Spending an Evening at the TeamLab Planets in Tokyo
- Anju Chandna
- Nov 22, 2025
- 3 min read
TeamLab Planets is an art museum in Tokyo that utilises digital technology to display its art.
The most important thing to know is that there are two such art installations in Tokyo, TeamLab Planets and TeamLab Borderless. Planets is a temporary exhibition that is scheduled to close in 2027. The experiences that these exhibits offer are quite different.
While TeamLab Planets in Toyosu involves walking along a guided path, offering tactile sensations like walking through water and moving along reflective rooms with music in the background, something like a light and sound show, only on a larger scale.
TeamLab Borderless, on the other hand, is a digital maze of visually artistic art exploration. I have not been to this, so I'm unable to make any direct comparison between the two or comment on which one is better and how.
Before I delve into what we saw in TeamLab Planets, you can watch this video to get an idea about what this is about...
As you can see, the entire installation has 4 large-scale artwork spaces and 2 gardens for visitors to walk through. The experience is immersive and interactive, and is a great place for families with kids.
The experience is psychedelic, as installations use technology and vivid imagery to create a surreal, virtual world. Digitally created colourful mammals roam around in a surreal forest, and colourful fish swim in virtual water, trees, plants, flowers, everything put together to create a mind-bending experience, often blurring the line between real and imaginary.
You will start your tour from the water area in knee-deep water, with the Waterfall of light and fire particles falling from the sky, then you will be led into the Garden Area, a floating flower garden. There is an interesting room called the Infinite Crystal Universe with tall, crystal danglings that create a dazzling effect as the LED lights on them switch colours.
Things to know about TeamLab Planets Tokyo before your visit
A paid shuttle service runs from Ginza Six directly to TeamLab Planets. Ginza Six is a luxury shopping mall and commercial centre in the Ginza District of Tokyo. But this route is useful only if you happen to be in that area.
If you wish to explore other modes of transport to reach TeamLab Planets, you can refer to this link for more information
The best time to visit is on a weekday morning, preferably midweek, when the crowds are thin, and you can experience these art installations in a more peaceful atmosphere.
Opening hours are 9:00 am to 10:00 pm on most days. Please check the official website for more information before making bookings.
Tickets cost 3800 yen for adults, 2300 yen for students and 1500 yen for children. They are available on all major online booking platforms. Please make bookings for your preferred date and time slot beforehand. The facility is extremely crowded, and it would be impossible to gain entry without pre-booked tickets.
It's important to know that you will have to take off your shoes for the first section of water and put them in the lockers provided. Once you're through with the water section, you can wear your shoes to explore the rest of the sections.
Is TeamLab Planets worth it?
Let me start by saying that this is entirely my personal opinion.
I found the facility to be a mixed bag of experiences, some okay, some good and some average. The forest part was good, but nothing spectacular. There is a lot of hype about such digital attractions these days.
We saw something similar in Austria, too, the Swarovski World in Innsbruck. I found that also a bit over-hyped. So, maybe it's just me.
It's certainly a good day out for families with kids.
In my opinion, if you have limited time in Japan, then spending half a day at TeamLab Planets is not worth it.
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