Guide to All teamLab Locations in Japan

🔖 8 min read

teamLab isn’t your typical art collective. Founded in Tokyo in 2001, it’s a group of artists, engineers, programmers, architects, and designers working together to push the boundaries of what art can be. Instead of just hanging on walls, their works spill across entire rooms, wrapping around in moving projections of light, color, and sound, resulting in a blend of art, science, and nature that you walk into, touch, and experience.

Japan is home to several teamLab locations, each built around a different concept. Some are immersive playgrounds where you wade through water or wander through mirrored infinity rooms. Others are outdoor experiences where real landscapes like forests and gardens are transformed into interactive nightscapes. The variety makes Japan the best place to experience the full range of teamLab’s work. Visiting one teamLab site gives you a taste of their vision, but each location is unique, with different exhibits and themes. So, let’s break down every teamLab experience in the country with details on what makes each stand out.

teamLab Planets Tokyo DMM (Toyosu, Tokyo)

© teamLab

At teamLab Planets in Toyosu, visitors trade shoes for bare feet and step directly into the art. Unlike other museums, this one is all about body immersion. Visitors wade through shallow pools where koi projections scatter at their approach, cross mirrored floors that reflect infinite light, and walk into rooms where orchids rise and fall to create space for them. The museum is designed so that your body isn’t just an observer… it’s part of the artwork itself.

Key highlights include the Floating Flower Garden, where thousands of live orchids hang from the ceiling and shift in response to human movement, and Drawing on the Water Surface Created by the Dance of Koi and People, where koi projections swirl around visitors’ legs before bursting into flowers. Another standout, Expanding Three-Dimensional Existence in Transforming Space, uses mirrored walls and glowing spheres to create the illusion of walking through a living organism. Planets often books out weeks in advance, especially during cherry blossom and autumn seasons. Evening slots are the most popular since the lighting is especially dramatic at night.

teamLab Borderless (Tokyo Azabudai Hills)

© teamLab

If Planets is about surrendering to immersion, teamLab Borderless is about exploration. This is the most famous teamLab site worldwide and reopened in Tokyo’s Azabudai Hills in 2024 after the original Odaiba location closed in 2022.

Borderless is exactly what the name suggests: a space without boundaries. The artworks migrate between rooms, blending together in a way that ensures no two visits are the same. Visitors are encouraged to wander without a set path, following the flow of the art as it shifts around them.

The most photographed area is the Forest of Resonating Lamps, where mirrored walls reflect endless glowing lanterns that change color as people move through. Another major draw is the Athletics Forest, where trampolines, climbing structures, and interactive play zones bring a physical dimension to the experience. Visitors also flock to the Universe of Water Particles on a Rock Where People Gather, where a digital waterfall cascades down massive walls and disperses at the touch.

Borderless can easily take half a day to explore, and while it is worth the time, it can also be crowded. For the best experience, weekdays right after opening are ideal for avoiding long waits in the most popular spaces.

teamLab Future Park (Okinawa)

© teamLab

Future Park is teamLab’s most family-oriented experience, designed for kids to create and interact with art directly. Unlike the permanent installations in Tokyo and Osaka, Future Park is often a traveling or pop-up exhibition that appears in shopping malls, event halls, or temporary museum spaces across Japan.

The focus here is participatory learning, blending creativity with technology in a way that appeals to children and parents alike. In the Sketch Aquarium kids draw sea creatures on paper, scan them, and then watch as their creations swim across a massive projected aquarium. Graffiti Nature invites visitors to design animals and plants that become part of a constantly evolving digital ecosystem. Hopscotch for Geniuses uses floor projections to create a game that reacts to steps, encouraging both play and problem-solving.

While not as visually overwhelming as the larger permanent sites, Future Park has a special appeal for families, giving children a chance to see their own creativity come to life in real time.

teamLab Forest (Fukuoka, Kyushu)

© teamLab

The concept of teamLab Forest is to “explore and immerse,” and this Fukuoka site delivers exactly that. Opened in 2020, it combines two zones: a museum space filled with evolving digital environments and an athletics space designed for physical play. Unlike Tokyo’s Planets or Borderless, which focus more on sensory wonder, this location encourages both the mind and body to stay active.

The museum area features the Forest of Flowers and People, a digital landscape where flowers sprout, bloom, and wither depending on the time of year and the presence of visitors. This constant change means no two visits look alike. The Catching and Collecting Forest brings a game-like element into play, letting visitors use a teamLab smartphone app to capture and catalog digital animals that roam across the walls and floors. It blurs the line between a naturalist’s field notebook and an arcade game. The Athletics Forest takes things even further, with trampolines, climbing nets, and balance-based installations that respond to movement with light and sound. This combination of art and athletics makes the Fukuoka site especially appealing for families, giving children space to burn energy while still engaging with art in a hands-on way.

teamLab Botanical Garden (Osaka)

© teamLab

Osaka’s Botanical teamLab site takes place outdoors inside the Nagai Botanical Garden and is built entirely around the idea of “digitized nature”. The installations only operate at night, transforming the park’s natural setting into a glowing, interactive wonderland. Unlike indoor museums, the artwork here interacts directly with weather conditions, plants, and even animals that pass through, making the experience inseparable from the living environment.

One of the most striking exhibits is Resonating Microcosms in the Common Camellia Garden, where dozens of ovoid sculptures stand among the plants. These egg-shaped forms glow in different colors when touched and emit soft sounds, creating a field that feels alive and responsive. Another piece, Megaliths in the Bath House Ruins, overlays the park’s historic remains with towering projected forms that shift and morph as visitors approach, merging the ancient with the futuristic. The Forest of Autonomous Resonating Life turns the garden’s trees into luminous sentinels, pulsing with color and reacting to movement and sound.

Because the Botanical Garden is open-air, the atmosphere changes with the season: winter nights can feel eerie and surreal, while summer evenings carry the warmth of crickets and humid air. This site is especially popular with couples, who come for its romantic, atmospheric quality, and with travelers looking for a teamLab experience that connects directly to nature.

teamLab Biovertex (Kyoto)

© teamLab

In October 2025, Kyoto will become home to teamLab’s most ambitious permanent installation yet. Biovertex Kyoto will cover more than 10,000 square meters and will be located near Kyoto Station as part of a new creative urban development project. Unlike the other sites, which focus on immersion, play, or nature, this one takes on a more philosophical theme centered on perception, existence, and what teamLab calls the “biocosmos.”

Early announcements have introduced several exhibits, including the Massless Amorphous Sculpture, a constantly changing form that defies physical boundaries, and Massless Suns and Dark Suns, which place visitors inside a universe of orbiting celestial objects that challenge the way we perceive light and void. Another work, Morphing Continuum, is a digital sculpture that never repeats the same shape twice, a meditation on time and impermanence.

Biovertex is expected to become one of Kyoto’s most in-demand attractions, alongside its temples and gardens, and advance reservations will be essential, especially during autumn foliage season.

Practical Tips
Reserve Your Visit

TeamLab’s most popular sites—Planets in Tokyo and Borderless at Azabudai Hills—regularly sell out, especially on weekends, holidays, and during cherry blossom or autumn foliage seasons. Reservations open with timed entry slots, so booking two to four weeks ahead is wise.

Early‐morning slots are the least crowded, while evening visits offer the most dramatic lighting. Borderless reopened in February  2024 at Azabudai Hills and features new exhibits such as Bubble Universe and Megalith Crystal Formation; it quickly became a huge draw, so weekday morning tickets are your best bet.

Planets completed a major expansion in January  2025, increasing its floor area by 1.5 times and adding the Athletics Forest, Catching and Collecting Forest, and Future Park; this growth has only heightened demand, so planning ahead is essential. Kyoto’s new Biovertex museum, covering more than 10 000 m² and scheduled to open in October  2025, will also require advance reservations, particularly during autumn foliage season.

What to Wear

Because many installations involve water, climbing, or outdoor paths, clothing choices can make or break your visit:

Planets (Tokyo): Visitors remove their shoes and socks and wade through shallow pools. Wear shorts or pants that roll up easily and avoid tights. If you prefer skirts or dresses, pack appropriate undergarments since mirrored floors can cause exposure. The museum supplies wrap‑around garments and towels. Footwear should be easy to slip off; skip foot‑covering tights or compression stockings.

Borderless (Tokyo): Comfortable walking shoes are a must; the labyrinth of rooms can occupy you for three hours or more. The floors feature mirrors, so avoid short skirts or dresses if you’re concerned about reflections.

Forest (Fukuoka): High heels, sandals, or clogs are not permitted in many areas, and the Athletics Forest requires active clothing suitable for trampolines, nets, and balance challenges.

Botanical Garden (Osaka): This night‑time outdoor installation runs along dark, uneven paths. The official advice is to wear comfortable shoes and opt for long sleeves and long pants; insect repellent is recommended during summer. The weather changes with the season—humid summers call for lightweight clothes and bug spray, while winter evenings can be chilly, so layer up.

Future Park: Designed for children, this travelling exhibit isn’t as physically demanding but still benefits from comfortable clothing that allows movement.

Getting There and Accessibility

Most teamLab sites are conveniently near major train stations:

Planets Tokyo is a short walk from Shin‑Toyosu Station.
Borderless Tokyo sits within the Azabudai Hills complex near Roppongi; the 2024 relaunch relocated the attraction from Odaiba to this new site.
teamLab Forest Fukuoka is accessible via a brief ride from Hakata Station.
Osaka’s Botanical Garden sits inside Nagai Park, easily reached from central Osaka.
Biovertex Kyoto, opening in 2025, will be located just steps from Kyoto Station, making it one of the most convenient teamLab venues.

Accessibility is generally good, though Planets’ water sections and Fukuoka’s Athletics Forest may not be suitable for wheelchairs or very young children. The outdoor environment at Osaka’s Botanical Garden includes rough terrain that may challenge anyone with mobility issues.

Photos and Devices

Handheld photography is welcome at all teamLab locations, but tripods and selfie sticks are not allowed. Because visitors often take dozens of videos and photos and may use teamLab’s official app (required for collecting digital animals in Fukuoka), bring a portable charger to keep your phone powered. Social‑media favorites include the Floating Flower Garden at Planets, the Forest of Resonating Lamps at Borderless, and the glowing ovoid sculptures at Osaka’s Botanical Garden.

Pick the Right Experience

The diversity of teamLab’s installations means there’s something for every traveler:

Planets and Osaka’s Botanical Garden deliver romantic, immersive experiences perfect for couples. Planets’ new larger footprint includes an “Athletics Forest” for some physical play.

Forest (Fukuoka) and Future Park emphasize physical interaction and creativity, making them ideal for families. Fukuoka’s Athletics Forest introduces trampolines, climbing nets, and digital animal‑collecting via smartphone.

Borderless rewards art lovers and anyone who wants to explore at their own pace; its artworks migrate between rooms, creating a truly “borderless” experience.

Biovertex Kyoto (opening October 2025) aims to be more contemplative, with exhibits exploring perception, existence, and the “biocosmos”. Early announcements mention installations such as the Massless Amorphous Sculpture and Massless Suns and Dark Suns, which will place visitors inside a universe of orbiting light and void.

Overall, teamLab has transformed the idea of what an art space can be, and Japan offers the most complete range of its experiences. No matter which site you choose, teamLab makes you part of the artwork itself—blending technology, nature, and imagination into an experience that lingers long after you leave.