Waking up this morning, I am feeling a lot better. It’s a good thing too because today I have a booking to visit Teamlab Planets Tokyo. TeamLab is like an interactive art exhibit that marries art, technology and nature that allows for visitors to experience and learn about the world around them. I am always hearing about how cool these exhibits are so I’m excited to be visiting today.
Team labs
My booking is one of the earlier morning time slots. And if you go, I would recommend going earlier rather than later. While they stagger the amount of people allowed into the exhibits, there isn’t really any control on when you need to leave. So the building can fill up as the day progresses and will only be as crowded as the number of people leaving.
When you first arrive and get through your ticket check. They group about 50 people at a time in a holding area to prepare you for the exhibit. They give you warnings like there are portions of the exhibit where you will be in knee height water and to adjust your clothing accordingly. Once the introduction is completed, you are then let into the locker area where you can store your bags and shoes. The rest of the exhibit is done in bare feet.
After “changing” you have two options to explore Teamlab. There is the outside option that takes you to the Moss and Flower Gardens. Or the indoors option that takes you to the rest. I opted to go indoors first.
Below, I’m going to share a little about each exhibit. So if you’d rather not spoil any of the surprises this exhibit has to offer, you can skip to the bottom of this post, picking up after I leave Teamlab.
Waterfall of Light Particles at the Top of an Incline
The entire indoor exhibit is a single linear path that goes through multiple exhibits. The first of which is the Waterfall of Light Particles at the Top of an Incline. (Yes this is the name of the exhibit). You start by walking down a darkened hallway before turning the corner and walking up an incline that has water flowing down it. At the end of the incline is a waterfall that is lit up. As a first exhibit, I found it kind of threw my expectations for a loop. I didn’t fully know what to expect and having to wade through water kind of sets a pretty high bar for the rest!
After you arrive at the top, you get to a small room where there are attendants with small towels that you can dry your feet off before continuing to the next exhibit.
Soft Black Hole – Your Body Becomes a Space that Influences Another Body
The next exhibit is the Soft Black Hole – Your Body Becomes a Space that Influences Another Body. (Yes another exhibit name!). This exhibit is in one large room where the floor kind of feels like a big lumpy stress ball. So as you attempt to navigate it you are thrown off balance by someone nearby trying to do the same. You push on one side and another side pops up, hence influencing another body! It’s also fairly dark so trying to anticipate other’s movements isn’t easy.
The Infinite Crystal Universe
After the black hole exhibit you walk through another dark hallway before you round the corner and arrive at a super bright room. This is home to the Infinite Crystal Universe. This is a huge room for of “light rods” of different lengths. They light up in different sequences and creates a pretty cool experience as you walk through. The lights will change colour, light up to a sequence or simply pulse. I think you can spend a good deal of time at different parts of the room and still see something different.
While this is a super cool exhibit, especially when the lighting sequences and audio queues add so much to it. I did find it similar to the ArtScience Museum that I visited in Singapore a few years back. Regardless, the concept and execution are very well done!
Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People – Infinity
After exiting the Infinite Crystal Universe, you again head down another darkened hallway. However this time the hallway eventually fills (or dips) into knee height water. You continue wading through the water until you turn another corner and are presented with huge room that is filled with knee deep water. On the water are projections of all manner of colourful fish and shapes. This exhibit is called Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People – Infinity. (I love these names!).
I think of all the exhibits this is probably one of my top 2. Wading through the water, seeing the array of colours, and the changing art on the water surface is oddly satisfying. I remember following Koi as they swim around and then just looking up and seeing how colourful everything is.
Expanding Three-Dimensional Existence in Transforming Space – Flattening 3 Colors and 9 Blurred…
After exiting the Dance of Koi exhibit, you are again given towels to dry your feet. Then you walk through another hallway and arrive at the next exhibit:Â Expanding Three-Dimensional Existence in Transforming Space – Flattening 3 Colors and 9 Blurred…(these names..). This is a room full of massive rubber balloons that light up and change colours. All the balloons are free flowing, so you could move them around as much as you wanted. People were lifting, pushing, and hugging the balloons. Similar to the black hole I think one of the unintended “consequences” of this exhibit is that one person pushing a balloon could inadvertently alter someone else’s arrangement or even photo opportunity! I noticed this a few times with people trying to get that “perfect” photo!
Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers
After leaving the balloon exhibit, I arrive at the next exhibit called Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers. This is probably my other candidate for top exhibit. You enter a medium sized spherical room where the entire surface of the wall is a huge screen. What’s interesting is that to enjoy the exhibit, most would find somewhere on the floor to have a seat and look up at the projections. Because of the spherical nature of the room you would need to look in all directions in order to take all of it in. This means that in most cases lying down and looking up offers the best vantage point. Doing so brings about an immersion which is a pretty cool experience!
Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms – Solidified Light Color, Sunrise and Sunset
At the end of the universe of flower exhibit, you return to the TeamLab locker room. To go on the outside track the staff suggest that you put some socks on, probably because it’s still winter and a bit cold. They do offer you slippers so if you think your toes will be fine for the brief time you are outdoors then you can go straight to the exhibit without visiting your locker. The first of the outside exhibits is called Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms – Solidified Light Color, Sunrise and Sunset. The area opens up to what is literally a garden of moss with these silver reflective stones scattered everywhere. The imagery and exhibit are cool, however its unfortunate that its not super interactive. There is a viewing area that is “separated” from the exhibit and though you can get very close to some of the stones, there isn’t much to “do” except look at the landscape of stones.
Floating Flower Garden: Flowers and I are of the Root, the Garden and I are One
The final exhibit is probably their signature exhibit and the one featured most prominently in their advertising. This one is called Floating Flower Garden: Flowers and I are of the Root, the Garden and I are One. It’s super bright, super colourful and very pretty. The roof is where all the plants and flowers are hung from and the floor is a big mirror. The roof periodically lowers itself to the ground and with the reflection of the mirror it really does feel like you are “inside” the plant wall.
After the Flower garden you return once again to the locker room. I suppose there isn’t anything to stop you from going through the exhibits again and it did dawn on me to try again. However, I was getting a bit hungry, so I end up exiting TeamLab and head out in search of food.
Tsujiki
The Tsujiki outer market is a short bus ride away from Teamlab so I make my way here. The fish market no longer does its tuna auctions here, but the outer market is still a draw for visitors. There’s still a tone of store fronts and food vendors in the area.
SushiZanMai
While there are many options for food in this area, there’s a chain restaurant that I’ve heard about called SushiZanMai. There are two locations here in Tsujiki and I noted that one didn’t have a lineup, so I decide to have lunch here. With my stomache feeling much better I figure why not push it a little. There’s nothing like lots of raw seafood to see if my appetite is back! I order a sushi rice along with one fatty tuna and eel sushi. I’m happy to report that there were no ill effects from my recent ailments and everything tastes super fresh and super good. Ever since I knew I would be visiting Japan having fresh seafood on rice has been near the top of my list. I’m glad that I’m able to check this item off!
While my stomache no longer feels like it will be an issue, my energy levels are still not back to 100%. With such an eventful morning/afternoon, I’m starting to feel a bit fatigued, so I decide to head back to hotel to rest and take a nap.
Ikinari Steak
By the time I wake up its well into the evening and I don’t have anything really to do except catch up on some meals! So I head to another place that’s on my list called Ikinari Steak. This is a chain steak house where they specialize in affordable and quick steak meals. Ever since reading about it, I really want to try it. To my knowledge there isn’t anything like this in my neck of the woods. Most steak restaurants at home tend to be larger fancier or family style spots. The concept of almost catering to efficient solo dinning for steak is pretty cool to me!
Upon, entering the restaurant I’m quickly seated and you can tell the place is designed for an efficient in and out dining experience. You then order the type and weight of the meat. You decide how you want it done and off they go. Prior to cooking the cook will come out to present you with the uncooked steak for your approval. Once you give the OK they go, cook it and it comes out on a hot plate with some sides. It’s actually cooked quite well and I really don’t have anything bad to say about it! For the price, efficiency and quality of food, its an easy recommend!
Shibuya at Night
Full of steak, I decide just to wander a bit through Shibuya in the evening. Because its a weeknight, there is a distinct difference in how crowded it is compared to the previous weekend evening.
Eventually I head back to my hotel. I decide to turn in early just to recover more energy and hopeful to continue the recovery from my first day in Tokyo. Tomorrow I will be heading to Yokohama to spend a day there.