I returned to Tokyo recently and decided to include teamLab Borderless. The museum wasn't open during my first visit in 2016. I've heard good things about it and simply put, I enjoyed my time exploring this digital art museum.
The museum is simply beautiful. I liked the entire concept of no maps and encouraging visitors to just wander and discover. The concept revolves around pushing boundaries or removing them altogether, and blurring the lines between nature, humans and technology. The evolving displays depicting nature was spectacular. I sometimes just stood there looking at what was displayed with child-like wonder.
You'll have to explore on your own because there are no maps of the museum. I just went in and out of exhibit rooms to see what they held.
"teamLab Borderless is a group of artworks that form one borderless world. Artworks move out of rooms, communicate with other works, influence, and sometimes intermingle with each other with no boundaries. Immerse your body in borderless art in this vast, complex, three-dimensional 10,000 square meter world. Wander, explore with intention, discover, and create a new world with others."
This is a direct quote from the museum's website and I fully agree.
The lantern room was the most impressive for me, but you can't stay long inside. They time each group of visitors that enter and ask them to leave once their time ends. I stayed in line longer than the time I spent inside the room.
There was another room dedicated to play and creativity. This area was specifically for children but the child at heart visitor can enjoy too. There's a place where people can draw stuff and bring out their inner child.
My takeaway from the experience is that there is an inner child-like wonder in all of us. We just confine it with borders and limitations that may prevent us from realizing our true potential. I would definitely recommend visiting this museum if ever you are in Tokyo.
How to Go to teamLab Borderless museum
The museum is accessible by metro, the closest stop is Aomi Station. From the station, walk to the Toyota showroom and go through it. The entrance to the museum is near the giant Ferris Wheel.
You can buy your ticket here: teamLab Borderless Museum
Tips
- Go early, if you can go as soon as it opens, the better, lines can be very long just to enter.
- Buy your ticket early, lines for buying can get long even in the morning. If you don't have a ticket yet, you'll have to queue again after buying. Tickets can sell out on the day you want to buy so better book ahead.
- Lines can take up to 30 minutes for some exhibits (like the lantern room). That's why I recommend going early, the later in the day it gets, the longer you have to wait.
- There are no maps so you'll have to guess where some of the exhibits are. They encourage exploring with intention and discovering things on your own.
