ODAIBA

Odaiba Tokyo Japan - Odaiba Hotels, Odaiba sight seeing, shopping, Odaiba restaurants, Odaiba pictures and transport.

Odaiba (お台場) (sometimes known as Daiba) is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan. Administratively it is a part of Minatoku, Tokyo. You can find Odaiba in our Tokyo Port Map.

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Odaiba History

Odaiba「お台場」 was originally constructed in 1851 by the Tokugawa shogunate as a series of 6 fortresses in order to protect Tokyo from attack by sea, the primary threat being Commodore Matthew Perry's Black Ships, which had arrived in the same year. Daiba in Japanese refers to the cannon batteries placed on the islands.

In 1928, the 3rd Odaiba was refurbished and opened to the public as park, which remains open to this day.

Odaiba Shopping Centre (foreground) Fuji TV Studios (background)

We have over 50 Odaiba pictures in our Japan Picture Gallery.

The modern redevelopment of Odaiba started after the success of Expo '85 in Tsukuba「つくば万博」. The Japanese economy was riding high, and Odaiba was to be a showcase as futuristic living, built at a cost of over $10 billion. The "bubble economy" 「バブル景気」burst in 1991, and by 1995 Odaiba was a virtual wasteland, underpopulated and full of vacant lots.

In 1996, the area was rezoned from pure business to allow also commercial and entertainment districts, and the area started coming back to life as Tokyo discovered the seaside it never had. Hotels and shopping malls opened up, several large companies (including Fuji TV 「フジテレビ」 ) moved their headquarters to the island, and transportation links improved.

Odaiba Attractions

Today's Odaiba is a popular shopping and sightseeing destination for Tokyoites and tourists alike. Some major attractions include:

• Fuji TV studios with a distinctive building designed by Kenzo Tange. The studio tour is of limited interest unless you speak Japanese and/or are familiar with Fuji's programming, but you can visit the second-highest story for free for some nice views. There is an up market French restaurant within the giant ball suspended in the structure.

• Decks Tokyo Beach shopping mall, featuring Sega Joypolis and Little Hong Kong
  
• Palette Town
  Palette Town is a complex that includes Venus Fort and Toyota MEGA WEB.
  
  
  
• Venus Fort, a Venice-themed shopping mall contains many exclusive fashion boutiques targeted towards women. A major feature of the complex is the curved ceiling with the sky painted with the lighting creating a sunset every thirty minutes. There are marble fountains along with all the shop fronts looking like the buildings of Venice.
  
• Odaiba Seaside Park (お台場海浜公園 Odaiba Kaihin Koen). (Yurikamome Odaiba-kaihin-koen) Features one of two beaches in mainland Tokyo, but swimming is not recommended as the water is rather polluted. Along the beach runs a broadwalk dotted with couples, as this is considered the most romantic spot in Tokyo. The park also contains a copy of the Statue of Liberty, not eveyone's idea of good taste, but popular with the Japanese. Have a picnic on Dai-San Daiba (第三台場 No. 3 Battery), located nearby and now turned into a pleasant little park.
  
• Zepp Tokyo, one of Tokyo's largest performance hall/nightclubs
  
• Aqua City - Shopping centre
  
  
  
  
  
• The Museum of Maritime Science
   (船の博物館 Fune no kagakukan). (Yurikamome Fune no kagakukan). A six-story museum shaped like a full-sized ocean liner, unsurprisingly devoted to ships. One of the main displays, a gigantic turbine engine, was actually set in place first and the museum was built around it. There are a few historic vessels on the adjacent wharf.
  
• National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
  (Miraikan/ MeSci) The museum is run by an independent administrative agency, Japan Science and Technology Agency. It opened on 9 July 2001. Its curator is an astronaut Mamoru Mori. The museum aims to provide a place where people can experience the latest science technology. Museum attendants and volunteers are taught to actively communicate with visitors. It is located in 41-2 Aomi, and the nearest stations are Fune no Kagakukan or Telecom Centre on New Transit Yurikamome.
  
• Daikanransha
  One of the world's largest ferris wheel at 115m. It provides an ideal place to view Odaiba and Tokyo Bay.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Panasonic Center
  The Panasonic Center is a showcase for the the Matsushita Group which includes the Panasonic brand. It features the latest products and technologies including cameras, TV screens, computers, home appliances and concept products no yet available.
  
  
• Ariake Colosseum
  Sometimes known as the "Wimbeldon of Tokyo" as it is the site of the Japan Open (tennis). The Ariake Colosseum is a multi purpose venue and is also used for concerts and boxing matches. The roof can also be opened.
  
  
• Tokyo Big Sight
  (Yurikamome Ariake, Rinkai Kokusai-tenjijo-mae). Japan's largest exhibition and convention center. The four inverted pyramids are hard to miss and worth a look.
  
• Telecom Centre
   This is a major telecommunication hub between Tokyo and the rest of world. It also features an observation deck where you can see Odaiba and on a good day Mount Fuji.
  
  
  
  
• Toyota MEGA WEB. (Yurikamome Odaiba Kaihin Koen/Rinkai Teleport Town). A Toyota car technology showcase where you see some great racing cars Toyota produces, drive a micro electric car and sit in many of the current Toyota cars many of which are not available outside of Japan.
  
• Oedo-Onsen-Monogatari (大江戸温泉物語). (Yurikamome Telecom Center). Tokyo's newest and largest (artificial) hot spring complex, done up in Edo-era (1800s) style and featuring an endless array of bathtubs of all temperatures and flavors- including: uchiyu (insidebath), iwa-buro (an outdoor rockbath), ashiyu (a footbath) and suna-buro (sandbath, separately charged). There are plenty of restaurants, bars, souvenir shops inside, and resting rooms for sleeping too. You'll get a wrist tag on entry, which acts as your wallet while inside, so anything you buy is paid when you leave. Open from 11 AM to 9 AM daily (yes, 22 hours a day); entrance a fairly steep ¥2700, discounted to ¥1900 after 6 PM, but beware the ¥1500 late night surcharge after 2 AM.
  
• Odaiba Pictures - See more pictures of Odaiba in our picture gallery.

Odaiba at night. Picture by Gorgo

Odaiba Transport

Odaiba is linked to Tokyo proper by many bridges and tunnels, including the scenic Rainbow Bridge. We have a complete page on the Rainbow Bridge.

By public transport Odaiba is accessible via the automated Yurikamome transit system from Shinbashi as well as with the privately operated Rinkai Line running between Osaki and Shin-Kiba. City buses provide cheaper if slower access. Ferries also operate between Tokyo and Odaiba.

(Article based on Wikipedia article and used under the GNU Free Documentation License)