Odaiba (お台場)
Odaiba (お台場) is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. It was initially built for defensive purposes in the 1850s, dramatically expanded during the late 20th century as a seaport district, and has developed since the 1990s as a major commercial, residential and leisure area. Odaiba, along with Minato Mirai 21 in Yokohama, are two of the only places in the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan area where the seashore is accessible, and not blocked by industry and harbor areas.
Daiba (台場) formally refers to one district of the island development in Minato Ward. The Odaiba name is commonly used to refer to the entire Tokyo Waterfront Secondary City Center (東京臨海副都心 Tōkyō Rinkai Fukutoshin) which includes the Ariake and Aomi districts of Kōtō Ward and the Higashi-Yashio district of Shinagawa Ward.
Attractions
Today's Odaiba is a popular shopping and sightseeing destination for Tokyoites and tourists alike. Major attractions include:
Palette Town: Daikanransha, a 115-metre (377 ft) Ferris wheel Megaweb, exhibition hall of car maker Toyota Tokyo Leisure Land, 24-hour video gaming, karaoke, bowling Venus Fort, a Venice-themed shopping mall Zepp Tokyo, one of Tokyo's largest performance halls/nightclubs
Fuji Television studios with a distinctive building designed by Kenzo Tange
Miraikan, Japan's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
Rainbow Bridge connecting Odaiba to the heart of Tokyo
Tokyo Big Sight Tokyo International Exhibition Center
Aqua City shopping center
Diver City shopping center Gundam Front Tokyo, featuring an 18 meter tall Gundam statue Zepp DiverCity
Decks Tokyo Beach shopping mall, featuring Sega Joypolis and Little Hong Kong
Museum of Maritime Science (Fune no kagakukan) with swimming pool
Oedo-Onsen-Monogatari sentō
Shiokaze park with BBQ places and Higashi Yashio park
Telekom Center Building (MXTV's former headquarters) with observation deck
One of two beaches in urban Tokyo (swimming prohibited), along with Kasai Rinkai Park in Edogawa Ward
A replica of the Statue of Liberty
Panasonic Centre, a science and technology showroom
Transport
Two Shuto Expressway lines access Odaiba: Route 11 enters from central Tokyo crossing the Rainbow Bridge, while the Wangan Route enters from Shinagawa Ward through the Tokyo Port Tunnel and from the bayfront areas of Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture to the east.
By public transport Odaiba is accessible via the automated Yurikamome transit system from Shimbashi and Toyosu. The privately operated Rinkai Line runs between Shin-Kiba and Ōsaki but many trains connect directly to Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro. City buses provide cheaper if slower access. Ferries connect Odaiba with Asakusa running along the Sumida River and the Kasai Rinkai Park in eastern Tokyo.
Odaiba | eTips Inc.
