Tokyo/Odaiba



Odaiba (お台場) is a large artificial island in Tokyo, featuring many hypermodern and just plain strange buildings memorably described as the result of an acid-soaked pre-schooler's architecture class. Administratively a part of the Minato, Koto and Shinagawa wards, the area is a very popular shopping and entertainment destination.

Understand
In 1853, the Tokugawa shogunate built a series of 6 fortresses in the Tokyo Bay 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 daiba was refurbished and opened to the public as a small park, which remains open to this day as the Daiba Park (the small square connected by a narrow causeway in the map below).

The modern development of Odaiba (お台場, with the honorific prefix) started after the success of Expo '85 in Tsukuba. The Japanese economy was riding high, and Odaiba was to be a showcase as futuristic living, built at a cost of over US$10 billion near the historic 3rd daiba. Unfortunately the "bubble economy" 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) moved their headquarters to the island, and transportation links improved.

Odaiba kicked off another wave of redevelopment in 2022, with the enormous Palette Town complex and many popular attractions in it (VenusFort, Zepp, Toyota Mega Web, ferris wheel, etc) closing for good. A new set of shopping and attractions is set to be unveiled in 2025-26, but in the meantime Odaiba will be quieter than usual.

Tokyo Odaiba Net is a great source of information in English on Odaiba.

Get in
Odaiba is linked to Tokyo proper by many bridges and tunnels, including the scenic Rainbow Bridge.

From Narita Airport
From Narita Airport, take the Keisei Skyliner to Ueno station, then take the Ginza Subway Line (a Tokyo metro line) to Shinbashi where you can transfer to the Yurikamome for service to Odaiba (about 1 hour 45 minutes to Daiba station, ¥2,390).

Regular and potentially-crowded Keisei tokkyu trains to Ueno station in place of the Skyliner increase the journey time slightly, but reduce the fare to ¥1,470. An easier alternative is to change at Aoto for the Toei subway Asakusa line to Shinbashi, where you can pick up the Yurikamome.

Japan Rail Pass holders can take the JR Narita Express to Tokyo Station, then wait on the same platform and take a Yokosuka Line local train one stop to Shinbashi to get the Yurikamome. It takes about 90 minutes to Daiba station, and Rail Pass users only have to pay the Yurikamome fare (¥310 in this case). Non-pass users must pay a total of ¥3,420.

Infrequent Airport Limousine buses (six per day) run from the airport directly to the major hotels on Odaiba (about 70–75 minutes depending on traffic, ¥2,700).

From Haneda Airport
Take the Tokyo Monorail to Tennozu Isle and change to the Rinkai Line for direct access to Odaiba. A transfer to the Yurikamome can be made at Tokyo Teleport or Kokusai-Tenjijo stations (25 minutes to the latter, ¥660).

For the longer but scenic route over the Rainbow Bridge, take a Keikyu line train, running through to the Toei Asakusa subway line, and change at Shinbashi to the Yurikamome (50 minutes to Daiba station, ¥920).

Airport Limousine buses depart once per hour (2-4 times between 14:00 and 16:00) for Tokyo Big Sight (about 25−30 minutes) and the major hotels on Odaiba (about 15–20 minutes, ¥500-600). Departures from 08:00-17:30 depending on location.

By train
Most visitors arrive in Odaiba via the automated Yurikamome "new transit system", a cross between a train and a bus, from Shimbashi on the Yamanote line (or Shiodome station on the Toei Ōedo Line subway). An attraction in itself, the driverless elevated trains cross the Rainbow Bridge with a 270-degree loop for some great views of Tokyo bay. One-way from Shimbashi to Daiba station will set you back ¥330 (any station farther will be ¥390), or you can buy a one-day pass for ¥820. The other option is to take the Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit (Rinkai Line ) from Ōsaki on the JR Yamanote Line or Shin-Kiba on the Metro Yurakucho line. Many of the trains connect directly from Ōsaki to Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Ōmiya, and Kawagoe via the JR-East Saikyō Line. While slightly faster, the train travels mostly underground and doesn't provide much in the way of views.

By bus
Toei city buses provide cheaper (¥210 per ride) if slower access to Odaiba. 海01(KM01) connects to Monzennaka-cho and 東16 connects to Tokyo station from Tokyo Big Sight. A few special bus services to other destinations are available weekends only. The private bus company Keikyu operates buses to Oimachi and Omori stations. Odaiba Rainbow Bus (\220) connects Shinagawa and Tamachi stations to northern areas of Odaiba via the Rainbow Bridge.

By boat


Suijobus Ferries also operate between Hinode Pier (on the Yurikamome line) and several stops in Odaiba. ¥400 one way. Tokyo Mizube Line (Japanese only) offers general transportation and special cruises.

Some of the boats connect to Asakusa along the Sumida river and to Kasai Rinkai Park near Tokyo Disney Resort.

On foot
You can cross the Rainbow Bridge on foot for free, it takes about 30 minutes. If you come by bicycle you will have to walk with it, the guards will actually have you place small wheels on your bicycle so that you don't ride it on the bridge.

The view over the Port of Tokyo is nice especially around sunset, though in winter (Nov to Mar), you have to enter by 17:30 and to exit by 18:00. In other months you can enter the pedestrian part of the road from 09:00-20:30 (30 minutes before you have to exit). Closed on the 3rd Monday every month and 29-31 Dec.

The Shibaura-side entrance can be hard to find, and that you have to choose which side to walk beforehand.

The northern side is recommended if you wish to look at buildings in the city center from above the port. The southern side is recommended for views on Odaiba.

Get around
The central areas of Odaiba can be covered by foot or by bus. The Yurikamome and Rinkai line also has several stations looping through Odaiba. Yurikamome has a one-day pass (Odaiba-Ariake Kaiyu Pass) for 8 stations in Odaiba and Ariake areas at \500.

Do
One of Odaiba's top attractions, the Ōedo Onsen Monogatari hot spring complex, closed permanently in 2021. Try LaQua in Korakuen or Mangekyo in Urayasu instead.



Buy
Odaiba is an unabashed paean to commercialism and features more malls than you can shake a stick at. Prices are somewhat higher than on the mainland.

A large commercial redevelopment kicked off in 2022, closing perhaps Odaiba's most famous mall, the Vegas-meets-Italy VenusFort. Its successor is set to reopen around 2025.


 * For the self-caterers a sufficient number of convenience stores is available. A Maruetsu supermarket (1-5-3 Daiba, Minato-ku, +81 3-5531-0781, 10:00-22:00) is near Odaiba-kaihin-koen station and a 99-yen shop (1-3-5-105 Daiba, Minato-ku, +81 3-3570-0599, 24 hours; food, stationery, etc.) just a few steps farther north. Two 100-yen shops (souvenirs, kitchen supply, stationery, etc.) are available: one in 1F of Aqua City Odaiba and the other in Wanza Ariake Bay Mall. Finally, there is a small shop (The Wholesalers Market Towers Odaiba) with expensive import foods and wines in The Towers Odaiba building (2-2 Daiba, Minato-ku) just east of Odaiba-kaihin-koen station.
 * For the self-caterers a sufficient number of convenience stores is available. A Maruetsu supermarket (1-5-3 Daiba, Minato-ku, +81 3-5531-0781, 10:00-22:00) is near Odaiba-kaihin-koen station and a 99-yen shop (1-3-5-105 Daiba, Minato-ku, +81 3-3570-0599, 24 hours; food, stationery, etc.) just a few steps farther north. Two 100-yen shops (souvenirs, kitchen supply, stationery, etc.) are available: one in 1F of Aqua City Odaiba and the other in Wanza Ariake Bay Mall. Finally, there is a small shop (The Wholesalers Market Towers Odaiba) with expensive import foods and wines in The Towers Odaiba building (2-2 Daiba, Minato-ku) just east of Odaiba-kaihin-koen station.
 * For the self-caterers a sufficient number of convenience stores is available. A Maruetsu supermarket (1-5-3 Daiba, Minato-ku, +81 3-5531-0781, 10:00-22:00) is near Odaiba-kaihin-koen station and a 99-yen shop (1-3-5-105 Daiba, Minato-ku, +81 3-3570-0599, 24 hours; food, stationery, etc.) just a few steps farther north. Two 100-yen shops (souvenirs, kitchen supply, stationery, etc.) are available: one in 1F of Aqua City Odaiba and the other in Wanza Ariake Bay Mall. Finally, there is a small shop (The Wholesalers Market Towers Odaiba) with expensive import foods and wines in The Towers Odaiba building (2-2 Daiba, Minato-ku) just east of Odaiba-kaihin-koen station.
 * For the self-caterers a sufficient number of convenience stores is available. A Maruetsu supermarket (1-5-3 Daiba, Minato-ku, +81 3-5531-0781, 10:00-22:00) is near Odaiba-kaihin-koen station and a 99-yen shop (1-3-5-105 Daiba, Minato-ku, +81 3-3570-0599, 24 hours; food, stationery, etc.) just a few steps farther north. Two 100-yen shops (souvenirs, kitchen supply, stationery, etc.) are available: one in 1F of Aqua City Odaiba and the other in Wanza Ariake Bay Mall. Finally, there is a small shop (The Wholesalers Market Towers Odaiba) with expensive import foods and wines in The Towers Odaiba building (2-2 Daiba, Minato-ku) just east of Odaiba-kaihin-koen station.

Eat
There are plenty of eating options in Odaiba's shopping malls and attractions, although prices are generally a little higher than on the mainland.

Drink
Odaiba's top nightlife spot, Zepp, closed in 2022.

Sleep
There is a cluster of luxury hotels near Yurikakome Daiba station.