Since I went to teamLab’s special exhibition in Silicon Valley back in 2016, I’ve wanted to experience teamLab properly in Japan. This time I visited two teamLab sites—one indoor and one outdoor—and here’s a friendly guide for first-timers.
teamLab (stylized as teamLab) is an art collective known for immersive digital works that use the latest technologies. Their museums—like teamLab Planets in Toyosu and teamLab Borderless (now in Azabudai Hills)—invite visitors into fantastical, dreamlike worlds. Projection mapping, interactive sensors, and shifting light, color and sound mean the artworks change dynamically; when you walk or touch, the art reacts, making you feel like part of the piece.
teamLab Borderless — scale that can only be felt in a dedicated venue
teamLab Borderless reopened in a new, expanded form in Tokyo’s Azabudai Hills (the former Odaiba facility evolved into this new site). True to its name—“borderless”—the works flow across spaces, connecting with each other so every visit feels different. It’s a new Tokyo landmark worth putting on your sightseeing list.
teamLab Planets — walk through water and become part of the art
Planets in Toyosu is famous for immersive pieces you literally move through: wading areas where luminous koi and flowers react to your steps, a “bubble” room and other installations that invite playful interaction with the art. The venue expanded in early 2025 to add fresh areas and experiences.
Digitized — nature and digital art blended outdoors
teamLab also stages outdoor “Digitized Nature” exhibitions that use existing gardens and landscapes as the canvas. In Ibaraki Prefecture, the exhibit titled teamLab 幽谷隠田跡 (a Digitized Nature program) opened in late 2024 at Kairakuen garden. Plum trees, bamboo groves and terraces are illuminated and respond to visitors, creating a magical contrast between the garden’s natural beauty and teamLab’s digital light. In warmer months, the final terraced-rice-field area (where water features are used) is especially striking—try going barefoot to fully feel the experience.
teamLab around Tokyo
Quick list — places to visit around Tokyo
- Azabudai Hills — teamLab Borderless (indoor). Reopened 2024.
- Toyosu — teamLab Planets (indoor). Opened 2018; expanded Jan 2025.
- Ibaraki — teamLab 幽谷隠田跡 (outdoor Digitized Nature). Opened 2024.
teamLab also appears internationally (for example, recent shows in the U.S.), so if you can’t make it to Tokyo this trip, look for traveling exhibitions elsewhere.
