teamLab Borderless: my experience at Tokyo’s famous immersive art

I’m a morning person when I travel. I like to wake up early, observing the streets’ slowly awaking. I like that early morning emptiness, knowing well how it will be broken by the rush of crowds in just a short period of time.

I find that early mornings worked very well in Japan – getting to usually crowded places before it becomes too overwhelming but also bearing in mind that things to close early in Japan, at about 5pm and the sunset was shortly after when I was there in mid-October.

So on my third morning, I found myself at the doors of teamLab Borderless at 8am. I had booked my ticket way in advance for the first entry time of the day – and no regrets. When I left just almost 2 hours later it was so much busier, and yes you do need to book well in advance, as at reception there was a sign informing the day was sold out.

There are two teamLab museums in Tokyo, and both have raised to popularity mostly due to social media. These art galleries are quite different from everything you are used to – art made with lights, mirrors and illuminations built digitally, filling rooms with magical, ethereal scenarios, giving you the experience of sitting in the infinite.

I was sceptical thinking that it was probably a little bit of Instagram-made space – but it is truly spectacular, mostly due to its immersive nature. As you walk freely through the many rooms you travel from universe to universe, capturing different gardens of light and sound.

Not going to lie – when I first entered the first room, I was overwhelmed. You find yourself wanting to see all the different details of the forever moving imagery, without missing anything. But soon I realised the best way to experience it is to simply relax and take it easy – letting the lights and the animations guide you through the rooms, without adding too much pressure on yourself.

And my assumption that teamLab was a social media attraction isn’t totally right – in fact the story of this art collective begins in Tokyo in the late 90s and early 2000s, when Toshiyuki Inoko, an engineering student at the University of Tokyo, came together with some friends from different fields – engineers, designers, architects, CG animators and even mathematicians – to create something that lived between art and tech. They officially incorporated as teamLab in 2001, way before social media and even smartphones.

At the start, their work was barely noticed, as they did mostly commercial projects, such as websites, graphic design and digital experiences, but it all changed in 2011, when Takeshi Murakami, a well known Japanese artist, invited them to showcase their work at his KaiKai Kiki gallery in Taipei. This show with looping blossoms and butterflies animated in 3D was their breakthrough.

Now – if like me you are hesitating spending some precious Japan time at a teamLab, either because you believe it’s a social media tourist trap, or perhaps because it is a little on the expensive side (I paid 5,200 yen, roughly 25 USD), from my personal opinion – yes, it’s worth the money and the time. It felt therapeutic, especially as I had the chance to go when it opened and the crowds were still thin.

I felt like Alice in Wonderland for the second time in three days only in Japan, falling into different realms, made of dreams. I loved how I could wander freely through different galleries, having to find my way out often guided by my own instincts. I had to use my senses fully, something that we don’t do so much anymore. And if you want to take some photos and some videos, don’t overdo it. Take a few like I did, but the beauty is in experiencing the spaces, and allow your body getting carried by it. Get out of your head, let the senses guide you – almost like if you were floating in the ocean, and letting the currents and tides take you.

This was my experience in the teamLab Borderless, located at the MORI Building, in the Azabudai Hills complex, not far from Tokyo Tower. The Planets museum – which I believe is also the most famous – is located in the Toyoso area. When you make a reservation ensure you get the location right, as these are very different areas. I’ve read that Planets is more guided – and the reason why I decided to go with Borderless was very personal – it seems in Planets you are supposed to take off your shoes and socks, and walk through some sort of indoor canal… and this gives me the ick to be completely honest! However, when I do go to Tokyo again, I definitely would love to give it a try, overcoming my personal pet peeve.

This was definitely the best way to start my third day in Tokyo – just remember, if you want to go, book in advance. You can buy it easily online at the official teamLab website, and I believe bookings open three months ahead.

Love, Nic

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Where I stayed in Tokyo: Hotel Almont Nippori: https://agoda.tpo.lv/maZXxi6c

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