Odaiba is a man-made island out in Tokyo Bay, and it’s home to the kind of experiences you’ll definitely tell your friends about when you get home. There are great things to see at just about every station.
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AOMI STATION/TOKYO TELEPORT STATION
This is the home of the giant five-story Gundam robot! It’s right outside the DiverSity shopping complex next to the Tokyo Teleport Station.
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TELECOM STATION
Let’s make a stop at The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (better known as the Miraikan) to play with all the technologies that Japan excels at: robots, virtual reality, interesting manufacturing stuff, and a giant mechanical model of the internet.
It’s their special exhibits I love the most, though.
Check to see what’s happening here.
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ODAIBA KAIHIN-KOEN STATION
First, let’s stop at The Trick Art Museum. It has 45 different scenes designed so you can pose in them and take pictures doing incredible feats.
Then, if we’ve bgot a kid or two, let’s go to Tokyo Legoland. It’s got models of all my favorite Tokyo neighborhoods (built of Legos, of course!), and as the lighting cycles through 24 hours, the cars roaming the streets turn on their headlights and the buildings light up. They’ve even sneaked in a few fun surprises, like a button that makes Godzilla pop up out of a Shibuya skyscraper and a baseball stadium that’s actually a pinball game you can play. (Note: Adults aren’t allowed to go into Legoland without a kid, so be sure you recruit one before you try to buy a ticket.) Anyone can go in the store, though, which has awesome Lego-themed merchandise like Minfig popsicle molds.
On the lower level of the Sea Side Mall building is Joypolis, an indoor amusement park/arcade with lots of virtual reality rides.
Hungry yet? Restaurants are on the 5th & 6th floors, and the ones on the Tokyo side have great views. There’s even a retro shopping street, where the stores sell souvenirs from bygone days.
When it’s time to leave, if we’re feeling energetic, we can walk across the Rainbow Bridge to Tamachi Station and see the amazing views of Odaiba and the Tokyo skyline along the way (takes about half an hour).
Or if we don’t feel like walking, we can take the monorail from Shinbashi station. It loops out over the bay, and we’ll get a great view of the island.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Last Tea Bowl Thief was chosen as an Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense on Amazon
“A fascinating mix of history and mystery.” —Booklist
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
Jonelle Patrick writes about Japan 