TeamLab Tokyo: Barefoot Bliss Meets the Pungent Price of Popularity
Enjoying the wonder and yonder…
My thoughts on Team Lab Tokyo: Planets
Venturing into the fantastical realm of TeamLab Tokyo Exhibition is like diving headfirst into a swirling pool of digital dreams. But, hold your horses, because there's a hidden secret beneath the dazzling facade that Instagram reels conveniently overlook.
The good
But before we get to that…let's talk about the good, and there's a lot of it. TeamLab Planets: Tokyo is the Michelangelo of the digital age, creating masterpieces that make your jaw hit the floor like a cartoon character. As you explore you'll find yourself lost in a wonderland where reality takes a backseat. Well until you need to snap those insta-ready photos alongside the other 1000 people there…
It’s an interactive exhibition, from wading through water, to sitting under a swarm of flowers, TeamLab turns you from a passive observer into an active participant, leading you through a maze of sensory delights. This is one of its key strengths, although not huge, you can spend a fair amount of time in each area exploring and watching the exhibition change. A key highlight for us was the flower room, where beautiful bouquets of hanging flowers move up and down around you as you sit on the floor.
The ball room.
Who knew this would be as fun at 30 as it was at 3?
In many ways Team Lab’s has many parallels to everything that makes Tokyo brilliant. It is innovation paired with creativity and executed at the highest level. The environment takes you on a journey, and through this lens it is its most inspirational. However, it is not without faults…
The bad
The exhibition has been open for up to six years, and there is some clear wear and tear. But this is minor when confronted with the real untold truth of TeamLab Planets. It smells like feet.
As you enter, you leave your shoes at the door and tread on the hallowed ground barefoot. It's a bit like joining a digital cult, only with fewer robes and more neon lights. But, and there's always a but, you're not alone in this barefoot ballet. Picture this: you, barefoot, in a sea of humanity, waltzing on the same path trodden by so many before, oh so many.
A path well trodden.
Potentially too well trodden….
The ugly
As you meander through the ethereal landscapes, you'll start noticing a scent. Not the fragrance of pixelated roses, mind you. It's more like the essence of a thousand journeys, a fragrance one might describe as "Eau de Shared Footprints." The invisible perfume of a thousand feet, a bouquet that tells the tale of many a sole's grand adventure. It's the souvenir you never knew you needed.
Having said that, for the Tokyo first timers, TeamLab Planets is a non-negotiable (but smelly) pit stop on your Japanese adventure. It's like the Disneyland of the art world – magical, whimsical, and slightly overwhelming. But for those who've dipped their toes into the pixelated ponds before, the charm does dwindle when you realize you're wading through the collective essence of Tokyo's finest feet.
The egg room (definitely not what it was called)
Was slightly worried something was going to hatch.
The key info at a glance (not a classic western title)
Opening times are are 9am to 10pm, but you will need to book a slot.
Adult tickets are 3800 JPY, and Kids are 1300 JPY.
The nearest train station is Shin-Toyosu station on the Yurikamome line, and a 10-minute walk from the Toyosu station on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho line.
For more information check out their official website - https://teamlabplanets.dmm.com/en
