Odaiba, or how it is usually called Daiba, is a Utopia, the town of the future as the Japanese see it. The district’s name originates from the batteries built in the 19th century to protect the city from the invasion of the Black Ships (Western ships that attacked Tokyo at the end of the Edo period).
How Odaiba Was Created
“Daiba” is a Japanese word that means batteries. By the end of the 20th century, only two of six batteries (the third and the sixth) had been maintained. The district was in an awful condition in the middle of the 1980s – a huge deserted dump area.
At the beginning of the 90s, the municipal government noticed, at last, the misallocation of the valuable ground and decided to turn it into a gigantic recreation center. In a few years, on the manmade embankment, the new town appeared where the most innovative ideas and the boldest projects have been fulfilled.
On the territory wrested from the sea modern business and commercial centers, large-scale showrooms, huge sports buildings, and recreation centers have been built.
Palette Town
The center of the district is Palette Town where the main attractions of Odaiba are located: Venus Fort, Mega Web, Aqua City, and others. You can easily find Palette Town because the world’s biggest Ferris wheel towers over it.
It is one hundred and fifteen meters high. There are always a lot of tourists who want to admire the bird’s-eye view of the city. At night when the Ferris wheel is artistically illuminated, it turns into one of the most popular dating places.
The futuristic Fuji TV building
The futuristic Fuji TV building designed by fashionable Japanese architect Kenzo Tange is one of the main landmarks in Odaiba. On the 25th floor, there is an excellent observation gallery in the form of a gigantic glass globe, from where the breathtaking panorama of Tokyo and the gulf opens.
Guests can also visit a real TV studio and take a picture with the mascot of Fuji Company – Rafu-Kun.
Venus Fort
Venus Fort is a “town in town”, built especially for women. From the outside it looks rather dejectedly – it reminds of a military hangar for airplanes, but inside it is a modern shopping center, exquisitely decorated in Italian style.
Marble fountains, paved streets, arched galleries – everything for you to relax, imagine yourself in some 18th-century Italian town, the town of your dreams, and forget about reality.
There are even sunsets every two hours because psychologists affirm that people are more disposed to waste money in the nighttime.
About 150 fashionable shops are waiting for their customers and are always glad to offer the ultimate collection of famous designers all over the world.
Toyota’s Mega Web Showroom In Odaiba
Mega Web is a huge Toyota Company’s showroom, where the newest achievements in engineering, as well as the models of the 50-70s provoking nostalgia for old good times, are displayed.
There you can drive any car you like in a special pavilion that stretches for 1,4 km. In addition, you can experience automatic driving in a small electric vehicle which is the ultimate model of Toyota Company.
Who knows maybe it is a vehicle of the future. You can also visit an open design studio and watch the professional design work with your own eyes. Those who want to try their hand at car engineering can make a project of a new model in a special design workshop.
Aqua City
In Aqua City there are around 150 restaurants and cafes, considered to be simply the best in Tokyo, and the largest in Japan shopping mall. The ultramodern cinema Multiplex with 13 screens is equipped with state-of-the-art video and audio technologies.
It reminds us of a gigantic stadium that can accommodate more than 3,000 visitors at once.
Sega Joypolis
Sega Joypolis is a gamers’ paradise featuring the latest titles from Virtual gaming, modern equipment, and a multi-level game center offering high-level services. You just won’t find anything of this kind somewhere else in Japan.
Shiokaze Koen (Sea Breeze Park)
If you are more interested in spending a day in natural picturesque surroundings than exploring ultimate technologies, Odaiba offers you the Shiokaze Koen (Sea Breeze Park). You can not only walk around the largest park in the district but also organize a wonderful picnic there.
You can rent tables and special equipment for the barbecue and set a feast in the open air. Pedestrian streets are located on the second-floor level. So you don’t have to think about ubiquitous cars. Here you will have a good time and enjoy the view.
Besides, the sights mentioned Odaiba has many other attractions to offer and is tailored to fit the interests of everyone. All types of people visit the town for entertainment every day – from couples, looking for romantic places for an unforgettable date, to families with children who come from different parts of Japan to rest and have fun.
