teamLab Tokyo Guide: Borderless, Planets & Digital Art Experiences Explained
teamLab Tokyo Guide: Borderless, Planets & Digital Art Explained
Two completely different museums, one unforgettable experience — which to pick, when to book, and what to wear
teamLab is the Tokyo-based art collective that has spent the last decade redefining what a museum is. Their two permanent installations in Tokyo — Borderless in Azabudai Hills and Planets in Toyosu — are nothing like a traditional gallery. There are no frames, no labels, no clear path. Instead, you walk into rooms of interactive light and projected nature, and the artworks respond to you as you move through them.
It is one of the most photographed experiences in Tokyo, but also one of the most misunderstood. This guide explains the difference between the two museums, when to go, how to book, and what to expect — so you can pick the one that matches the trip you are on.
Borderless vs Planets — Which One?
Both are made by teamLab. Both involve walking through projected installations. But the experience is completely different.
teamLab Borderless
Borderless is the original concept museum — a "world without borders" where artworks have no fixed location. Projections drift between rooms, characters wander between installations, and the same artwork looks different every time you see it. The space is deliberately maze-like; there is no map and no recommended route. You get lost on purpose.
The original Borderless was in Odaiba (closed in 2022). The new Borderless reopened in February 2024 in Azabudai Hills (near Roppongi) with a refreshed and slightly smaller floor plan. The atmosphere is darker and more mysterious than Planets — closer to a dream than an exhibition.
teamLab Planets
Planets in Toyosu is more directed and more sensory. You take off your shoes at the entrance, roll up your trousers, and walk barefoot through a sequence of seven installations including a knee-deep koi-pond room and a moss garden with reflective spheres. The path is mostly linear; you experience the artworks in a fixed order over about 90 minutes.
Planets is more visceral than Borderless. There is genuine cold water; the moss garden is wet underfoot; the floors of some rooms are mirrored so completely you cannot tell where you are. It is the better choice if you want to be inside the art, not just look at it.
How to Pick
You want a slower, exploratory experience. Comfortable with not having a path. First-time visitor with limited time near central Tokyo.
You want the more physical, sensory experience. Travelling with kids. Don't mind getting your feet wet.
You have time for two half-days. The experiences barely overlap.
You dislike crowds and dim lights. The museums are popular and busy by design.
If you can only do one: Planets is the more universally loved first visit. Borderless rewards a more patient, less-instructed traveller.
Booking Tickets
Both museums require advance online booking. Tickets sell out for popular times days or weeks ahead, especially on weekends and during holiday periods. There is no walk-up option — turning up without a ticket means going home.
- Borderless: book at the official teamLab Borderless site. Time slots run roughly every 30 minutes.
- Planets: book at the official teamLab Planets site. Slots also run every 30 minutes.
- Combined ticket: not currently sold — buy each separately.
- Refunds: most tickets are non-refundable. Read the cancellation policy at booking.
- Pricing varies by date. Weekday tickets are usually a few hundred yen cheaper than weekend.
Getting There
teamLab Borderless (Azabudai Hills)
- Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line: Kamiyacho Station, Exit 5 — about a 5-minute walk.
- Tokyo Metro Namboku Line: Roppongi-itchome Station, Exit 2 — about 6 minutes.
- From Roppongi Station: 10–12 minute walk south.
teamLab Planets (Toyosu)
- Yurikamome Line: Shin-Toyosu Station — about 1 minute walk. The most direct option.
- Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line: Toyosu Station, then 10-minute walk.
- From Tokyo Station: about 25 minutes via Yurakucho Line + walking.
What to Wear and Bring
Both museums have practical requirements that can catch first-timers off guard.
For Planets (especially)
- Wear shorts or trousers you can roll above the knee. One installation has knee-deep water. Long skirts and tight jeans are awkward — Planets provides loaner shorts at the entrance, but they are not glamorous.
- Skip socks with tights or stockings. You walk barefoot, and some surfaces are wet.
- Mirrored floors: wear shorts or trousers, not skirts. Many of the rooms have fully mirrored floors that reflect upward.
- Phone: bring a phone with a strap or pocket. Several rooms are wet and dimly lit; dropping a phone is a real risk.
For Borderless
- Comfortable shoes: you walk for 2–3 hours through dim, varied flooring.
- Light layers: the air conditioning is strong in some rooms.
- No food or drink inside. There is a small cafe area but no in-museum dining.
Plan around hair: in Planets, the warm humid rooms can affect curly hair. The mirror-floored rooms are also unforgiving for anyone self-conscious about hairstyles. Tie hair up if it matters to you.
Photography
Photography is allowed and encouraged at both museums. Tripods are not permitted. Selfie sticks are technically discouraged but tolerated when the museum is not crowded.
- Best photos at Planets: the koi-pond water room and the moss garden with reflective spheres.
- Best photos at Borderless: the lantern room, the waterfall projection, and the en garden with seasonal flower projections.
- Low light: both are dim. A modern phone with night mode produces much better results than older models.
- Be considerate. Other visitors are also there for the experience — long photo sessions in popular rooms hold up the queue behind you.
How Long Does It Take?
Combining with the Rest of Your Day
Both museums are easy to combine with their surrounding neighbourhoods.
Borderless — combine with Roppongi
Azabudai Hills is a 12-minute walk from Roppongi. Pair with the Mori Art Museum, the Tokyo Tower view, or a Roppongi dinner. Borderless in the late afternoon followed by sunset at Tokyo Tower works particularly well.
Planets — combine with Toyosu Market and Odaiba
Planets is one stop from Toyosu Market on the Yurikamome Line. A morning sushi breakfast at Toyosu followed by Planets at midday is a reliable Tokyo Bay day. From Planets, you can continue south on the Yurikamome to Odaiba for sunset over Rainbow Bridge.
Practical Tips
- Arrive at least 15 minutes before your slot. Both museums require a queue process at entry.
- Lockers are free at both. Bring as little as possible inside.
- No re-entry: if you leave the museum, your ticket does not work twice.
- Audio: both museums use ambient sound and music. The experience is louder and more enveloping than a traditional gallery.
- Accessibility: Borderless has step-free routes through most rooms. Planets has barefoot and water-walking sections that are not fully accessible — check the official site before booking.
Other teamLab Experiences in Japan
If you become a fan, teamLab has installations beyond Tokyo:
- teamLab Forest in Fukuoka: permanent, smaller scale, kid-focused.
- teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka: outdoor seasonal projections in Nagai Botanical Garden.
- teamLab Reconnect (Roppongi): previously a sauna-and-art experience that closed in 2023.
- Touring exhibitions: teamLab regularly tours globally — check the official site for current shows.
Pair Digital Art with the Real City
teamLab is best as a contrast. See our Roppongi Complete Guide for the area around Borderless, and our Odaiba Complete Guide and Tsukiji Outer Market guide for a Tokyo Bay day around Planets.
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