Photo: © grape Japan

Top places to visit in Odaiba, where the future is intertwined with the past

Odaiba is a unique place with many attractions, retro places, malls and a wonderful beach where you can relax while drinking a beer at night (or tea/coffee, your call). An artificial island, Odaiba has a peaceful atmosphere surrounding it. At the same time, you can enjoy the new intertwined with the old. At first look, it has a futuristic vibe, but if you explore further, you’ll find vintage and retro stores. It’s very exciting just strolling around and seeing what you can find.

I'd like to introduce some of the places that need to be seen if you're in the area, beginning with:

Diver City Mall and the Statue of Gundam

Photo by © cinnamonellie

DiverCity is very famous due to the Gundam robot in front of the mall. You can see it as soon as you get out of the station. It fits the image of Tokyo as the 19.7 meter-tall mecha robot is undoubtedly the image of future and technology.

Even if you are not a fan, the robot is so majestic that it will leave an impression on you. When you see its transformation or the moment it lights up, it will blow you away!

Besides the many Gundam goods and the Gundam Unicorn Robot, you can also go souvenir-shopping or pass by the arcade while you're there. The mall has a wide variety of shops, including a Gundam Cafe, and also comes with a food court and a skateboarding zone up on the 7th Floor where H.L.N.A Sky Garden/Wahoo’s Tacos is located.

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Aqua City

Photo by © cinnamonellie

Aqua City has many floors and it's super easy to get lost there. However, there is one shop I never miss and that is the JUMP shop, as I am an avid fan of the Jump series. I always pass by this shop if I’m in the area.

Aqua City is also very close to the beach and has many U.S.-inspired restaurants such as LongBoard Café or WeberDeck Grill. You can find many Japanese restaurants or ramen shops there, too. There is food for all tastes. A replica of the Statue of Liberty can also be found outside of the mall, along with a gorgeous view of Rainbow Bridge.

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Palette Town Mall

In addition to teamLab’s Borderless museum, which we recently reviewed, you'll find a Ferris wheel measuring approximately 110 meters (over 360 feet) in height. You can enjoy the Mega Web Museum and its showcase located next to Venus Fort Mall in the History Garage, a place full with a Showa feeling to it full of vintage models and iconic automobiles. The Mall has many displays and events you can enjoy, so don’t miss it.

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Decks Tokyo Beach

Photo by © cinnamonellie

Here, you can discover several museums such as the Tokyo Trick art museum and Madame Tussauds wax museum, which we reported on earlier. You'll also find a Takoyaki Museum that features many famous shops from Osaka so that people in Tokyo can enjoy authentic takoyaki (fried octopus balls) in numerous flavors and styles together. There's also a Showa-themed arcade that will take you back in time. If you’re into games and technology, you can enter Joypolis, an indoor amusement park with VR, awesome rides and fun experiences.

Odaiba is surrounded by malls, and museums (Miraikan is also one of them), all of them pretty close to each other. You can visit everything in one day, and end it by relaxing on the beach and enjoying a beautiful sunset while sipping a cup of tea or eating a konbini bento.

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By - cinnamonellie.