Odaiba

Odaiba includes three areas named Daiba, Ariake and Aomi, under the supervision of Minato and Koto wards.

The origins of this artificial land date back to the end of the Edo period (1603 – 1868), under the Tokugawa shogunate. Western powers pressured Japan to engage into trade relationships but the feudal government did not want to end its isolationist policy called sakoku. In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry called in the capital’s port and required Ieyoshi Tokugawa to open the country’s borders. Without clear answer from the shogun, he promised to come back. Ieyoshi then decided to bolster the bay’s defenses to avoid an invasion and had several small artificial islands built and armed with canons. At the times, Commodore Perry did not get past Uraga port, located in Yokosuka at the entrance of Tokyo Bay.

An artificial island dedicated to entertainment

The concrete peninsula became famous in the 1980s, when it started to develop at the economic level. Its main attractions are:

• Tokyo Big Sight, an international exhibition hall,
• Fuji 🗻 TV headquarters, whose building shelters an observatory on Tokyo Bay,
• Museums: Miraikan, Small Worlds, Unko Museum, etc.,
• Large arcade games such as Sega's Tokyo Joypolis, or the Panasonic Showroom.

The stroll from one large shopping mall to another (Aqua-city, Decks, DiverCity) is pleasant, as well as its small beach 🏖, that can boast a humble replica of the Statue of Liberty.

Since April 2011, a giant Gundam robot stands in front of DiverCity Tokyo Plaza.

The entertainment venue Palette Town definitely closed at the end of summer 2022. It including facilities such as the great Ferris wheel Daikanransha, Venus Fort shopping mall, Toyota Mega Web (City Showcase, History Garage and Ride Studio) and the teamLab Borderless Museum that is relocated in Toranomon Azabudai district in 2023.

It is easy to spend a whole day in Odaiba, especially on weekends or holidays, when families come to spent time with their young children and / or do some shopping.

The Rainbow Bridge between Tokyo and Odaiba

Many travelers go to Odaiba with the Yurikamome monorail 🚝 Line that runs on the bottom platform of the famous Rainbow Bridge. If you get to the front of the train 🚅 (which has no driver), you can enjoy the view all along the ride.

The Yurikamome Line is operated by a private railway company (not compatible with the JR network) and connects in about 30 minutes its two terminuses, Shimbashi and Toyosu. Of its 16 stations, Odaiba-Kaihinkoen, Telecom Center and Aomi serve the main attractions of Odaiba.

The Rinkai train line goes through Shinagawa in the south of Tokyo and crosses part of Odaiba to the Shin-Kiba station, in Koto ward.

Odaiba is also accessible by boat, cruising on the Sumida River, with departures from Asakusa.