teamLab Planets — Attraction in Tokyo

First of all, a very unique experience in an art museum. It's the most fun any of my family have had in an art museum. I will say that the experience is a must-do if you have the chance. That being said, there are a few things I would like to point out.

It was easier to get tickets than Borderless. But it was CROWDED, as all tourist attractions are now-a-days. But trying to enjoy a museum with a crowd is not fun. On top of that, I'd say 95% of the customers were foreign tourists (myself included, but I live here).

While that may not always be a bad thing, in this case, there were many people ignoring signs and directions and doing as they pleased. While the rest of us were being ushered along and told to keep moving and not stop for selfies, the employees weren't doing anything about the people laying in the middle of the walkways or blocking the paths while they were doing their social media photoshoots.

There were signs saying not to lean against the walls, but there were people laying against them, touching the mirrors with their hands and leaving prints all over the place. That's not the only cleanliness issue. We were also told we could only bring cameras and smartphones into the exhibits, which is more than reasonable. But in the water area (this was near the end of the day), there was trash floating on top of the water, and my son stepped on something sharp in the water. When he pulled it up, it was someone's lost acrylic nail with a dangling metal cross on it.

While waiting in line for the hanging flower room, you can see tracks of skin flakes all over the floor. My kids were joking about not having open cuts on your feet, or you'd come home with a foot fungus... and I don't think that would be far off. They didn't sanitize the slippers they have you wear outside before passing it to the next set of people, and you are barefoot for all the rest of the exhibits.

And as lovely as the photos are listed on the website, there will never be a time when there are just 2 people in the room. So the photos were misleading because it made each space seem much larger. The flower hanging room had people crawling on the floor in a crowded space just to find a spot to take pictures.

While I would like everyone to enjoy their trip to Japan and have fun at this museum (which I still highly recommend because it IS fun), I think the museum needs to cut back on how many people they let in at a time, especially if they are ok with people taking up extra space and time for their mini photoshoots. Because they shouldn't be rushing the rest of us through while letting people who paid the same admission price lay all over the place and do what they want. And they definitely should have cleaning time blocks throughout the day because it's gross seeing the foot flakes and food wrappers (which shouldn't even be in there) hanging about your bare skin.

Also, there are lots of mirror floors. If you're wearing a skirt or dress, they have rental shorts for free for you to wear. I went there knowing that, but while in line, I'd say 50% of the other women in my group didn't know that. I don't know how many of them took up the offer of rental shorts though, because there were still a lot of mini-dress wearing social media influencer-types wearing their own clothes in the room with the most mirrors.

After being rushed through by the workers, the entire experience was 30 minutes total, both halves. Luckily, once you're in, you can go through it again if you want. It was still crowded, but we went through the water area again to see sections we knew we had missed. It's on our second run through the water area that I noticed all the trash and the...

We went on a Monday at 1pm, but we had to wait in line for about half an hour. We wanted to visit the Water section first, but we were denied entry by the staff without any explanation or apologies, just aggressive gesticulation. The staff of both teamLabs we visited are very rude even by European standards. We visited the moss garden first which is very underwhelming. The only room that was even more underwhelming than this was the balloon room. The athletic rooms can be used by only a few people at a time so there's always a line you have to wait in for some time. If you are wearing shoes that are not suitable for exercise, you will have to borrow a pair from the staff before entering this section and leave yours in a locker. We had some fun colouring a couple of papers, having them scanned and projected in 2 of the rooms. The 2 guys incharge of scanning the drawings were the only friendly staff we interacted with, especially the guy in the room with snakes, frogs and flowers 👍👍 We took a break and had the vegan ramen for a late lunch. The ramen was ok, a bit too spicy and the raw onion taste in my mouth lingered until I got home and brushed my teeth 🤣. There is not much variety of food to choose from and the options are overpriced, which is to be expected. Finding seating in the covered area of the terrace is a bit of a struggle, probably even more so if it's sunny day or a rainy one. We made a second attempt (successful) at entering the water section. Shoes and bags need to be left in a locker before entering the section. The staff kept gesticulating instead of answering at what point we were supposed to take our shoes off. There are signs, but the space is crowded, loud and overstimulating, so a straight and polite answer would be nice. Unfortunately, we had to use the bathroom in this section and we had to put on the communal slippers provided which are not sanitized between uses. I had no issues, and was even happy to find shoes available in my size (41 EU size), but my husband could not enter because the men's shoes were wet and he couldn't know if it was just water or some other bathroom liquid at play. Anyway, we went through the chlorinated waterfall that smelled so strongly it made me cough, then through the soft floor room and then through the long, long, long, long dark corridors with red lights between the few artwork rooms of this section... So disappointing. The room with water up to the knees also smelled very strongly of chlorine and I couldn't stay for long. There is also the anxiety of someone bumping into you and dropping your phone or camera into the water. When people walk around, the waves get the water level a bit higher, so be mindful of that if you want to keep your trousers dry. The mirror tiles on the floors were damaged on the edges in some rooms, and the staff was so rude and unhelpful in their "communications". In the end, we went to the famous room with the upside down orchids, which was pretty, but again, the mirrored floor was severely scratched everywhere. There weren't that many people in there so there was no time limit. Overall, it was.. an...

Okay so… how do you even begin to describe teamLab Planets in Tokyo without sounding like you either (a) joined a cult of glowing water worshippers or (b) had a near-spiritual experience in a museum that doesn’t actually feel like a museum?

I’ll just start here: GO. IMMEDIATELY.

So I booked my ticket thinking it was going to be one of those cool, artsy Instagram spots. You know—“walk through lights, take a boomerang, peace out.” But what I got was… so much more. From the minute I walked in and locked up my shoes (yes, barefoot is mandatory, and trust me, there’s a reason), everything about the place felt like I had slipped into a dream that someone else had designed specifically for me.

The whole thing starts slow, and then just builds—room by room. You’re not just walking through art, you’re kinda becoming part of it. I legit waded through warm water with koi fish projections swimming around my ankles. And it wasn’t some low-budget aquarium app either—the fish reacted when you moved, darting around your feet like real creatures. I literally had to stop myself from squealing.

One of the craziest rooms? The one with the infinite LED lights—floor to ceiling, mirrored on all sides. You step in and it’s like being inside a galaxy, or maybe the inside of your own mind if your mind were designed by a genius with a thing for color and light. I stood there for way too long just… breathing. Everyone else around me was filming TikToks, and I was like, “Y’all. Just LOOK at this. Be HERE.” It sounds dramatic, but it’s weirdly emotional? It messes with your sense of space, time, and self in the best way.

Another favorite (though it’s so hard to choose) was the soft, cloud-like room. Imagine walking through giant marshmallows that swallow your legs as you try to find your way across this foggy space. It was hilarious, ridiculous, and kinda magical. We were all laughing like kids at summer camp. Complete strangers giggling in the dark. It was chaotic joy, honestly.

Oh—and if you’re into those trippy “I think I just leveled up in consciousness” vibes, the room filled with floating flowers is your moment. These orchids literally descend from the ceiling, moving as you move, and the air smells like something out of a rainforest spa. I may or may not have whispered “is this heaven?” out loud. No regrets.

I came out barefoot, slightly damp, mildly confused, and 100% blown away. It wasn’t just an art exhibit—it was a full-body, soul-hugging, mind-expanding experience. I still can’t explain exactly what happened in there… but something definitely did.

Pro tips if you go: • Wear pants you can roll up or shorts. You WILL walk through water. • Leave your “cool girl” persona at the door—this place rewards curiosity, not clout. • Go at an off-peak time if you can. More space = more magic. • And for the love of serotonin, don’t rush it. Let the rooms mess with your head a little. That’s the point.

So yeah. If you’re in Tokyo and you’re even slightly into art, vibes, or just seeing the world differently for an hour or two—teamLab Planets is not optional....