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Coordinates: 35°37′48″N 139°46′30″E / 35.63°N 139.775°E / 35.63; 139.775

Odaiba and the Rainbow Bridge at night

Odaiba (お台場^?) is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. It was initially built for defensive purposes in the 1850s, dramatically expanded during the late 20th century as a seaport district, and has developed since the 1990s as a major commercial, residential and leisure area.

Daiba (台場^?) formally refers to one district of the island development in Minato Ward. The Odaiba name is commonly used to refer to the entire Tokyo Waterfront Secondary City Center (東京臨海副都心, Tokyo Rinkai Fukutoshin^?) which includes the Ariake and Aomi districts of Kōtō Ward and the Higashi-Yashio district of Shinagawa Ward.

History

View of Odaiba from the north with Fuji TV building in the center, Daikanransha Ferris wheel to the left, shopping malls in the front, and Nikko hotel to the right

The name Odaiba comes from a series of six island fortresses constructed in 1853 by Egawa Hidetatsu for the Tokugawa shogunate in order to protect Edo from attack by sea, the primary threat being Commodore Matthew Perry's Black Ships which had arrived in the same year.^[1] Daiba in Japanese refers to the cannon batteries placed on the islands. In 1928, the Dai-San Daiba (第三台場) or "No. 3 Battery" was refurbished and opened to the public as the Metropolitan Daiba Park, which remains open to this day.

Dai-Roku Daiba (第六台場) or "No. 6 Battery", one of the original Edo-era battery islands, as viewed from the Rainbow Bridge. The developed area of Odaiba is in the background.

One of the cannons of Odaiba, now at the Yasukuni Shrine. 80-pound bronze, bore: 250mm, length: 3830mm.

From the originally planned 11 batteries, only five were ever finished. The modern island of Odaiba began to take shape when the Port of Tokyo opened in 1941. Until the mid 1960s all except two batteries were either removed for unhindered passage of ships or incorporated into the Shinagawa port facilities and Tennozu island. In 1979 the then called landfill no. 13 (now Minato-ku Daiba, Shinagawa-ku Higashi-Yashio and Kōtō-ku Aomi districts), was finished directly connecting with the old "No. 3 Battery". "No. 6 Battery" was left to nature (landing prohibited).

Tokyo governor Shunichi Suzuki began a major development plan in the early 1990s to redevelop Odaiba as Tokyo Teleport Town, a showcase for futuristic living, with new residential and commercial development housing a population of over 100,000. The redevelopment was scheduled to be complete in time for a planned "International Urban Exposition" in spring 1996.

Suzuki's successor Yukio Aoshima halted the plan in 1995, by which point over JPY 1 trillion had been spent on the project, and Odaiba was still underpopulated and full of vacant lots. Many of the special companies set up to develop the island became practically bankrupt. The collapse of the Japanese asset price bubble was a major factor, as it frustrated commercial development in Tokyo generally. The area was also viewed as inconvenient for business, as its physical connections to Tokyo—the Rainbow Bridge and the Yurikamome rapid transit line—made travel to and from central Tokyo relatively time-consuming.

The area started coming back to life in the late 1990s as a tourist and leisure zone, with several large hotels and shopping malls. Several large companies including Fuji Television moved their headquarters to the island, and transportation links improved with the connection of the Rinkai Line into the JR East railway network in 2002 and the eastward extension of the Yurikamome to Toyosu in 2006. Tokyo Big Sight, the convention center originally built to house Governor Suzuki's planned intercity convention, also became a major venue for international expositions.

Odaiba at Night with Yakatabune boats in the front

Attractions

Rainbow Bridge

Miraikan

Today's Odaiba is a popular shopping and sightseeing destination for Tokyoites and tourists alike. Some major attractions include:

• Fuji Television studios with a distinctive building designed by Kenzo Tange
• Decks Tokyo Beach shopping mall, featuring Sega Joypolis and Little Hong Kong
• Aqua City shopping center
• A replica of the Statue of Liberty
• One of two beaches in urban Tokyo (swimming not recommended), along with Kasai Rinkai Park in Edogawa Ward
• Rainbow Bridge connecting Odaiba to the heart of Tokyo
• Palette Town:
  • Venus Fort, a Venice-themed shopping mall
  • Daikanransha, a 115-metre (377 ft) Ferris wheel
  • Zepp Tokyo, one of Tokyo's largest performance halls/nightclubs
  • Tokyo Leisure Land, 24 hour video gaming, karaoke, bowling
  • Megaweb, exhibition hall of car maker Toyota
• Oedo-Onsen-Monogatari sentō
• Telekom Center Building (MXTV's former headquarters) with observation deck
• Miraikan, Japan's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
• Museum of Maritime Science (Fune no kagakukan) with swimming pool
• Shiokaze park with BBQ places and Higashi Yashio park
• Tokyo Big Sight Tokyo International Exhibition Center

Transport

Yurikamome automated guideway transit service

Two Shuto Expressway lines access Odaiba: Route 11 enters from central Tokyo crossing the Rainbow Bridge, while the Wangan Route enters from Shinagawa Ward through the Tokyo Port Tunnel and from the bayfront areas of Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture to the east.

By public transport Odaiba is accessible via the automated Yurikamome transit system from Shimbashi and Toyosu. The privately-operated Rinkai Line runs between Shin-Kiba and Ōsaki but many trains connect directly to Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro. City buses provide cheaper if slower access. Ferries connect Odaiba with Asakusa running along the Sumida River and the Kasai Rinkai Park in eastern Tokyo.

Nature

Several kinds of wild birds^[2] and fish can be observed.

See also

Tokyo portal

References

External links

• Wikitravel
• Area Guide of Odaiba with sightseeing spots
• historical map from 1892 (in Japanese)

From Wikitravel

Fuji TV headquarters

Odaiba (お台場) is a large artificial island in Tokyo, Japan, 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 districts, the area is now a very popular shopping and entertainment destination.

Understand

Odaiba was originally constructed in 1853 by the Tokugawa shogunate as a series of 6 fortresses 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 park, which remains open to this day.

The modern redevelopment of Odaiba 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 $10 billion. 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 is linked to Tokyo proper by many bridges and tunnels, including the scenic Rainbow Bridge.

By plane

From Narita Airport

From Narita Airport, take the Keisei Skyliner [8] to Ueno station, then take the Ginza Subway Line (a Tokyo metro line [9]) 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 [10] Asakusa subway train to Shinbashi, where you can pick up the Yurikamome.

Japan Rail Pass holders can take the JR Narita Express [11] 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 [12] (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 [13] 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 [14] 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 [15] depart once per hour (2-4 times between 2PM and 4PM) for Tokyo Big Sight (about 25−30 minutes) and the major hotels on Odaiba (about 15-20 minutes, ¥500-600). Departures from 8AM-5:30PM depending on location.

By train

Most visitors arrive in Odaiba via the automated Yurikamome [16] "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 Shinbashi to Daiba station will set you back ¥310 (any station farther will be ¥370), or you can buy a one-day pass for ¥800.

The other option is to take the Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit (Rinkai Line [17], Japanese only) 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 [18] provide cheaper (¥200 per ride) if slower access to Odaiba. 虹01 connects to Hamamatsu-cho, 海01 connects to Monzennaka-cho, 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 Haneda airport [19], and Shinagawa and Yokohama directions [20].

The free Bay Shuttle bus runs along a circular route within Odaiba (round-trip ca. 40 minutes) connecting the parking lots and museums in Aomi district with the shopping malls, the hotels and the Fuji TV building. Unfortunately, stops are hard to find so try to ask at the information counters of shoppings malls, ticket counters, etc.

By boat

Suijobus Ferries [21] also operate between Hinode Pier (on the Yurikamome line) and several stops in Odaiba. ¥400 one way. Tokyo Mizube Line [22] (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 in theory cross the Rainbow Bridge on foot for free, if inhaling exhaust for 40 minutes sounds like your idea of a fun time. Bicycles are not allowed 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 5:30PM and to exit by 6PM. In other months you can enter the pedestrian part of the road from 9AM-8:30PM (30 minutes before you have to exit). Closed on the 3rd Monday every month and 29-31 Dec.

Keep in mind that 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.

• Fuji TV Building, 2-4 Daiba, Minato-ku (Yurikamome Daiba station), [23]. An Odaiba landmark which looks like it's built out of Tinkertoys. The studio tour is of limited interest unless you speak Japanese and/or are familiar with Fuji's programming, but you can visit the second-highest story for free for some nice views. The giant ball suspended in the structure has an expensive Chinese restaurant. Going to the observatory usually costs ¥500.  edit

• Toyota MEGA WEB, 1 Aomi, Koto-ku, ☎ +81 03-3599-0808, [24]. 11AM-6PM, but some facilities until 9PM. Palette Town (Yurikamome Aomi or Rinkai Tokyo Teleport). A Toyota car technology showcase that will fascinate car nuts and bore the rest of us; the ladyfolk may wish to adjourn to the nearby Venus Fort shopping mall instead (see Buy).  edit

• Daikanransha (大観覧車), 1 Aomi, Koto-ku, ☎ +81 03-5500-2655, [25]. 10AM-10PM daily. Palette Town (Yurikamome Aomi or Rinkai Teleport Town). The slowly-spinning ferris wheel provides great views and is very popular among Japanese couples. ¥900 per head, or rent a whole 6-person gondola for ¥3000.  edit

• Miraikan (日本科学未来館), 2-41 Aomi, Koto-ku, ☎ +81 03-3570-9151, [26]. 10AM-5PM, longer during main seasons. Yurikamome Fune no kagakukan or Telecom Center. Japan's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, created by Japan's Science and Technology Agency. As the name indicates new technologies like robots, space modules etc. are presented here as well as demonstrations and physical experiments for the inquiring mind are given. ¥500.  edit

• Museum of Maritime Science (船の科学館 Fune no kagakukan), 3-1 Higashi-Yashio, Koto-ku, ☎ +81 03-5500-1111, [27]. 10AM-5PM. (Yurikamome Fune no kagakukan). A six-story museum shaped like a full-sized ocean liner, unsurprisingly devoted to ships. One of the main displays, a gigantic turbine engine, was actually set in place first and the museum was built around it. There are a few historic vessels on the adjacent wharf; unfortunately the World War II-era 'Emily' flying boat has been moved to Kagoshima. ¥700 for the museum but ¥1800 if you want to use the open-air swimming pool (open only during summer months).  edit

• Tokyo Big Sight, 3-21-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, ☎ +81 03-5530-1111, [28]. (Yurikamome Kokusai-tenjijo-seimon, Rinkai Kokusai-tenjijo-mae). If you're visiting Tokyo on business, this, Japan's largest exhibition and convention center, might already be your destination. The four inverted pyramids are hard to miss and worth a look.  edit

• Rainbow Bridge, [29]. Completed on 26 Aug 1993, this gateway to Odaiba is among the most beautiful modern bridges in Japan. Decorated with 444 lights, which change according to the seasons.  edit

• Partire Tokyo Bay Wedding Village, 3-1-9 Ariake, Koto-Ku (between Yurikamome Aomi and Yurikamome Kokusai-tenjijo-seimon), ☎ +81 03-3570-1122, [30]. 10AM-8PM. Wedding is big business in Japan and Japanese like to marry Western style! The village with houses build after European examples includes of course a (fake) wedding chapel and a "priest" (just as fake and preferably Caucasian) who conducts the wedding ceremony. The village offers everything for a memorable wedding: bridal shops, party planning, menus, honeymoons, etc.  edit

Inside Oedo-Onsen-Monogatari

• Oedo-Onsen-Monogatari (大江戸温泉物語), 2-57 Aomi, Koto-ku, ☎ +81 03-5500-1126, [31]. 11AM-8AM daily. (Yurikamome Telecom Center). Tokyo's newest and largest (artificial) hot spring complex, done up in Edo-era (1800s) style and featuring an endless array of bathtubs of all temperatures and flavors- including: uchiyu (insidebath), iwa-buro (an outdoor rock bath), ashiyu (a foot bath) and suna-buro (sand bath, separately charged). There are plenty of restaurants, bars, souvenir shops inside, and resting rooms for sleeping too. You'll get a wrist tag on entry, which acts as your wallet while inside, so anything you buy is paid when you leave. Entrance a fairly steep ¥2827, discounted to ¥1987 after 6PM, but beware the ¥1575 late night surcharge after 2AM.  edit

• Odaiba Marine Park (お台場海浜公園, Odaiba Kaihin Kōen), 1-4 Daiba, Minato-ku, ☎ +81 03-5500-2455, [32]. (Yurikamome Daiba or Odaiba-kaihin-koen) Features one of two beaches in mainland Tokyo, but swimming is forbidden and not recommended anyway as the water is rather polluted. Along the beach runs a boardwalk dotted with couples, as this is considered the most romantic spot in Tokyo. The park also contains a copy of the Statue of Liberty, more popular than one might think. Have a picnic on Dai-San Daiba (第三台場 No. 3 Battery), located nearby and now turned into a pleasant little park.  edit

• Shiokaze Park (潮風公園, Shiokaze Kōen), 1-2 Higashi-Yashio, Shinagawa-ku, ☎ +81 03-5500-2455, [33]. (Yurikamome Odaiba-kaihin-koen) Just next to Nikkō and Le Meridien hotels this park is the largest in the area. The southern corner, close to the ventilation tower of the highway, features a barbecue place highly popular during the warmer season. Barbecue equipment and tools as well as ingredients available for rent, reservation may be required during main seasons (see phone number). The park farther to the south is Higashi-yashio Park (東八潮公園), home to the Fune no kagakukan maritime museum.  edit

• Joypolis, 1-6-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, ☎ +81 03-5500-1801, [34]. Decks Tokyo Beach (Yurikamome Daiba). A giant game center / amusement arcade.  edit

• Tokyo Leisure Land, 1 Aomi, Koto-ku, ☎ +81 03-3570-5656/7/8/9, [35]. Partly open for 24 hours. Palette Town (Yurikamome Aomi). Another amusement center: arcade games, billiard, bowling, karaoke, etc.  edit

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.

• Venus Fort, 1 Aomi, Koto-ku, ☎ +81 03-3599-0700, [36]. 11AM-9PM (10PM on Sa and special days), restaurants 11AM-11PM but some may have different opening hours. (Yurikamome Aomi, Rinkai Tokyo Teleport). An elaborately Venice-themed shopping mall, complete with marble fountains, artificial sunsets every 30 min and an Italian "mayor" reading out speeches from a balcony. All shops are geared for women and generally quite expensive, but it's worth visiting this just for the decoration.  edit

• Decks Tokyo Beach, 1-6-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, ☎ +81 03-3599-6500, [37]. 11AM-9PM, some restaurants until 11PM. (Yurikamome Odaiba Kaihin Koen). Features the Sega Joypolis gaming center (10AM-11PM), retro-themed arcade, a 60's-style store, gift shops, 2nd-hand western clothing stores, fine home accessories, 'Muscle Park' (from the creators of the popular 'Sasuke' and 'Muscle Ranking' television shows), and Little Hong Kong for all your dim sum needs.  edit

• Aqua City Odaiba, 1-7-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, ☎ +81 03-3599-4700, [38]. 11AM-9PM (including 1F food court), restaurants till 11PM though some bars until early morning. (Yurikamome Daiba). Fashion for all ages, goods, etc. Restaurants in 4th, 5th, and 6th floors and a food court in the 1st floor. There is also a ¥100 shop and a Toys'R'Us (including baby foods and goods, and children can actually touch and play with the toys there!) on 1F, and a small Shinto shrine on 9F. The eastern part of the mall is occupied by Sony Mediage [39] housing a cinema and showcasing Sony products.  edit

• Wanza Ariake Bay Mall, 3-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, ☎ +81 03-5530-5010, [40]. Yurikamome Kokusai-tenjijo-seimon). Restaurants and a few shops north of the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center.  edit

• For the self-caterers a sufficient number of convenience stores is available. A Maruetsu supermarket (1-5-3 Daiba, Minato-ku, +81 03-5531-0781, 10AM-10PM) is located nearby Odaiba-kaihin-koen station and a 99 Yen shop (1-3-5-105 Daiba, Minato-ku, +81 03-3570-0599, 24 hours; food, stationary, 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.

• Little Hong Kong, 1-6-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, ☎ +81 03-3599-6500, [41]. Decks Tokyo Beach (Yurikamome Odaiba Kaihin Kōen). True to the name, there are two floors dedicated to Hong Kong-style Cantonese food, for all your dim sum needs.  edit

• Zepp Tokyo, 1 Aomi, Koto-ku, ☎ +81 03-3599-0710, [42]. Palette Town (Yurikamome Aomi). One of Tokyo's largest performance hall/nightclubs, showcasing artists from around the country and the world.  edit

Sleep

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

• Hotel Nikko Tokyo, 1-9-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, ☎ +81 03-5500-5500, [43]. A new seaside luxury hotel popular for weddings and honeymoons. (Yurikamome Daiba). Rates range from around ¥24,000 per night for a single room, to around ¥36,000 for a triple (this will vary by season).  edit

• Grand Pacific Le Daiba, 2-6-1 Daiba, Minato-Ku, ☎ +81 03-5500-6711, [44]. (Yurikamome Daiba). Another nice hotel located next to a huge shopping mall (Aqua City Odaiba) with plenty of restaurants.  edit

• Tokyo Bay Ariake Washington Hotel, 3-1-28 Ariake, Koto-ku, ☎ +81 03-5564-0111, [45]. (Yurikamome Kokusai-tenjijo-seimon or Rinkai Kokusai-tenjijo-mae). The third hotel in the area (just north of the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition center). Targeting business travelers it is the cheapest hotel in the area. Rates ranging from ¥9,950 (single) to ¥18,000 (twin).  edit

• Ōedo Onsen Monogatari. Tatami rooms and a "Black Ship" themed capsule hotel within the premises. However, you have to pay typical rates for these accommodations on top of the admission and late night surcharge for the Onsen itself.  edit