Tips for Visiting TeamLab Borderless at the Mori Digital Art Museum in Tokyo
What is it?
Basically, TeamLab Borderless is an all-digital art “museum” (more of an exhibition, really) that you explore without a map or sense of direction. It’s meant to be playful and experimental - and of course, instagrammable.
ticket info
We visited at 4:30pm on a Tuesday and it was surprisingly crowded; but because we had already purchased our tickets we were able to walk right into the entry queue (probably saving about 20 minutes of standing in line).
You can also buy your tickets online or through your hotel concierge, like we did, but regardless of the method of purchase be forewarned that they are only valid on the one day that you choose.
Tickets cost 3200 yen for an adult (15 and over), 1000 for a child aged 4-14, and 1600 for a person with a disability + an accompanying person. Children up to 14 must be accompanied by an adult who is at least 20 years old, and 1 adult may accompany up to 3 children.
You can’t miss the entry! Ticket line is to the right once you enter.
is it good for kids?
You know your kid best, but I imagine that our daughter (almost 3) would have been terrified and clingy the whole time - making for a less-than-enjoyable experience for her parents, lol! I was glad we left her with my mom at the hotel.
The museum is very dark with lasers and light projections, and some of the rooms were a little creepy. However, I could see older kids thinking that it was fun - and there is lots of space to walk around and expend some energy— so it’s really a parental judgment call.
Some of the displays are interactive and will respond to your movement.
how much time do you spend at the museum?
Allow 2 hours to see and experience everything. We spent 1.5 hours in there, but we could have spent more time had I been able to go in all of the rooms. Pregnant women are prohibited from entering certain spaces where the terrain is uneven and there’s a tripping hazard, so I couldn’t go into the athletic forest or the exhibit with a net for a floor. (Sorry, I can’t be more descriptive because I didn’t see it!)
This was my favorite exhibit - the room of floating lanterns. It’s a timed entry and exit so it doesn’t get too crowded at once.
take lots of photos!
My recommendation is to take lots of photos… with your smartphone. Unless you’re a total pro, leave the DSLR at home. The lights in each exhibit are constantly moving and changing, and your DSLR light metering sensor will get totally confused (and produce quite awful photos). I gave up after the first room, and then was just carrying around my 2-pound bulky camera around for two hours. If you’re a novice like me, your smartphone will likely be better at taking these photos.
Also a very cool exhibit that might induce claustrophobia in some people.
how to get there
You can either take a train from Tokyo (would have taken about 1 hour from Roppongi and cost about 200 yen per person) or catch a cab. The museum is located on a man-made island off Tokyo Bay — so it is a little removed from the city — and took about 20 minutes to and from Roppongi. Our taxi cost 4000 yen going there and 3700 yen coming back- so not cheap, but we were on a date and pressed for time.
You can also purchase a package with tickets + hotel pickup from my Viator agent link.
There’s a large ferris wheel and some little shops and restaurants in the area too.
Have fun! It’s a real trip, like wandering around a modern-day Alice in Wonderland rabbit hole or something.
