TeamLab Borderless vs Planets: which digital museum in Tokyo should you visit?

japansophy
Jun 7
6 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

TeamLab Borderless digital art museum in Tokyo

"Which is better: TeamLab Planets or TeamLab Borderless?" This is the number one question we get asked whenever we share our Tokyo travel content.

Both museums are created by the same revolutionary art collective, both feature mesmerizing digital installations, and both sell out weeks in advance. However, the actual experiences are vastly different.

We have visited both TeamLab Planets and TeamLab Borderless several times over our 30 years of exploring Japan. Below is our definitive head-to-head breakdown to help you choose the perfect one for your itinerary - or decide if you should book both.

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*Any prices quoted below are as of 2026 and are subject to change

Already decided on Planets? Head to our full TeamLab Planets Visitor Guide for tickets, tips, and everything you need to know before you go.

The quick verdict: which one should you choose?

If you are in a hurry to lock in your tickets before they sell out, here is our rapid-fire recommendation based on your travel style:

Choose TeamLab Planets if: You want a highly interactive, sensory, 2-hour experience where you walk barefoot through water. It follows a set route, making it fantastic for families with kids and first-time Tokyo visitors.
Choose TeamLab Borderless if: You want a massive, free-roaming maze of light where you can completely lose track of time for 3 to 4 hours. It is a more contemplative, artistic, and adult-oriented experience.

The teamlab borderless digital art museum in Tokyo

What to expect at TeamLab Borderless (Azabudai Hills)

TeamLab Borderless is the OG of Tokyo’s digital art scene. After closing its original Odaiba location in 2022, it reopened inside the modern Azabudai Hills complex in Roppongi.

Borderless features over 75 intricate artworks spread across a vast, mapless labyrinth. True to its name, the art has no boundaries; projections literally bleed out of rooms, flow down hallways, and interact with other exhibits across the venue.

There is no set path or circuit here. You are meant to wander blindly, double back, and stumble into hidden rooms by accident. It is incredibly easy to lose yourself for three to four hours exploring the endless visual layers. Because it leans heavily into abstract exploration rather than physical play, it tends to offer a more mature, adult-focused atmosphere.

One note: TeamLab Borderless is a bit more wheelchair-friendly. Because of the nature of the exhibits at TeamLab Planets, wheelchair users have to take a different route that bypasses some of the rooms.

TeamLab Planets tickets

What to expect at TeamLab Planets (Toyosu)

Originally opened as a temporary exhibition, TeamLab Planets has become so overwhelmingly popular that its closing deadline has been extended to 2027, complete with brand-new expanded rooms.

Located in the waterfront district of Toyosu (right next to Shin-Toyosu Station), Planets is a highly physical, linear journey. The museum dictates your path, guiding you sequentially from room to room.

The defining feature here is the sensory immersion. Before entering, you take off your shoes and socks and roll up your trousers. You will wade through knee-deep warm water filled with digital koi fish, bounce across massive canvas floors, and lie down under a dome of falling 3D flowers.

Because of its highly dynamic, playground-like nature, it is an absolute blast for the young and the young at heart. On our first visit, our kids were so completely enchanted that they insisted on doing the entire loop a second time—which you are completely free to do!

TeamLab Borderless tickets

Why Planets tends to edge out Borderless (our honest take)

Looking at visitor statistics (2.51 million visitors in 2025 for TeamLab Planets vs 1.69 million for TeamLab Borderless), it's clear that many Japan visitors agree with our preference for Planets. There are a few reasons for this.

First, digital art installations like TeamLab Borderless have popped up all over the world in recent years, so the concept isn't unique. The interactive, physical character of TeamLab Planets is something different—and it's genuinely fun, especially for kids. We left at least one room crying with laughter.

Second, what you remember differs. We remember the visceral experience of Planets: the water, the physical play, the genuine surprise. With Borderless, we remember being impressed, but not the specific rooms or details quite as vividly.

Third, the practical experience matters. TeamLab Borderless features popular rooms with queues of 15+ minutes. You might miss highlights the first time because you don't want to wait. TeamLab Planets has a fixed route with constant flow and no lines (except for the living flowers exhibit), so you don't miss anything and can stay in any room as long as you want.

Our opinion, then: for most first-time Tokyo visitors, Planets is the pick. The barefoot-in-water experience is unlike anything else in the world, the time commitment is manageable, and the closing date in 2027 gives it a certain urgency. It's also the one that tends to generate more of those "I wasn't expecting to feel that" reactions. If you've done Planets before, or if the idea of free-roaming a vast no-map museum sounds more appealing than a physical, guided sequence, go to Borderless. Tickets for both are around the same price (currently about 4000 yen, depending on the day and time) and can be, and should be, booked in advance. Tickets go on sale around 12 weeks in advance and are usually booked out around 5-6 weeks in advance, so don't put of reserving your tickets until you arrive in Tokyo. You can choose your entry time and buy your tickets on Klook.

Should you do both TeamLab Planets and TeamLab Borderless?

Sure! If you have the time in your itinerary, they both have something different to offer. Trying to do both in one day isn't the best idea, though. First of all, you'll end end with digital art burn-out and will inevitably take away less from the experience than the sum of the two museums. Secondly, they both deserve time, at least 90 minutes each. Thirdly, they are in two completely different areas of Tokyo and will require a bit of a time investment travelling between the two. TeamLab Borderless is in Roppongi , whereas TeamLab Planets is in Toyosu, at almost the very end of the Yurikamome train line. Both are perfect rainy-day activities or indoor activities for a hot Tokyo summer's day, so if you are visiting japan in the rainy season or July/August, book them both for separate days for some planned respite from your outdoor sightseeing schedule.

TeamLab Planets vs TeamLab Borderless: FAQ

How long does TeamLab Planets take?

If you're on a tight schedule, you can be in and out of TeamLab Planets in 90 minutes or so. But you can also stretch it out, no problem, to several hours if you want to fill a wet afternoon. There is no specific time limit.

Which TeamLabs in Tokyo is better?

It's absolutely a matter of taste, but as a family that has done both several times, we prefer TeamLab Planets. It involves a lot of hands-on action, though, so to get the most out of the experience, you have to be prepared to let the big kid in you come to the surface. TeamLab Borderless is much more sedate and less interactive. It's a more adult experience, which is not to say that kids won't enjoy it, but TeamLabs is definitely our choice for families and first-timers in Tokyo.

When is TeamLab Planets closing?

Currently, TeamLab Planets is expected to close in 2027. That date has shifted several times into the future, though, and it's ever popular. We'll update you as soon as there is a definitive date for closure.

Is TeamLab Planets a tourist trap?

At around 4000 yen for adults, many visitors to Tokyo will ask themselves if they should really invest in tickets for the TeamLab museums in Tokyo, TeamLab Planets and TeamLab Borderless. For sure. But as a family, we are repeat visitors and find the tickets worth every yen. It's the highlight of every trip for our kids and never gets old. One caveat: you really need to be prepared to spent 2 or three hours there to get the most out of it. Speeding through just to check it off your bucket list might have you leaving with the feeling that it wasn't worth the ticket price.