Odaiba

Odaiba is a huge artifical island in the middle of Tokyo that is basically a large entertainment complex. You can easily spend a whole day here. Some of the highlights of this island were: -DiverCity - A big shopping mall with virtual reality attractions. This place really stands out because of the life size Gundam statue at the front. -Decks - Another shopping mall, but more of a standard mall with a mix of Japanese and Western restaurants and stores. -Palette Town - An entertainment center with video games, bowling, a ferris wheel, shops and more. -A replica of the Statue of Liberty (though smaller than the original) I wandered around Odaiba and there were too many things to see and do. I saw almost all locals walking around when I was there, but it is still fun to explore as a tourist.

Odaiba / Tokyo -- if there's a place in Tokyo that's completely alien to my sensibilities, this may be it. To me, it's like the Mall of America ground through a Japanese blender with the Vegas setting pressed on Medium. Jamie W. and I have never really hung out here before except for random visits to Toyosu Market (review: https://bit.ly/43EsIdE) and teamLab Borderless (review: https://bit.ly/3Knqzw2). This time we were on our way to the Odaiba Seaside dock to pick up the Tokyo Cruise to get to Asakusa. We had time to kill before our departure time, so we strolled to the artificial island's high points: the miniature Statue of Liberty, the view of Rainbow Bridge, the mammoth Unicorn Gundam statue (photo: https://bit.ly/45fbTat). We made a quick stop at Aqua City and found some candies from my childhood. We spent most of our time at the huge and quite overwhelming DiverCity Tokyo Plaza shopping complex. Jamie was searching for a store called Village Vanguard because he was on the hunt for unique souvenirs. We found it after much trial and error and couldn't find anything of interest. There was plenty more to see, but we just found the sensory overload enervating. Sigh. RELATED - Exploring Japan? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2qrUBZo

I love this area. It's mostly new stuff, but there are plenty of great stores and things to do here especially with Captain Santa! Can't go wrong with Captain Santa. There are a ton of stores for kids and adults alike and plenty great views to be had. It's a man made island, which gives it a unique flavor. Give it a visit.

There really isn't much to say here besides we were a bit disappointed in the whole area. We knew it was a man-made beach and area, but the whole deal felt very fabricated and forced. The beach was fine, though not really all that nice or great, and the rest of the area is just basically tourist-themed shopping. The views of the Rainbow Bridge and backdrop of the city were nice, but there are plenty of other good views in the city to spend your time at. We were particularly perturbed that the areas were a bit out of the way and thus, we took a half-day to give it. For a place that is supposed to be the entertainment district of Tokyo, it didn't feel that way at all. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but we wouldn't think twice about not coming back to this area if ever in Tokyo again. Walk across the Rainbow Bridge and take in the sights, but look elsewhere than the beach and surrounding area to spend your actual time.

Odaiba is a man-made island in the Tokyo bay area which has now become a shopping, dining, entertainment, and resort paradise. This is also where the teamLab Borderless Museum (please see separate review) is located. If you are visiting the museum, you could also plan on spending the whole day there to explore the island. One way to go there from Central Tokyo is to catch the Yurikamome Line at the Shiodome station which is easily accessible from Roppongi or Shinjuku. This is a very scenic ride, especially when the train makes the turn at Tokyo Bay and goes across the Rainbow Bridge. Talking about the Rainbow Bridge, the best place to take pictures of this World famous bridge at night is from Odaiba! Just look at the awesome pictures from yours truly! The first stop after crossing the Rainbow Bridge is the Odaiba-Kaihinkoen station which is a very short walk from The Deck, named after the decks of a cruise ship. It's a huge complex which is home to Sega Joypolis, one of the largest indoor amusement parks in Japan, Legoland, Madame Tussauds, Trick Art Museum, as well as numerous shops and yummy good eats. This is also one of a few excellent places to take a good picture of the Rainbow Bridge. The next station is Daiba, where you will find Japan's Statue of Liberty with the Rainbow Bridge in the background. It's another awesome photo spot as well as a perfect place for a romantic walk late at night, after the crowds have dissipated. The Statue of Liberty is just steps away from Aqua City, a huge complex which I liked better for dining than shopping. If you are really home sick and must have some familiar American food, you'll find a TGI Friday as well as a Red Lobster there. Across the pedestrian bridge going the other way is Diver City, another enormous shopping and dining paradise which is best known for its 60-foot tall Gundam Statue and its interactive lights show at night which kids (and adults too, perhaps) love. Venus Fort is somewhat like a re-creation of Caesar Palace's Forum, but to a smaller extent. Albeit its smaller size and relative lack of glamour, it's still a shopper's or foodie's dream come true! The closest station from the Venus Fort is Aomi. But if you want to go to the teamLab Bordeerless Museum, from Aomi station, bypass the Venus Fort but go through an exhibition hall toward the ferris wheel instead. All the places that I mentioned above are all within reasonable walking distances from each other, but I am listing the train stations just in case you want to go directly to one particular place. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Go there with a hearty appetite. Forget about the ying and just bring lots of YEN! Enjoy!

Odaiba is a man-made island, which overlooks Tokyo Bay, the Tokyo skyline, Rainbow Bridge, and the Statue of Liberty. The view from this deck is absolutely amazing. The wide open Bay with the crisp air is simply breathtaking! Below the deck is a "beach" with tons of photo opportunity. In fact, I saw a couple being photographed for possible engagement photos. There's lots of places to stroll around but, during the time I was here, I was more attracted to the cherry blossoms below the Statue of Liberty. In the upper deck, there was a crowd of tourists taking their selfies with the Statue; however, I didn't want any photobombers in my photo so I headed below deck to get some great low-angle shots of the Statue while framing it with some early cherry blossom blooms. The upper deck also gives you a view of people dressed in character to do some real life Mario Kart (Maricar). That was nice to just watch them from afar. Next to that, there's a Roof Garden which leads to the DiverCity building, which includes shops and eateries. Overall, it's a great place to easily spend half the day. Be sure to bring a camera, shopping money, and comfy shoes!

If you like big statues, they always have something big. Shopping and eating out here is not that cheap. Parking lot: Many. Nothing free. But if you spend a certain amount of money, it is free for a few hours.

A very fun place to go to that you can easily spend a day here at. Unfortunately I came in the late afternoon not thinking of what stuff there was to do but as soon as I arrived - I could easily see at least two-three different malls or shopping centres to go explore in. The famous Gundam that was revamped as part of the 2017 project is there, where the unicorn Gundam transforms to the V-shaped Gundam. There is the Fuji TV station, the rainbow bridge, great AYCE sushi that I didn't get a chance to go to around the Sea World or whatever that mall is towards the direction of the Rainbow Bridge. And - you get the Statue of Liberty to see as well. At night time, the Gundam does its light show and transforms to a music video or clips from the actual Gundam show. Highly recommended to visit if you have the time. There is also the takoyaki museum that you can opt to visit as well.

Odaiba is an artsy area of Japan where there's colorful land marks and interesting stuff such as the fake Statue of Liberty and duck pond area for kids to feed them. People came here to take their families to the park area and hang out. There's a little garden area along with a restaurant areas with burger joints. It's one of the places where I was confused on where I was, exactly but still a nice little area to peruse nonetheless.

Taking the train over here is a wonderful activity for an afternoon to get out of the city. The Japanese did a good job with reclaimed land making use of it to make it into useable space. There's enough to see and do that makes it worthwhile. Odaiba has shopping, restaurants, attractions and I believe I even saw a man made beach taking the train over. It's a short train ride from downtown bit a cool one going over the rainbow bridge as you do a 270 degree turn to loop over to the island. We came over for Venus Fort shopping, the Toyota City experience (great if you are an auto fanatic) and to see the giant Gundam. This afternoon activity would be a great place for a family day or to bring someone on a first or second date. If you want the experience to get out of downtown Tokyo but don't want to go too far it's right up that alley. Perfect half or full day activity in a busy urban metropolis!

When I lived in Tokyo I often found it hard to get away from the crowded roads. It was loud and people would push right by you. Odaiba had always been a safe haven for me. It's like an island, surrounded by beautiful waves and lights, that's easily accessible through public transit. It's much more quiet and you feel at ease being there. You can go down to the beach and see the rainbow bridge at night, or take a train around the entire area and marvel at its greatness. There are a couple of shopping malls, the Statue of Liberty, and a large ferris wheel. You can even go on a night cruise ship and enjoy dinner. The perfect spot to take a date. It is definitely a tourist area.

The kiddos enjoyed looking at huge robot! Lots of cherry blossoms and tulips in the area. Lots of ppl just strolling and hanging out. Nice place to just hang out.

Throughout my visit to Tokyo, this was by far my favorite location to go shopping. Whether it was for souvenirs, clothing, or food they have tons of options to choose from. Definitely take advantage of the free shuttle bus. I thought I planned my trip out to Odaiba, but I had no idea they offered a complimentary shuttle. You'll see the shuttle drop off/pick up area once you get off the subway station. Speaking of subway station, we traveled from Shibuya to Odaiba and got off on the Tokyo Transit exit. We made it in about 25 minutes with no transfers. Once we got off the subway and hopped on the shuttle, we grabbed some maps of the island and some coupons that were available on the bus. The bus only operates until about 7pm, so plan accordingly. The island itself is pretty big, so walking the island will be exhausting. The shuttle travels in a circle, so we decided to stop by Aqua City as our first stop. I believe there was about 8 or 9 floors at this particular location. I think I did the most shopping at this location since the majority of the stores offered Japanese branded items or clothing. They also have a Disney store, restaurants, a dollar store and a souvenir shop. Afterwards, we headed to Venus Fort/Mega Web. We were here for less than an hour, while at Aqua City we were there for about 2 hours. Venus fort was nice, but nothing spectacular. If you're a car enthusiast, definitely stop by Mega Web. They have a huge Toyota Showcase with different ride simulators available. This would also be the stop if you want to ride the Ferris Wheel. Our last stop was the Diver City/Gundam Statue stop. This was also a great stop for shopping. At this location, you'll see some familiar brands like Forever 21, Old Navy, Sanrio, etc. Diver City was our last stop since you could easily walk over to the subway station (about a 10min walk away). There's definitely plenty of photo opportunities throughout the island. The Gundam statue is by far the most breathtaking. If you are at AQUA city, head over to the outdoor area on the 3rd floor or higher, you'll get a breathtaking view of the Rainbow Bridge and the "Statue of Liberty".

Ok, so when you look at this place on a map, it looks all spaced together. I thought that I could just do a 1/2 day trip here and take the train in and just walk around. NO! This island is HUGE. You need to take the train to get to every shopping mall or landmark in Odaiba because everything is spaced out. The map I had wasn't to scale and didn't show any of the residential buildings or hotels, etc so I was a bit overwhelmed. I was only able to see a few things here. Guess I'll have to come back on my next Japan trip.

This is just an awesome place to be with a BEAUTIFUL view!! I was fortunate to visit here during a sunny day, and also again with the sunset into the night. It's so chill here, there's the Statue of Liberty nearby, make you think you're in New York. Then you walk down further to the little "beach" and there is sand and palm trees, make you think you're in Miami. Nice cafe serving ice cream and beer, playing music, there are chairs and tables, nobody bothers you, it's just all good. I love Odaiba! At night when the sun sets, the rainbow bridge illuminates, and the boats in the water do as well! They're all different colors, it's so cool.

Odaiba is a man-made island (built as a defensive military fort during the Edo Period) where you can easily spend an entire afternoon, if not an entire day. It's perfect for shopping, eating, playing, and sightseeing! They also have numerous museums and even a hot spring theme park. It can get crowded but compared to the busy streets in central Tokyo, it's relatively relaxing. I love how you can get a great FREE view of Tokyo skyline against the Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge. The island is filled with large shopping complexes and adorned with various landmarks such as the ferris wheel by Palette Town complex, fake Statue of Liberty by Aquacity shopping center, Fuji TV building, and life-size Gundam by Diver City mall. Odaiba is off of Tokyo Bay and accessible via Yurikamome and Rinkai independent rail lines (they still take Suica/Pasmo cards). We took the Yurikamome at Shimbashi (U1 train stop) and got off at Odaiba-kaihinkōen Station (U6) to explore the Decks, Aquacity, and Diver City. We were here for 3 hours and STILL ran out of time to check out Palette Town and the Telecom Center (museums and hot springs theme park). Plan for at least 4-5 hours! __DECKS__ I loved the Decks. It's two shopping buildings connected together with spacious wooden decks overlooking the water. They have an indoor amusement park complete with rides (wish we had time to check it out), Legoland (only for kids and their parents/chaperones), Madame Tussauds wax museum (we skipped), and my favorite, the Tokyo Trick Art Museum filled with interactive optical illusions. See my next review (or two) for this museum! The Decks also has many fun shops to browse through for traditional Japanese souvenirs. __AQUACITY__ Aquacity is known for the small outdoor replica of NYC's Statue of Liberty and a ramen theme park, which was unfortunately closed for renovations. The rest of the mall is pretty average with your typical modern-day clothing stores and food court. __DIVER CITY__ Diver City is across the major highway from Decks and Aquacity and on the Fuji TV side. We had to go across the pedestrian bridge/park connected to the Fuji TV building. It's famous for the life-size Gundam by the entrance. We didn't spend much time here. __PALETTE TOWN__ I wish we had time to check out Palette Town. They have Leisure Land, which is a large entertainment complex with arcades, karaoke, bowling, and apparently a ninja illusion house. The iconic ferris wheel is also here along with a Toyoto car showroom.

rode an autonomous electric car there and back. There is a "mini Statue of Liberty" given to japan by France around 1998. A great place to snap a few pictures. Perfect for tourists. Enjoy japan!

Every time I'm in Tokyo I always find myself out on Odabia for the weekend. Odaiba is a man made island full of fun and convention centers. From the casual shopping trip, to large events like the Tokyo Motor Show, its where you want to find you way to on the weekend. It is a big place and a bit confusing since its a bit sprawled out, but just follow the crowds and you will find what you are looking for. BTW, did I mention Gundam? LOL

Went here for my 18th birthday. It's beautiful! I love how modern it looks. Sorta feels like you're in the future lol. It's great place for shopping. And the scenery (view of the ocean and nature) is ethereal!

Wow, did not know this view existed in Japan. Its really beautiful with the beach and the bridge. You can take a nice walk at the beachwalk and watch the statue of liberty and the cherryblossoms at spring.

I would recommend you to see this real size. This is much cooler than comics and TV stuff.

"You went to Odaiba. By yourself." I respond affirmatively for the second time. Naoko is now holding in giggles. "No one does that!!!" she blurts out in full laughter. She is right. Odaiba is the tourist attraction for locals and you do not come here alone. The man-made island features an absurdly odd collection of shops, museums, restaurants and attractions. There's a giant 24 hour onsen that Naoko tells me features a live monkey show. I don't get a chance to see this particular form of relaxing animal slavery for myself, but some light Google searching turns up no hits. I'm somewhat relieved. A giant Ferris wheel that's one of the sixteen over-sized things you'll see at Odaiba is featured occasionally as the set for illegal porn shoots. You can also find a life-sized Gundam and a replica Statue of Liberty. Why is Lady Liberty guarding a tourist spot? I HAVE NO IDEA. There are probably ten shopping malls scattered about, but two memorable ones are Venus Fort, Odaiba's take on the Caesar's Palace mall, and Decks Tokyo Beach which had an area themed like the early 20th century. For real though--there are multiple malls situated less than a hundred meters from one another. You can't even tell when one ends and the next one begins. An arcade the size of a Westfield shopping center called Leisureland has everything from bowling alleys to a haunted house and a horse racing simulator. My favorite bit is the fact that you could ride these steerable monsters on wheels for a couple hundred yen. Imagine a go-kart that moves about walking speed, but *there's no track.* You can literally try and run people over and no one will be able to stop you. There's a store that only sells Michael Jackson stuff. 'Nuff said. There's a lot more, but Yelp reviews are limited to 5,000 characters. This place is not obviously insane when you're walking through it, but if you sit down and think about it you'll come to see how ridiculous and awesome this whole place is. Odaiba represents modern Japan's interpretation of how Westerners spend their weekends, but possibly with more monkeys. And yes, from personal experience I can attest that you will endure weird looks if you come here by yourself. Looks that humans normally reserve for lost puppies and bunnies at the fair. While walking around Shopping Mall #12 with Naoko, I see a store selling my favorite drink of all time: root beer floats. I ask Naoko to teach me how to order it in Japanese. Amazingly, my order actually comes out as a root beer float and not an octopus hot dog or monkey steak. "Not bad, huh?" I ask Naoko with the pride of someone conquering a challenge much more impressive than placing a dessert order. She looks straight into my eyes. "You speak Japanese like a five year old."