There are two teamLab venues in Tokyo, they are not the same thing, and people book the wrong one constantly.
teamLab Planets is in Toyosu, on the bay side. teamLab Borderless is at Azabudai Hills, in central Tokyo. Both are digital art museums by the same collective. What they ask of you as a visitor is completely different, and that difference is what should decide it.
The one difference that matters most
At Planets, you take your shoes off, then your socks, and you walk through water.
That’s not a small feature. The venue states it directly: it’s “a place to be enjoyed barefoot,” and socks and tights come off in the locker room because some artworks are water spaces. The water reaches knee height on adults. Free rental shorts in sizes XS to 6L exist for exactly this reason, and mirrored floors are why the venue warns skirt-wearers.
Borderless does not do this. It’s a walk-through digital art space in the ordinary sense — you keep your shoes on.
So the first question isn’t which has better art. It’s whether you want to be barefoot and wet.
If it’s raining, that changes the answer
This is a rainy-day site, so here’s how weather bears on it.
Planets is arguably better in the rain. You were going to be damp anyway, and there the water is deliberate. Our full Planets guide covers what to wear, but the short version: bring spare socks, because putting soaked socks back onto dried feet is a miserable end to a good afternoon.
Borderless has the better arrival. It’s at Garden Plaza B, B1F, Azabudai Hills, and the operator puts it two minutes on foot from Kamiyacho Station exit 5 on the Hibiya Line, or six minutes from Roppongi-itchome exit 4 on the Namboku Line. A basement floor inside a central complex means very little exposure to the weather.
Planets also has a short walk, but only if you use the right station: Shin-Toyosu is one minute away, while Toyosu — the name people recognise — is ten. Shijomae is five.
Location, in practice
| Planets | Borderless | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | Toyosu (bay side) | Azabudai Hills (central) |
| Address | 6-1-16 Toyosu, Koto-ku | 5-9 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Garden Plaza B, B1F |
| Best station | Shin-Toyosu, 1 min | Kamiyacho exit 5, 2 min |
| Other options | Shijomae 5 min, Toyosu 10 min | Roppongi-itchome exit 4, 6 min |
If you’re staying in central Tokyo and short on time, Borderless is simply closer to everything. If you’re combining with Odaiba or the bay area, Planets fits the day better.
A note on the Borderless address. You’ll see “Azabudai 1-2-4” circulating online. The operator’s own page gives 5-9 Toranomon, so that’s what we use. Put the venue name into your maps app rather than a street address either way.
What we know, and what we don’t
We hold ourselves to publishing what the operators state, and the two venues are not equally well documented.
For Planets we have specifics: adult tickets from ¥3,600, ¥2,800 for junior and senior high students, ¥1,500 for ages 4–12, free under 3, and ¥1,800+ with a disability. Last admission is one hour before closing. Free lockers measure 23 × 34 × 37cm. Towels are provided at the water artwork exits. One adult is required per three children. Wheelchair access is available with staff assistance, with some artwork restrictions.
For Borderless we have much less. The operator’s page confirms the location, the floor and the station walks — but not the opening hours, the prices, or the reservation policy. teamLab’s own site renders its content in a way we cannot read reliably, so rather than repeat figures from third parties we’ll say plainly: check the official site for hours and prices before you commit to a date.
Earlier verification indicated Borderless uses dated, timed reservations with same-day sales only when stock remains, and that Klook has been announced as an exclusive ticketing platform for it. Treat both as strong indications rather than confirmed current policy.
Is either one fully indoors?
Neither operator says so, so neither will we.
Planets we’ve checked repeatedly: the exhibition areas are enclosed, but we cannot confirm from official pages whether the garden-style spaces the venue is known for are fully covered. Borderless sits on a basement floor of a shopping complex, which strongly implies enclosure — but implication isn’t a source.
Practically, both are indoor bookings that rain will not spoil. Neither is a venue we’d promise is hermetically sealed.
The decision, in one paragraph
Book Planets if you want the experience people describe afterwards — barefoot, in water, physically inside the work — and you don’t mind the logistics of wet legs and a bay-side trip. Get off at Shin-Toyosu.
Book Borderless if you’re based centrally, short on time, travelling with someone who won’t enjoy being barefoot, or wearing clothes you’d rather not roll up. Get off at Kamiyacho, exit 5.
Book both only across separate days. They’re on opposite sides of the city, and the shoes-off routine at Planets means it isn’t a stop you squeeze in.
Before you book either
- Decide on the barefoot question first. Everything else follows.
- Check the official site for current hours and prices, especially for Borderless.
- Use the correct station — Shin-Toyosu, or Kamiyacho exit 5.
- Book a timed slot in advance. Rainy weekends sell out.
- Spare socks if it’s Planets and it’s wet.
For a full day built around one of them, see our rainy-day Tokyo itinerary.