back and take better TeamLab Planets photos if given the opportunity again in the future.
Have you been to TeamLab Planets Tokyo? How about TeamLab Planets Osaka? Were you able to see the difference between TeamLab Planets vs Borderless? Let me know your experience in the comments section!
