What is TeamLab?
teamLab is a Tokyo-based interdisciplinary art collective founded in 2001. They create immersive digital art installations where technology, nature and people interact — blurring the boundaries between the viewer and the art itself. Their work has been exhibited across the world, but their two permanent Tokyo museums remain their most celebrated projects.
Both museums are located in Tokyo and are consistently among the most visited cultural attractions in Japan. Despite sharing the same creator and ethos, the two experiences feel meaningfully different — and which one is right for you depends on what you're looking for.
TeamLab Borderless — the bigger experience
TeamLab Borderless, Azabudai Hills, Tokyo
TeamLab Borderless opened in its current location at Azabudai Hills in Minato City in 2024, after its original Odaiba venue closed. The new space is larger and more ambitious — housing over 50 interconnected artworks spread across multiple floors of a purpose-built venue.
The defining concept of Borderless is that the art has no borders — installations move freely through the building, spilling from room to room. The works respond to each other and to visitors. Stand still long enough and the art will change around you. Move through a doorway and you carry the light with you. It's genuinely unlike anything else.
Highlights include the Forest of Resonating Lamps — a mirrored room filled with hundreds of hanging lights that pulse and change color in response to your presence — and Microcosmoses Beyond Borders, an ever-shifting universe of digital forms that visitors can influence through movement and touch. Allow a full 2–3 hours; most people end up staying longer.
TeamLab Planets — the intimate experience
TeamLab Planets, Toyosu, Tokyo
TeamLab Planets is located in Toyosu, Koto City — a 35-minute journey from Shibuya on the Yurikamome line. It's a smaller venue than Borderless, with just seven main spaces, but each one is maximised for intensity. This isn't a museum you wander through at leisure — it's a sequence of carefully designed environments that build on each other.
The most famous element of Planets is the water walk. Visitors remove their shoes and socks at the entrance and wade barefoot through a shallow pool of water covered in shifting digital reflections. It's disorienting and beautiful — many people describe it as the single most memorable experience they've had in any museum, anywhere. The Floating in the Falling Universe of Flowers installation, where you lie on a reflective floor beneath a digital cosmos, is equally unforgettable.
Because the spaces are smaller and the visitor flow is more controlled, Planets can feel more personal than Borderless. You're not competing with hundreds of people for the same corner of a room. The trade-off is that the experience is shorter — most visitors complete the route in 1–2 hours.
Borderless vs Planets — side by side
| Borderless | Planets | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 50+ artworks | 7 main spaces |
| Location | Azabudai Hills | Toyosu |
| Experience | Exploratory, wander freely | Linear, more intense |
| Gets wet? | No | Yes — walk through water |
| Duration | 2–3 hours | 1–2 hours |
| Price | $25 | $21 |
| Closes | Permanent | 2027 |
| Best for | First-timers, art lovers | Sensory seekers |
How to get there
TeamLab Borderless
Take the Hibiya or Toei Oedo line to Roppongi Station. The museum is a 5-minute walk from exit 7. Journey time from Shibuya: approximately 20 minutes.
TeamLab Planets
Take the Yurikamome line to Shin-Toyosu Station. The museum is a 3-minute walk from the station exit. Journey time from Shibuya: approximately 35 minutes.
Practical tips
- Book tickets at least 2–3 weeks ahead — 4–6 weeks for weekends and public holidays
- Wear socks for Planets — you'll walk barefoot through water, but socks are required before the water entry point
- Arrive at opening time to experience the first 30 minutes before crowds build
- Wear dark, plain clothing — bright patterns and colors can distract from the artwork
- Both museums allow photography — a wide-angle phone lens works best in the low-light environments
- Allow extra time — most people stay significantly longer than they planned
Our verdict
If you only have time for one — go to Borderless. It's bigger, more varied, and the art flows between rooms in a way that feels genuinely alive. Choose Planets if you want something more visceral and personal — and don't mind getting your feet wet.
If you're visiting Tokyo for the first time and can only do one, choose TeamLab Borderless. It's the more comprehensive introduction to teamLab's work — you have space to explore, get lost and discover art at your own pace. With three or more hours available, it's genuinely one of the best museum experiences in Asia.
Choose Planets if you want something more visceral and are drawn to the idea of physically moving through the art rather than walking around it. It's particularly good for families with children who'll love the water — and since it closes in 2027, the clock is ticking. If your schedule allows it, visiting both on separate days is the ideal approach. They're different enough that one doesn't replace the other.
Ready to visit TeamLab?
Tickets sell out weeks in advance — especially on weekends and during cherry blossom season. Firebird Tours can include TeamLab in a fully planned Tokyo itinerary.
