Teamlab Tokyo vs Teamlab Osaka: Which Is Better?

Hours: 9:00 to 22:00, last entry 21:00 (summer)
Address: teamLab Planets Tokyo, Toyosu 6-1-16, Koto-ku, Tokyo (Map)
Price: ¥3,200 ($24 USD) (Tickets)
Closest Station: Shin-Toyosu Station
Tips for visiting: Wear shorts or pants that can roll up so you can walk in water. Towels are provided. Expect to wait in line upon arrival.
Hours: 19:00 to 21:30, last entry 20:30
Address: Nagai Botanical Garden 1-23 Nagaikoen, Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka (Map)
Price: ¥1,600 ($12 USD) (Tickets)
Closest Station: Nagai Station
Tips for visiting: Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring mosquito spray in warmer months. Some uneven surfaces and dark paths. Evening entry only.
This is dissimilar to my advice around visiting Teamlab Borderless or Teamlab Planets in Tokyo. Both of these Teamlab museums include similar exhibits, so I recommend visiting only one during a Tokyo itinerary.
If you find yourself struggling for time in either your Tokyo itinerary or Osaka itinerary – consider dropping one of the Teamlab exhibits.
Both of my visits to Teamlab Planets and Teamlab Botanic lasted about 1 hour. That’s one hour from the first photo I took inside each museum to the last photo I took when I left.
This does NOT include time waiting in line (30 minutes at Teamlab Planets) nor the time it talks to walk to the Teamlab destination from the closest station (10 minutes for Teamlab Botanic).
Teamlab Botanic Gardens in Osaka is located in Osaka’s Nagai Botanical Gardens, basically a huge park. Its spacious nature means kids can run around and play without worry. Because Teamlab Botanic Gardens is open only in the evening, it’s a great place to burn off some excess energy before ending the day as well.
Teamlab Planets in Tokyo requires walking through water, with the water being more than a foot deep in some sections. Little ones with little legs will have to be carried, or an alternative route used with a parent to skip some of the experiences altogether. Although towels are provided after each water-filled section, water also creates an opportunity for spills and tumbles!
Teamlab Planets has several exhibits that are perfect for getting close to your significant other. The main attraction here is a large room filled with knee-deep water, a perfect hand-holding opportunity. Another exhibit was like a planetarium, where everyone could lie down and watch flowers fall across the sky, another potential cuddle sesh.
If you hate crowds, you’d better head to Teamlab Osaka and not Teamlab Tokyo for a number of reasons.
At Teamlab in Tokyo it is highly likely you’ll have to line up to enter the museums, even if you arrive right at your designated ticket time. In my experience this can be from 15-30 minutes. The interior of Teamlab Planets also follows a designated trail, so you can only move as fast as the people in front of you. It is unlikely that you’ll have an area to yourself at Teamlab Planets in Tokyo because of the crowds.
Teamlab Botanical Garden also has a general direction that visitors should follow, however there is often a network of different paths that you can take. With plenty of trails, benches, and wide open space, Teamlab Botanic does not feel crowded.
Teamlab Osaka is also built in one portion of a massive botanical garden, perfect for solitary night strolls away from crowds.
Teamlab Planets has a large variety and number of immersive art exhibits, including experiences previously showcased at Teamlab Borderless in Odaiba, Tokyo. The exhibits are consistently visually appealing, and are sure to impress all visitors to Japan.
In comparison, Teamlab Botanical Garden has fewer exhibits, and even fewer that visitors can interact with or get great photos together with. As reflected in the price of the two Teamlab exhibits (3,200 yen for Tokyo and 1,600 yen for Osaka), the Tokyo Teamlab exhibit I thought was a grander and more immersive display of digital art.
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