MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: EPSON teamLab Borderless
We visited “Borderless,” the world’s first digital art museum operated by teamLab. Our visit took place on opening day itself, and tickets were already selling out — so booking advance tickets ahead of time is highly recommended.
Once you pay the admission fee, you have access to every area, and the entire museum, including its experiential installations, is yours to enjoy. Tickets are relatively pricey, which may give some visitors pause, but after experiencing it firsthand we came away thinking, “this is actually a pretty great entertainment destination for families with kids!” That is why we decided to write this piece as a family-oriented guide.
Admission
A few notes about the entry process.
Even if you have advance tickets, be prepared to wait in line for a while before entering.
Coin lockers (coin-refund style, free) and a stroller-parking area are set up in front of the entry gate. A very child-friendly reception setup.
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There’s no running inside the venue, but some areas involve climbing or walking on unstable surfaces — physical activity is part of the experience. Dress as lightly as possible when entering the museum.
Second Floor
“teamLab Borderless” has been buzzing on Instagram thanks to its photogenic scenes. Climbing the stairs from the dazzling first-floor venue leads you to the second floor.
Because it is “Borderless,” there is not a single venue map on the first floor, but a rough layout of the venue is posted on the second floor. *You really will wander around on the first floor.
The spots we recommend for families with children this time are “Athletics Forest” and “Future Park.” We’d like to introduce each of them with photos. *We’ll briefly introduce EN TEA HOUSE as well.
(1) Future Park
First up, Future Park. Just as the name suggests, this is a place where you enjoy yourself by participating, as if you were in an amusement park.
Sketch Aquarium
Draw a fish on the special paper with crayons and watch it come to life and swim.
[How to play]
- Color in a fish drawn on paper.
- Scan the paper you drew on.
- Your fish starts swimming in the sea.
- Touch the food bag, and the fish will gather around the food.
Seeing the picture you drew appear and move around in the aquarium makes you feel happy.
Sliding through the Fruit Field
This one is essentially a slide.
A Table where Little People Live
This is a table where little people live. Place your hands or objects on the table and the little people notice and come jumping onto them.
A Musical Wall where Little People Live
This is a musical wall where little people live. When you stick mushrooms, trees, long ice sticks and other pieces onto the wall, the little people notice and come jumping onto them. Depending on the type of mushroom or other piece stuck to the wall, the little people slide, jump, or climb.
Also, smiley seeds are falling from above. When the smiley seeds hit the mushrooms or other pieces, they play various tones depending on the type.
(2) Athletics Forest
Then there’s “Athletics Forest.” Literally, you exercise. Depending on how you enjoy it, you can work up a pretty good sweat.
Based on the concept of “using the body to understand the world and thinking about the world three-dimensionally,” this is a new “creative athletic space” that grows the hippocampus and trains spatial awareness. In a complex, three-dimensional space, you plunge whole-body — with strong physicality — into an interactive world.
Light Forest Three-dimensional Bouldering
Three-dimensional bouldering flooded with light. It’s pretty tiring!
Aerial Climbing through a Flock of Colored Birds
A gym-like activity where you walk across unstable footholds.
Multi Jumping Universe
Trampoline!
Graffiti Nature – High Mountains and Deep Valleys
It’s a sloped, unstable footing. Try touching an animal and see what happens!?
Inverted Globe, Giant Connecting Block Town
An area that feels like a children’s playground.
[How to play]
- Place giant blocks shaped like houses, stations, and buildings around the plaza.
- Place the same type of block, and they connect to form railways, roads, and more, and various vehicles begin to run.
- As more blocks connect, the vehicles evolve.
- As many vehicles start running, the town gradually develops.
- Place a pond block on top of a flooded river, and then place more pond blocks near the river to create a waterway connecting to the sea, and you can stop the river from flooding.
Baby Space
Cushion mats are laid out so that babies can crawl around. A reassuring area for parents too.
(3) EN TEA HOUSE
On the second floor there is also another area called “EN TEA HOUSE” — an interactive cafe where you can enjoy tea. Children are of course welcome, so it’s the ideal spot to rest your weary body for a moment. Please also refer to the following article if you like.
https://art-on.jp/teamlab-borderless-tea-house/
Summary
Admission for children (ages 4 to junior high school) is 1,000 yen (tax included). For a facility where you can lose track of time enjoying yourself, that seems like a reasonable price. The interior is air-conditioned and comfortable. Since even adults can enjoy the space, the sound and imagery are refreshing for the spirit.
The new-experience museum “teamLab★Borderless” also offers new experiences to digital-native kids who are already accustomed to smartphones and tablet devices. We hope it becomes a place where children naturally synchronize with the world of art.
Whether this place should be classified strictly as “art” may be up for debate, but at a time when digital technology is evolving so rapidly, it is a hugely significant initiative in showing just how far expressive methods that make full use of digital technology have come.
This time we focused on the second-floor areas. Of course, the first floor is also very rich in content, and you can take plenty of Instagram-worthy photos.
