teamLab Biovortex Kyoto — Local services in Kyoto

My partner and I had a great experience at the teamLabs in Tokyo in 2023 and were excited to visit this new addition. We are both 30 years old with no children and attended on a weekday at 7pm. We booked tickets months in advance - so no comment on availability. There were some neat exhibitions but the overall experience was affected by the lack of guidance and cohesion of the exhibition. Whilst the experience may have been designed to be exploratory, we were frequently lost and frustrated - having to backtrack, realising we'd missed exhibits and ultimately when it came time to leave, had to be guided to the true exit by a staff member. The exhibits themselves were a bit hit and miss - some just felt like a photo opportunity or e.g. just a bright light in a room. There were queues to get pictures and this ruined the experience for just admiring the installations. Overall, it was not very crowded when we went, but many areas were clearly intended for and dominated by young children. In a low lit space, especially with overexcited children around, it became difficult to navigate. The experience would have benefited from a clearer map in the app they encouraged you to download and numbering exhibits so at least you know if you've missed something. Perhaps this might affect the intention of the exhibit but these were serious detractors for our experience. Young kids will love it. Instagrammers will too. For us, the Tokyo teamlabs is the...

First of all: The art was amazing and this critique is solemnly targeted at communication, the service and the staff.

We were lucky to get tickets for the exhibition on a Saturday. Our slot started at 7 pm while we were there in time, we had to wait to be let into the actual exhibition for like 10-15 mins, no biggie.

As mentioned before the art was breathtaking and we really lost ourselves in some of the installments. So much that we kinda forgot about the time. And this is exactly the problem. While you are constantly in contact with the staff because they have to explain a lot about the exhibition, no one thought to mention that it closes at 9:00 pm. After about 2/3 of everything we were told that we had to go. Like immediately. Even before experiencing the chrome egg thingies which were kind of the signature piece of art for us, because you see them all the time on social media. Had we known, maybe through a hint by a staff member or an announcement around 9 pm, that we need to hurry a bit, we might have skipped some minor things and made sure to see the mayor exhibits.

This way we felt like missing out on important experiences and at this point I wouldn’t visit another teamLab. Which is so sad, taking in account how great the experience...

Amazing immersive experience, one of Kyoto’s highlights! Bigger and better than Tokyo Planets teamLab Biovortex Kyoto is absolutely worth a visit. The art is stunning, interactive, and constantly changing, you feel like you’re walking through light, sound, and movement. Every room is different, and exploring the maze-like space is part of the fun.

A few tips: you can’t enter before your reserved time, and there isn’t much to do around the entrance area while you wait, so arrive just a few minutes early. Inside, everything is very clean and well maintained, there are plenty of restrooms throughout the maze and they’re spotless. They also have free lockers inside, which is super convenient since you’ll want your hands free to explore and take photos.

Plan at least two hours inside, wear dark clothes to avoid reflections, and enjoy getting a little lost, it’s part of the magic. Highly recommended for couples, families, and anyone who loves digital art or unique...