Odaiba is called the “Island of Entertainment” for good reason. There are more activities there than you could possibly complete in a day. So how do you choose what to do, and when? These are the top 10 things you can do in a day in Odaiba, along with our recommended itinerary. Of course, you don’t have to do all ten in a single day, just choose what interests you the most!
1. Start with a ride on a Tokyo Water Bus (水上バス)
- Price: ¥460 ~ ¥1720, depending on the starting location
- Hours: Most ferries run once or twice an hour
- Website: www.suijobus.co.jp/en/price and www.tokyo-park.or.jp/waterbus
Tokyo’s Water Buses are a great way to reach Odaiba. There are two services, one run by Tokyo Cruise Ship Company and the other by the Mizube Cruise Line. It’s much more fun to take these ferries than to take the metro, as they offer a unique view of the city from over the water. The buses have departures from Asakusa, Hinode, and the Hamarikyu Garden. If you start in Asakusa, you’ll descend the Sumida river, before cruising out over Tokyo Bay.
2. Grab a seaside breakfast at Decks Tokyo Beach
- Price: ¥1000 ~ ¥2000
- Hours:</strong > Weekdays 9am ~ 8pm Weekends/Holidays 8am ~ 8pm (Last order 7pm)
- Website: www.odaiba-decks.com/en
At Decks Mall, like most malls in Japan, the upper floors are reserved for bars and restaurants. The high vantage point means you can admire the morning view of the Rainbow Bridge. Of particular note is Bill’s, an Australian restaurant chain with a delicious brunch menu. They are particularly well known for their ricotta pancakes. If brunch isn’t your thing, the mall also has a takoyaki museum, where you can try many different kinds of the yummy Osaka specialty.
3. Play VR Games at Tokyo Joypolis
- Price: Adult (18+) ¥800, Children (7-17) ¥500. The price for each game varies, however, an unlimited game passport is available.
- Hours: Weekdays 11am ~ 7pm (Last Entry 6:15 pm) Weekends/Holidays 11am ~ 8pm (Last Entry 7:15 pm)
- Website: tokyo-joypolis.com/language/english
Tokyo Joypolis is also located in the Decks Mall. This indoor amusement park has VR games, rollercoasters, a haunted house, and dozens of other attractions. It’s a great place for a date, or for having fun with friends.
4. Explore teamLab Borderless
- Price: Adults ¥3200 Children (4-14) ¥1000
- Hours: Weekdays 11am ~ 5pm Sun Weekends/Holidays 10am ~ 5pm
- Website: borderless.teamlab.art
Teamlab’s magical, immersive world of lights and music is a must-see in Odaiba. We especially recommend the tea house, where blooming flowers are projected onto the surface of your bowl of matcha. You could easily spend all day here alone. We recommend purchasing tickets in advance!
5. Enjoy the Colorful Palette Town
- Price: Free
- Hours: Weekdays 12pm ~ 7pm Weekends/Holidays 12pm ~ 7:40pm
- Website: www.daikanransha.com
As you leave TeamLab Borderless, you’ll head through Palette Town, a collection of crane games, puricura photo booths, and stores. There is also the Tokyo Mega Web, a giant indoor racetrack where you can admire (or even drive) Toyota sports cars. If cars and crane games aren’t your thing, palette town also hosts the Giant Sky Wheel. What better way to see the cityscape than from the top of a colorful Ferris wheel. The wheel itself is visible from almost everywhere in Odaiba.
6. Grab Lunch at Aquacity’s Ramen Park
- Price: ¥500 ~ ¥1500
- Hours: 9am ~ 8pm (Last order 7pm)
- Website: www.aquacity.jp.e.yp.hp.transer.com/tokyo_ramen_kokugikan/
Aquacity is a mall themed like a Mediterranean town, with many shops and restaurants. However, on the 5th floor, the Ramen Park, or ‘Tokyo Ramen Kokugikan Mai’, is very much Japanese. Here you can try ramen from six of Japan’s best ramen shops. If you love ramen, this place is perfect for you!
7. Head to Diver City Mall to See the Giant Gundam
- Price: Free
- Hours: The Gundam is free to however, check the site for the transformation performance schedule.
- Website: www.unicorn-gundam-statue.jp
If you’re a fan of Gundam, you can’t miss the life-size Unicorn Gundam statue. The statue is illuminated after dark, but it’s cool to see at any time of the day. Behind the statue is Divers City, another large shopping mall.
8. Sunset Stroll at Odaiba Seaside Park
- Price: Free
- Hours: You can visit the park at any time, however, some facilities may have special hours
- Website: www.tptc.co.jp/park/01_02/point
After all these indoor activities, why not spend some time enjoying the seaside? Odaiba Seaside Park is a beach running along the bay. Walk out to the endpoint for a view of the sunset over the water. You can watch the Rainbow Bridge light up as the sun goes down, all while enjoying the evening breeze coming off the bay. The park also includes a famous Odaiba landmark: the miniature Statue of Liberty. Make sure to take a photo of the statue with the Rainbow Bridge in the background!
9. Dinner with a View at Venus Fort
- Price: ¥1000 ~ ¥2000
- Hours: 9am ~ 8pm (Last order 7 pm)
- Website: www.venusfort.co.jp/
At the end of the day, pretend like you are suddenly on the other side of the world, in an Italian town. Inside Venus Fort, the walls are designed to look like Italian buildings, a fountain sparkles in the central plaza, and a dreamy sky is painted on the domed roof above. Aside from admiring the interior, you can also go shopping or have dinner at one of this mall’s many restaurants.
- Price: Adults ¥2218 ~ ¥3098, depending on hours and days, Children 4-12 ¥1078 under 4 years old enter free
- Hours: 11:00 am – 12:00 am (On maintenance days 11:00 am – 11:00 pm) Morning Hours from 5:00 am – 9:00 pm
- Website: daiba.ooedoonsen.jp/en
Like many large onsen, Oedo Onsen Monogatari has food, entertainment, massages, not to mention the ability to soak in a hot spring. What makes this onsen really stand out from the rest though is its Edo-era theme. Traditional festival music plays, while you enjoy festival games at the stalls in the main hall. The buildings within the hall are all built to look like traditional Japanese houses, and everyone gets yukata to wear, so you can pretend for a moment like you have been transported back to Edo-era Japan!
