Odaiba began as a chain of cannon batteries built in the 1850s to keep foreign ships out of Edo Bay and was reborn in the 1990s as a futuristic leisure district. Its wide promenades, shopping malls and museums feel unlike anywhere else in Tokyo — spacious, breezy and easy with children — and the ride there on the driverless Yurikamome train, looping over Rainbow Bridge, is an attraction in its own right.
Neighbouring Toyosu is where Tokyo’s wholesale fish market moved from Tsukiji in 2018. Visitors can watch the tuna auction from glassed-in galleries, eat sushi for breakfast and then walk ten minutes to teamLab Planets, one of the most visited museums in Japan. A newer food-and-hot-spring complex next to the market has made Toyosu worth a longer stop.
Highlights
- Wading through light and water at teamLab Planets
- Watching the bluefin tuna auction at Toyosu Market
- Riding the Yurikamome across Rainbow Bridge in the front seat
- The 19.7-metre Unicorn Gundam statue at DiverCity
- Sunset over the bridge from Odaiba Seaside Park
- Hands-on science at Miraikan and miniature worlds at Small Worlds
Odaiba & Toyosu in pictures
How long to stay and where to base yourself
How long: teamLab Planets and Toyosu Market take half a day; add Odaiba’s waterfront, Gundam and a museum for a full one. The two halves are linked by the Yurikamome in about 15 minutes.
Where to base yourself: Odaiba’s large bayfront hotels suit families and anyone who values space, views and easy access to Tokyo Disney Resort and Haneda. The trade-off is a 25–40 minute journey to most other sights and quiet evenings. See where to stay in Tokyo.
