It’s a long way to the top, if you wanna eat it all.
Day 10, Tokyo: Discovering Odaiba (お台場), the artificial island.
BACKGROUND: Recovering from the endless walking and rides which was DisneySea, Odaiba/Daiba was the perfect way to end the first leg of our Japan journey.
Depending where you’re located in Tokyo, the best way to get to Odaiba is via metro/JR lines. There are a couple of changes required, but as long as you end up at Shimbashi station, you can catch the monorail-looking Yurikamome, which leads straight to Odaiba/Daiba station. The Yurikamome is completely automated and has no driver; the carriages themselves are guided with rubber wheels.
By taking this transport option, you’ll be able to get a fantastic view of Odaiba’s seashore as well as the ever popular, Rainbow Bridge. We recommend that you head into Odaiba during the day and leave at night so you are able to see both versions of the city, and if you’re lucky, various coloured lights cast onto Rainbow Bridge. (Check this schedule to time your visit so that you are able to view these lights.
MEAL: Cheeseburger and Iced Mango Teas for Brunch at Kua’Aina in Aqua City, Odaiba.
Does it seem sacrilege to consume a Hawaiian-style burger in an Asian country? Probably. But remember, as we’ve stated along the way, this country does a fine job in producing solid-tasting Western-style food. Entering the restaurant, you’re immediately greeted with traditional/wooden and tree decor. Teamed with floorboards, you order from a menu with some tribal-esque font. It’s like being inside a sophisticated tiki hut!
The burger patties were fairly thick and cooked medium rare to well done- retaining the moisture and softness of the meat. We chose to get the meal, so the burgers were served with a side of fries similarly found in your local Hungry Jacks/Burger King outlet.
Each table was equipped with Ketchup & Mustard, giving you the opportunity to lather as much or as little sauce onto your burger. But let’s be honest. At the end of the day, you’re dining at a Hawaiian restaurant franchise which dishes up burgers, salads and fries. This is quick comfort food to refuel and satisfy your appetite while you go and explore the area.
Rating: 4/5. It’s recommended to visit this restaurant during the day. Try and get a spot near the windows so you can eat your burger and enjoy the scenery too!
There are quite a few things to do in Odaiba. Its extensive and vast layout means that as soon as you arrive via the Yurikamome, you are within walking distance to many attractions. Let’s check out a few of the buildings, structures and things-to-do whilst walking around this awesome island:
DESTINATION: Joypolis in Decks, Odaiba. For gamer enthusiasts, Sonic the Hedgehog lovers and for those who appreciate having an amusement park indoors.
As cool as it looks from its exterior and interior, there are only a few major attractions within Joypolis Odaiba. You have a choice of buying just an admission ticket by itself, or a ‘passport’ which includes admission as well as ride passes. An admission ticket alone will cost you approximately ¥800, with each ride costing between ¥300-¥500 per turn, while the passport will run you ¥3,900. This is quite a large difference, especially if you only intend to try a handful of rides. My friend and I opted for the admission-only ticket, which gave us the flexibility to spend our money only on the rides we wanted to go on.
Inside you’ll find some quirky interactive displays, typical carnival games which win you toys and some large rides. Given the level of technology these days, there wasn’t anything in here that came across as ‘futuristic’ or ‘mind-boggling’.
We ended up trying two rides: Veil of the Dark & Storm-G. Veil of the Dark is the one you instantly notice when you enter. It’s a 2 person, indoor rollercoaster which maneuvers and swirls around the centre of the building and riders must shoot zombies whilst in motion. This was probably the most exciting attraction there.
Next up was Storm-G. This is a high tech-looking, 2- person bobsled ride. There are 4 bobsleds available in a row which allows other racers to verse each other. Kind of like Daytona USA, but interactive. What’s so good about this ride? It’s as much visual as it is motion- the bobsleds themselves tilt left, tilt right and eventually spin 360 degrees when users pass through a portal during the race. It was hilarious to convince my travelling companion to hop into this as everything about it screamed motion-sickness, but as the good sport she is, she reluctantly hopped in.
I am happy to report that no after-ride sickness/dizziness were experienced.
Rating: 3/5. This would be considered a ‘visit along the way’ sort of destination. I would not plan your day in Odaiba around Joypolis, as you will probably find it underwhelming and disappointing. However, it is good to check it out just to get a feel of what Sega’s take would be on an amusement park. Especially if you’ve never experienced going to a Segaworld before.
DESTINATION: Tokyo Trick Museum/Odaiba Takoyaki Museum at Decks Beach Shopping Mall, Odaiba.
We came here for the novelty factor- a museum dedicated solely to Takoyaki? Hilarious! Little did we know that this complex had so much more awesomeness to offer:
It’s just absolutely nuts in this complex. With so many products, food, souvenirs and weird items (edible underwear anyone?), you’ll find plenty of opportunities to buy novelty gifts for friends/family as well as sink your teeth in to some genuine Japanese street food (Okonomiyaki, Takoyaki and more!)
DESTINATION: The Giant Gundam Statue, Diver City Odaiba.
Forget about the little Gundam Cafe in Akihabara, this is the real deal. Where the anime world blurs into our world. And just in case you were wondering, yes, this thing is just as awesome as you thought it would be. A bucket list item for my friend and I- we were determined to snap up as many photos and videos as possible of this bad boy before we left Tokyo.
But it gets better. It’s not only just a statue, it freaking moves, blows smoke and lights up! To guarantee that you’ll see it move/light up one way or another, see the set ‘demonstration’ times here.
DESTINATION: Toyota Mega Web City Showcase, Odaiba.
This is an interactive and educational centre for the serious car enthusiast, sustainable transport admirer and long-time Toyota fan boy. My friend and I got excited as we walked through Palette Town and spotted a demo driving track. We guessed correctly and Toyota were running regular test drives of their latest models. Keen to try one out ourselves, we quickly fished for our drivers licenses- only to realise that test drives were strictly for locals.
To deal with the heartache of not being able to ‘drive’ in Japan, we went for the next best alternative- test driving super small electric car models on an indoor track. It was actually quite a formal process, you needed to present your own drivers license, and then buy a specific test-driving license before hopping into the vehicles. The license is complete with photo and issue date!
Our excitement once again faltered as soon as we stepped on the ‘gas’. These little cars barely travelled over 10 km/h. Such a letdown.
However, despite the underwhelming test driving experience, there are still plenty of concept cars and actual Toyota models to take a look at:
MEAL: Spaghetti Carbonara and Creamy Squid Pasta at Around Table, Venus Fort, Odaiba.
Just opposite the Toyota Mega Web Centre is Venus Fort; a shopping centre with Caesar’s place-style fountains and restaurants. Now reaching sundown, we were starting to feel a little famished. One of the first restaurants we spotted was ‘Around Table’. With white walls and white lights inside, you can’t help but feel like you’re inside an Ikea/Muji store.
There was a dedicated children’s playground inside as well as a dining area. You could either choose to sit in conventional chairs and tables, or sit cross-legged at a low height table. We were in Japan, of course went for the cross-legged option!
Moving onto the food, I would classify this place as a clean and simple Western cafe. From what I can remember, the portion size was ok and the price as actually quite cheap. Flavours weren’t too strong and it didn’t leave us wanting more. As we went into Venus Fort a little late, we were limited with the dining choices available. We can definitely recommend that you go to Venus Fort earlier so that you are able to explore the other restaurants within the other floors.
Rating: 3/5. A basic cafe with the essentials of Western cuisine. Good as a desperate eat-out destination, but there are plenty of alternatives if you end up at Venus Fort at a decent hour.
DESTINATION: Daikanransha (大観覧車) Ferris Wheel, Palette Town, Odaiba.
The last stop on our day trip to Odaiba was the Daikanransha . This is the tall Ferris Wheel which makes up some of the skyline visible from the Yurikamome. You can’t have a seaside town and not have one of these.
Of course, the most outstanding view aboard the Ferris Wheel is the Rainbow Bridge. Being the central, focal structure of Odaiba, it’s hard to not see it poking into view when you’re observing the area. We road the Ferris Wheel at night since we took our time leisurely walking around for most of the afternoon, but we can imagine the view would have been 10x better during the day.
Either way, it was a spectacular and magical way to end the day and our first trip to Tokyo. It gave us some time to let our trip and our experiences really sink in. Wow, Tokyo had been impressive and interesting.
Note, pack a jacket just in case as the sea breeze does catch up with you when you’re up in the air. Walking through dusk, it got so cold that I had to quickly run into a Nike store and buy a jacket! (luckily the jacket was on sale!)
Rating: 4/5. It’s a tourist attraction, but make the effort to visit it. It is surrounded by urban park foliage and pavement and gives you a great 360 degree view of Odaiba.
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