Odaiba was originally built as a fort to defend Tokyo from possible attack in 1853. It was in the 1990s that Odaiba was developed to become the site of many of Tokyo’s top tourist attractions.

Today Odaiba is home to a range of amusement parks, shopping malls, museums, interactive art galleries, several hotels, as well as commercial offices. Odaiba is also a popular destination for fans of anime and manga. Several major anime and manga events and trade shows are held at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center throughout the year.

Some areas of Odaiba are currently undergoing a major redevelopment, which is due to be completed in 2025.

As part of these redevelopments, some of Odaiba’s most popular attractions over recent years have closed down, including the hugely successful teamLab Borderless art museum and Odaiba’s cherished Ferris wheel, the Palette Town Giant Sky Wheel.

Despite these closures, there is still plenty to keep you entertained in Odaiba. Here’s our guide to the top 20 things to do in Odaiba.

teamLab is one of Japan’s most famous collectives of digital artists, engineers, architects and more that produce various exhibitions. teamLab Planets TOKYO, located next to Shin-Toyosu Station, is a large-scale exhibition that plans to remain open until the end of 2027. teamLab Planets TOKYO features four huge exhibition spaces of immersive digital artworks that put you right at the heart of the exhibits.

An incredible interactive experience, each exhibition has a different focus, using a variety of mediums, including LED lights, image projections, water, and even levitating flowers. Note that visitors are required to wear clothes that can be rolled up over the knee to walk through the exhibition barefoot due to the nature of the water-based artworks. There are lockers at the entrance to store shoes and socks, and towels are provided to dry your feet afterward.

Tokyo Joypolis is an indoor amusement center offering rides and virtual reality experiences. It's a perfect destination for thrill-seekers - and with a huge assortment of entertainment options, it's perfect for adults and kids alike. Travelers and locals alike visit this Tokyo hotspot for fun and thrills.

Tokyo Trick Art Museum in Odaiba is a fun place filled with optical illusions that are perfect for all your social media. Divided into five areas, the museum has it all: exhibits that place you right in the midst of unique Japanese cultural scenes, parodies of famous artwork, and even letting you snap selfies with lovely animals.

The Daiba Mysterious School is a creepy role-playing walk through an abandoned school in search of the lost souls trapped inside. Visitors are given nothing more than a torch as they tentatively wander along the school’s dark, narrow, creaky corridors and smoke-filled rooms resembling a spooky horror film set. Try not to be freaked out by the sounds of hidden voices and sinister laughter as you make your way through the excellently staged and terror-inducing scenes, and make sure to emerge with your wits still intact.

You don’t need to go to New York to see the Statue of Liberty. In April 1998, a replica of the Statue of Liberty was temporarily put on display in Odaiba as a symbol of the friendship between France and Japan. The statue proved so popular that a permanent replica was created in 1999 with official permission from the city of Paris. Unveiled in December 2000, Odaiba’s Statue of Liberty has become one of Tokyo Bay’s most famous landmarks. Standing at 12.25 meters in height, the best spot to take the famous lady’s photo is the promenade called Skywalk, where she stands in front of the Rainbow Bridge.

Another of Odaiba’s most recognizable landmarks is the headquarters of Fuji Television Network. One of the most famous buildings in Tokyo, the steel and glass Fuji Television Building dominates part of Odaiba. Its most prominent feature is the huge sphere at the top of the building. Inside the Fuji TV Building is the Odaiba Tourist Center, located at the core of the sphere. Here you can find more information about things to do in Odaiba. Also inside the sphere on the 25th floor is an observatory called Hachitama, which overlooks the entire Odaiba area and beyond to other famous landmarks such as Tokyo Tower. On a clear day, you can even see Mount Fuji in the distance.

Odaiba is where you’ll find Tokyo’s Madame Tussauds, one of the world's most famous wax museums. At Madame Tussauds, you can get up close and personal with life-like waxworks of some of the world's most famous faces, such as Audrey Hepburn, Elvis Presley, and Brad Pitt. As this is the Tokyo branch of Madame Tussauds, there are also waxworks of famous Japanese celebrities and sports stars too. As part of the exhibition, you can also learn all about how Madame Tussauds makes such incredibly life-like waxworks of world-famous icons.

Legoland Discovery Center Tokyo is the perfect day out for kids and the young at heart. A place to encourage creative minds where you can build and create to your heart’s content, at Legoland Discovery Center Tokyo you can visit the different themed zones and let your imagination run wild with the world-famous bricks. You can create a little city of your own in the Lego City Builder or see some of the world's most famous places recreated in Lego in Miniland. You can also tour the Lego Factory and see how the famous bricks are made or head to the Duplo Village, which is the ideal place for younger kids and toddlers to learn to build with blocks.

Enjoy a different view of Tokyo on a relaxing cruise between the historic neighborhood of Asakusa and Odaiba. A water bus service called the Tokyo Mizube Line sails between Odaiba and Asakusa, leaving Tokyo Bay and along the Sumida River. On the way the boat passes by some of Tokyo’s most famous sights, including the Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Skytree®. The cruise takes under an hour and operates in both directions, meaning that you can choose to arrive in Odaiba by boat rather than by rail if you’d prefer.

If there’s anywhere in the world that would attempt to make poop cute, then it was always going to be Japan. The Unko Museum probably doesn’t fit the strict definition of the word “museum,” instead featuring a number of multi-colored larger-than-life models, neon signs, and even decorative food that attempt to make poop and toilet humor something that can be kawaii. There are plenty of spots for photo opportunities, as well as a shop where you can buy a wide range of poop-based souvenirs.

At Daiba Itchome Shotengai you can explore the recent past and experience life in 1960s Japan. Located on the 4th floor of Decks Tokyo Beach, a seaside mall on Odaiba’s waterfront, this recreation of a Showa-era street is lined with shops that recreate the feel of shopping in the Japan of 60 years ago. In this throwback to days gone by you can buy retro sweets, toys, and all kinds of vintage Japanese souvenirs. You can also play a great selection of nostalgic arcade and video games and enjoy traditional entertainment, such as puppet shows, that were popular in Japan a generation ago.

Small Worlds Tokyo is a fun-filled exhibition where you can tour different parts of the world that have been perfectly recreated in miniature. The largest miniature theme park in the world, Small Worlds Tokyo depicts various settings and scenes from around the world at 1:80 scale. There are six different locations and themes within Small Worlds Tokyo, each filled with incredible detail as well as plenty of humor. Scenes include crowds gathering to watch a rocket launch at a space center and planes coming into land at a miniature model of Kansai Airport. The Global Village depicts scenes from locations from all over the world during both day and night thanks to very clever lighting changes.

Miraikan is a huge science museum that covers almost all aspects of life in the past, present, and especially the future. The in-depth exhibitions at Miraikan detail how the earth has developed to where we are now from a scientific perspective. Miraikan covers vast topics such as the history of the earth and the exploration of space, featuring a scale model of the International Space Station used by astronauts on space missions. The exhibition also looks to the future, including the role of AI and robots in everyday life. Taking such a deep dive into a number of complex scientific subjects, Miraikan is best for teenage kids with a love of science and adults.

If you’re looking for a spot of retail therapy in Odaiba, then there are several malls where you can hit the shops. The Aqua City mall is filled with a wide range of stores, ranging from fashion and sportswear, to beauty products and Japanese souvenirs. You’ll also find plenty of places to eat, with dozens of specialty restaurants dishing up a wide range of Japanese cuisine, including sushi, ramen, and shabu-shabu. There are also plenty of cafes and restaurants that serve excellent western dishes too.

Tokyo Big Sight is Japan’s largest international exhibition center that hosts all manner of exhibitions and trade shows throughout the year. The building has become something of an Odaiba landmark thanks to its unique architecture, which resembles set of inverted pyramids elevated above ground level. Amongst those most of interest to tourists are the toy, anime, and manga exhibitions that take place at Tokyo Big Sight. There are also a number of arts and crafts exhibitions held at Tokyo Big Sight as well as antique fairs where you can pick up all kinds of vintage Japanese goods, such as kokeshi dolls and kimonos.

The Unicorn Gundam is a replication of the RX-0 Unicorn Gundam from the novel and OVA Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. This grand display stands at 19.7 meters tall. The Gundam is normally in Unicorn mode, marked by a white frame with a single antenna protruding from its head.

At specified times, however, you can see the Gundam in Destroy mode, where its frame expands and emits a pink glow. You need to visit the Unicorn Gundam!

The DiverCity Tokyo Plaza is another of Odaiba’s huge shopping malls that’s packed with stores as well as an enormous food court. DiverCity Tokyo Plaza is spread across seven floors and a number of famous global brands have stores. Alongside well-known international apparel stores are a number of high-end fashion outlets, shops that specialize in fashion accessories, and much more. The food court offers a great selection of different Japanese, Asian, and Western cuisines whilst the top floor is home to a massive entertainment complex complete with arcade games, a bowling alley, and karaoke rooms.

At the Museum of Maritime Science, you can learn all about the seas around Japan. The museum features several exhibits that document aspects of the history of the Japanese navy, sea fishing, and the ships that have served to protect Japan’s coastline. There are also a number of impressive models of research and patrol ships on display too. Perhaps the highlight of the Museum of Maritime Science is Soya, the icebreaking ship that was used for research trips to the Antarctic. Soya is docked next to the museum and visitors can explore the interior of the ship and learn all about its varied and remarkable history.

Though it might be hard to imagine now, Odaiba was originally created to be a defensive fort to protect Tokyo Bay from any potential invaders. One of the few remaining places where you can still see Odaiba’s original purpose is in Daiba Park. The high foundation walls of the fort are still visible today in Daiba Park, along with the remains of ammunition storehouses and the remnants of an old gun battery. Today, Daiba Park is also a relaxing green space with wonderful views of many of Odaiba’s main landmarks, including the Statue of Liberty, the Fuji TV Building, and the Rainbow Bridge.

There’s no shortage of great places to eat in Odaiba, but the restaurants at DECKS Tokyo Beach come with the added bonus of beautiful views of Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge. Whether you prefer traditional Japanese cuisine or crave Western-style dining, there are plenty of restaurants in DECKS Tokyo Beach to pick from. Fans of takoyaki, the piping hot octopus balls that originate from Osaka, will not want to miss the Odaiba Takoyaki Museum on the 4th floor. Here you can try all kinds of different types and flavors of delicious takoyaki from a whole host of stalls all in one place.

The Ariake Tennis Forest Park opened on the site of a golf course in 1983. The complex counts a total of 49 courts, including the Ariake Coliseum, a court equipped with an opening dome, as well as other outdoor and indoor courts.

This venue is also used for competitions such as the Japan Open, and it’s known as the “Holy Land of Tennis in Japan,” and it is one of the leading tennis competitions facilities in the country.

When no tournaments are taking place, the complex is open to the general public (admission fee required). In addition to the many courts, there are also lawn open spaces, gardens, jogging courses, and more.

Immersive Fort Tokyo, which opened in March 2024, is the world's first fully immersive indoor theme park, redefining the boundaries of theme park entertainment. Spanning about 30,000 square meters, it stands as one of Japan's largest indoor theme parks. Unlike traditional parks, here visitors actively engage in the narratives of 12 unique attractions, inspired by popular stories, anime, games, and historical events. With cutting-edge technology, elaborate sets, and live performances, each visit promises a plunge into worlds like those of Sherlock Holmes, Jack the Ripper, and Tokyo Revengers anime. The park not only features a stunning European-style design but also turns its guests into protagonists, making every experience interactive and dynamic, where your choices shape the story.

Check out these other fun activities you can enjoy in the Odaiba area.

Odaiba is easy to get to from Tokyo, taking about 25-30 minutes from Tokyo Station.

Odaiba-kaihinkōen Station on the Yurikamome Line is one of the most central train stations in Odaiba. To get here from Tokyo Station, take the Yamanote Line or Keihin Tohoku Line to Shinbashi Station. Then transfer at Shinbashi Station to the Yurikamome Line.

Enjoy a fun time exploring one of Tokyo's most exciting areas!