Opened in 2018, teamLab Borderless is not just a museum but an all-encompassing experience. Powered by lights, sounds, and projections, it gifts visitors with fully digital immersive explorations of art and technology.
Notably, this captivating destination co-operated by the Mori Building holds the Guinness World Record as the world’s most visited digital art museum.
In January 2024, teamLab Borderless reopened at a new site in Azabudai Hills after a period of relocation and refurbishment. This new location boasts plenty of new features as well as the timeless favorites that have made the museum iconic around the world.
What is teamLab Borderless Tokyo?
A popular fixture in Tokyo’s vibrant art scene, teamLab Borderless Gallery attracts thousands of visitors every year, from art enthusiasts to tech geeks.
The permanent digital art museum was the brainchild of teamLab, an international art collective that has been creating artwork using digital technology since 2001.
It’s one of several both temporary and permanent spaces created by teamLab in Tokyo, which also include:
- teamLab Planets TOKYO (exhibition space in Toyosu, until end of 2027)
- Vegan Ramen UZU (restaurant in teamLab Planets, until end of 2027)
- Catching and Collecting in the Dinosaur Forest (collaboration with Galaxy in Harajuku, starts April 2023)
- GINZA SIX (installation in the Ginza district, permanent)
- MoonFlower Sagaya Ginza (restaurant in Ginza, permanent)
The collective refers to themselves as “ultra-technologists”. Its members have backgrounds in a wide range of disciplines, including computer programming, CG animation, engineering, mathematics, and architecture.
For the collective, ‘borderless’ is not just a name but a philosophy. Using advanced technology, they aim to explore the relationship between nature and artificial creations through expansive interactive spaces that intermingle and influence each other.
teamLab Planets vs teamLab Borderless
Both teamLab Planets and teamLab Borderless are immersive art spaces in Tokyo that captivate visitors with their innovative digital art, yet they offer distinct experiences.
teamLab Borderless is a permanent exhibition and is much larger. It’s renowned for its fluid spaces where art spills over, as the digital creations sprawl across different rooms and corridors, inviting endless exploration.
teamLab Planets is a temporary offshoot exhibition, currently only slated to run until the end of 2027. It is divided into three main areas, each offering unique sensory experiences:
- The Water Area
- The Garden
- The Public Area
Although smaller, it’s worth visiting teamLab Planets for the seasonal ‘Transformed by Cherry Blossoms’ experience. This coincides with the sakura bloom in Japan, and allows visitors to tread over mirrored glass ‘water pools’ while digital petals rain down.
TeamLab Planets is located right next to Shin-Toyosu Station on the Yurikamome line (not included with the JR Pass).
Popular exhibits at teamLab Borderless: what to see
Some of the most popular current exhibits at teamLab Borderless include:
- Borderless World – A dynamic digital art piece, this installation captures the essence of nature with projections of landscapes, animals, and other elements that morph and evolve over time.
- EN TEA HOUSE – A serene space that marries tradition with technology. Visitors can participate in an interactive tea ceremony, with every step of the ritual enhanced by stunning projection mapping.
- Future Park – An innovative educational project, Future Park features ‘Sketch Universe,’ where you can make a colorful fish drawing that comes to life and swims in an interactive, collective ocean.
- Infinite Crystal World – A galaxy of hanging crystals in a completely mirrored room, which respond to your presence, changing patterns and colors as you move.
- Light Sculpture – A visually intense installation with swiveling spotlights and smoke, where converging lines of light create three-dimensional forms.
- Microcosmoses – Combines LED lights, mirrors, and movement to create a cosmic experience of shooting stars and the universe’s intricate layers through dynamic, colored orbs.
- Sketch Factory – Lets you print the fish you designed on ‘Sketch Ocean’ on merchandise such as badges, towels, T-shirts, or tote bags.
For more information about the current exhibitions at teamLab Borderless Tokyo, check the official website.
Where is teamLab Borderless and how to get there
teamLab Borderless Tokyo is situated amidst towering skyscrapers in the Toranomon district of Minata Ward. It’s located between several Mori Building Company projects: Roppongi Hills to the west, Toranomon Hills to the east, and Ark Hills to the north.
To get there, you can use the JR Pass to go to Hamamatsucho station on the Tokyo Metro’s Yamanote Loop Line.
From here it’s around a 30-minute walk to teamLab Borderless. While in the vicinity, you may want to visit the nearby Tokyo Tower as well.
If you want to fit in a trip to teamLab Borderless during a busy Tokyo sightseeing itinerary, we advise you to factor in at least a few hours for your visit.
While the immersive nature of the installations might make time fly, on average, visitors tend to spend about 2-3 hours in the space. However, such is the allure of the gallery that some get lost for up to 5 hours.
teamLab Tokyo tickets: How to get them
If you want to guarantee entry on a specific day, you can buy the teamLab Tokyo tickets online in advance, through the venue’s official website.
There’s no need to print out your ticket if you have a smartphone, tablet, or similar device.
Simply access the ticket screen by clicking the URL provided in your confirmation email, and present it at the event entrance.
You can purchase tickets on the day of your visit at your venue, provided they are not sold out. However, they are more expensive than tickets bought online.
If you’re visiting as a family, be aware that children of elementary school age or younger must have an adult aged 18 or over with them. For every group of 5 children, there needs to be at least one supervising adult.
teamLab Borderless opening times and prices
The teamLab Borderless opening hours are 10:00 – 21:00, although the EN TEA HOUSE opens at 10:30.
The museum closes at 17:00 on April 16. It is also closed on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month, as well as on the following dates:
- March 5
- March 19
- April 17-18
- April 23
The admission prices for teamLab Borderless for tickets purchased online are as follows:
- Adult – 3,800 yen
- 13-17 years – 2,800 yen
- 4-12 years – 1,500 yen
- 3 years and under – Free
Additionally, visitors with a disability certificate and a single companion can purchase tickets at a discounted rate of 1,900 yen per ticket. In this case, each individual needs their own ticket.