At the top of the list for Tokyo must-see museums and experiences is a Teamlab digital art museum. These unique museums are world-renowned and luckily Tokyo is home to two Teamlabs: Teamlab Borderless in Azabudai Hills (central Tokyo) and Teamlab Planets in Toyosu (east Tokyo). Teamlab Borderless and Teamlab Planets museums feature beautiful digital art, immersive exhibits, and a wonderful experience that will entertain all visitors. So the question is which one to visit – Teamlab Borderless or Teamlab Planets?
This Q&A post provides a breakdown of the two digital art museums in Tokyo, based on personal experience, to help you decide which you should visit: Teamlab Borderless or Teamlab Planets?
Background to Teamlab Borderless vs Teamlab Planets
The first and original Teamlab Borderless was located in Odaiba (east Tokyo) but it closed in August 2022. The NEW Teamlab Borderless moved to Azabudai Hills, a more central location in Tokyo. Teamlab Borderless has new, one-of-a-kind exhibits unique to both the previous Borderless location and to Teamlab Planets.
Teamlab Planets in Toyosu on the other hand, was originally scheduled to close in 2023, however this was extended to the end of 2027 due to the popularity of the museum (and to align with the timing of the construction of a new Teamlab Borderless).
Now, Teamlab Borderless is a permanent experience at Azabudai Hills, while Teamlab Planets in Toyosu is scheduled to close at the end of 2027.
If you’re headed to Osaka during your Japan itinerary, be sure to consider visiting Teamlab Botanic in Osaka too.
What is the difference between Teamlab Borderless and Teamlab Planets?
Answer: Teamlab Planets requires walking in water and follows a clear route, while Teamlab Borderless is open-concept.
Teamlab Planets has three main themes: “water”, “forest”, and “garden” plus an open-air cafe and restaurant area. Guests generally follow a clear path through each of the three main areas, which all link to a common locker room to store your shoes and belongings.
Teamlab Planets is most famous for its exhibit where guests walk through water while digital koi fish swim around them. Another famous exhibit at Teamlab Planets is a garden of beautiful orchid flowers hanging from the ceiling.
As part of the new 2026 “forest” exhibit, there is my favorite “Catching and Collecting Forest” where you use the Teamlab app to catch and learn about endangered or extinct species that roam the walls.
Teamlab Planets also has Michelin-featured Vegan Ramen UZU on-site, which is only available to Planets ticket holders.
Teamlab Borderless is an open-concept digital art museum where guests can visit (and re-visit) all of its exhibits freely. The art in many of the rooms and hallways change over time, creating a unique experience every time you turn a corner. One huge central room links to all of the other exhibits.
Teamlab Borderless has an En Tea House within it, where guests can enjoy tea and matcha ice cream in a room with digital flowers blooming in every cup. More on that below!
Some of the exhibits are the same or similar across Teamlab Borderless and Planets, too.
Is it worth going to both Teamlab Borderless and Teamlab Planets on a trip to Japan?
Answer: No, especially if you are staying less than two weeks, unless you’re a really, really big fan.
Some of the exhibits are the same or similar in Borderless and Planets, so whichever museum you visit first will take away some of the magic of the second museum too.
I recommend visiting only one while in Tokyo: Teamlab Borderless or Teamlab Planets.
The exception is if you’re a really big fan of one, then by all means go to both! I had a friend visit Teamlab Borderless with a toddler who absolutely LOVED the exhibits, and she said wished she had more time to visit Planets as well.
NEW Teamlab Planets exhibits (2026 update)
Teamlab Planets previously only had “water” and “garden” sections. As of 2026, they opened two new areas, “forest” and “open-air”.
Check out all of the new exhibits in the post below (spolier alert!)
How much time do you spend at Teamlab Planets vs Teamlab Borderless?
Answer: Plan to spend 2-4 hours in Teamlab Planets and 2-3 hours in Teamlab Borderless.
Teamlab Borderless and its open, no-map (borderless!) concept means you could wander there for hours.
With the new 2026 expansion of Teamlab Planets and the addition of a cafe and ramen shop, you might end up spending more time here than at Borderless. If you’re very competitive, you might spend a lot of time trying to ‘catch ’em all’ at Teamlab Planets’ endangered animal catch and collect forest too.
Because both can be enjoyed as a (mostly) indoor half-day activity, Teamlab is high on my list of rainy day things to do in Tokyo.
Which Teamlab museum is better for kids?
Answer: Teamlab Borderless is better if you are visiting Tokyo with kids, but both are great.
Both museums have kid-specific interactive activities, and are a wonderful place to spend a half-day with kids in Tokyo.
My one concern about Teamlab Planets compared to Borderless, is that Planets is known for sections where visitors have to walk through water, sometimes shin-deep. This increases the risk for slips and spills, and wet clothes mean upset kids! Very small children will also have to be carried through multiple exhibits or skip them altogether.
Teamlab Borderless and its open concept is a wonderland for children. It has many interactive and kid-friendly exhibits and activities. One special exhibit allows guests to color in a marine animal: fish, shark, turtle, squid, etc. and then see it come to life on the exhibit walls.
Teamlab Planets also has a coloring stations in their new “Forest” section where you can make your drawn amphibians and reptiles come to life. It also has kid-friendly activities like a colorful slide and a trampoline area only open to small kids.
Which Teamlab museum is better for couples?
Answer: Both Teamlab Borderless and Teamlab Planets are perfect date spots for couples
Both Teamlab Borderless and Teamlab Planets has several exhibits that are perfect for getting close to your significant other.
The Teamlab Planets main attraction of a large room filled with water is a perfect hand-holding opportunity. Another exhibit is like a planetarium, where everyone could lie down on the floor and watch flowers fall across the sky. A great potential cuddle sesh!
Which Teamlab museum is better to make a day-trip out of?
Answer: Both Teamlab Borderless AND Teamlab Planets!
Which is less crowded, Teamlab Borderless or Teamlab Planets?
Answer: Teamlab Planets is less crowded than Teamlab Borderless
If you hate crowds, you’d better head to Teamlab Planets and not Borderless. Because Planets has just one path to follow through each of its three sections, people move much quicker through this digital art museum. Even in the middle of the day when I visited, it did not feel too crowded.
Teamlab Borderless’s layout is open-concept, so people end up spending much more time in the same exhibits. That being said, it does not feel over-crowded compared to other popular theme parks in Japan because of its massive size, so there are plenty of quiet rooms and spaces too.
Is it worth visiting En Tea House in Teamlab Borderless?
Answer: Yes, if you can spare 600 yen for a tea
EN TEA House is a beautiful tea room where guests can rest and have a tea, latte, or ice cream in the Teamlab Borderless Museum. En Tea is a sustainability-oriented tea company which sources their tea leaves from Hizen, Kyushu. The special experience at En Tea House in Teamlab Borderless is watching digital flowers bloom in your tea cup! The fun part is that the flowers know exactly where your cup is on the table, and will always grow within the cup as long as there is still some tea left inside.
Visiting En Tea House at Teamlab Borderless is totally worth the 600 yen tea fee for the beautiful and unique experience. If you can, get the tea and ice cream combo for 1200 yen (about $8 USD) and see tea tree branches and butterflies sprout from your ice cream cup!
Which Teamlab museum is better overall?
Answer: (2026 update!) In my opinion, Teamlab Planets with the new expansion is now better than Teamlab Borderless!!
If you have to pick one Teamlab museum in Tokyo, I recommend the newly expanded 2026 Teamlab Planets!
Conclusion: If you have to pick one, go to Teamlab Planets!
Once you’ve decided Teamlab Borderless or Teamlab Planets, here are some other things to do in Tokyo!
- Read up on my Tokyo itinerary – The Perfect Three Days in Tokyo Itinerary
- Check out the highlights – Top 15 Things To Do In Tokyo
- See Tokyo’s weird and quirky side – 50 Weird And Unique Things To Do In Tokyo
- Learn where to escape the crowds – Off-The-Beaten-Path Places In Tokyo
- Get out of the city for a day – Best Day Trips From Tokyo
- Gain some elevation over Tokyo – Six Amazing Tokyo Viewpoints
Teamlab Borderless
Teamlab Planets
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Borderless vs Planets: Which Teamlab Museum is Better?
