This article is based on visits made on Monday, 31 March 2014 and Sunday, 13 November 2016.
Edit 2 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.
Previously on Sekai Ichi,
I covered Venus Fort, one of the major shopping and recreation complexes on the island of Odaiba, in Tokyo Bay. Decks Tokyo Beach (デックス 東京ビーチ,
Dekkusu Tōkyō Bīchi), on the northern edge of the island, another such site.
The Decks mall is divided into two halves, the Seaside Mall on the northern/coastal side, and the Island Mall on the southern/inland side. This picture may have been taken on the Centre Deck promenade in between them. The Seaside Deck, on the other side of the Seaside Mall, is a good place to look out over Tokyo Bay back towards the city.
"Daiba 1-chome Shotengai" (台場一丁目商店街) is an entertainment and shopping area on the 4th floor of Seaside Mall. It is designed to evoke nostalgia for the postwar Showa era, in particular the 1950s and '60s.
This corner is dedicated to
takoyaki (たこ焼き), which are battered dumplings stuffed with grilled octopus. It is one of the more famous foodstuffs to come out of Osaka, as evidenced by its presence here in Tokyo.
In addition to places where you can sample different varieties of takoyaki, there's this takoyaki ship for kids to climb behind.
A scale replica of the 0-series Shinkansen, the first model of bullet trains launched in 1964, stands in front of these elevators.
This orange structure is a scale replica of the base of Tokyo Tower; the original was completed in 1958. The sign above reads "Cherry Blossom Festival" (さくら まつり,
Sakura Matsuri), emphasised by the pink flower garland above the sign.
The entrance to the above arcade, guarded over by a
Daihatsu Midget mini-truck and model of the giant robot Tetsujin-28.
An arcade with various types of games, both mechanical and video.
The perimeter of the arcade is lined with pinball machines from different ages. Posters and other adverts adorn the walls above them.
The subjects of those posters include vintage anime and TV shows such as Cyborg 009 (upper-left), Ultraman (upper-right), and Attack No.1 (lower-right).
The store on the left, "I (heart) MJ", specialises in Michael Jackson merchandise. Japan has always had a unique fascination with the King of Pop.
A home-goods and gift store selling, among other things, a collection of masks.
Up on the 6th floor, there are a couple of internationally-based entertainment attractions. The Legoland Discovery Centre is an indoor theme park devoted to the famous construction toy. Operating hours are 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM (9:00 PM on weekends), and tickets cost ¥2,500, but are cheaper when purchased online. Or, if you can't be bothered to buy a ticket, a gift shop is open for free entry, and no doubt has exclusive Lego sets for sale. More information:
(English) (Japanese)
In addition to this location, another Legoland Discovery Centre is based in Osaka. And, on 1 April 2017, a full-size Legoland park has opened in Nagoya! More information:
(English) (Japanese)
Just across the hall is the Tokyo branch of the Madame Tussaud's wax museum, home to life-size statues of celebrities. Operating hours are from 11:00 AM (10:00 AM on weekends) to 8:00 PM, and tickets cost ¥2,300, but are cheaper when purchased online. More information:
(English) (Japanese)
Edit 22 March 2017: This article originally contained a description and pictures of another attraction at Decks, the indoor theme park Sega Joypolis.
This has been moved to a separate article with additional content.
Decks Tokyo Beach
Hours: Varies by store; most stores are open from 11:00 AM to 9:00PM, and most restaurants close 11:00 PM or Midnight. No regular closing days.
Costs: Free entry. Stores accept credit cards including MasterCard, Visa, Diner's Club, JCB, and/or China UnionPay. A currency exchange machine (foreign-to-Yen only) is available in the LAOX store on the third floor.
Address: 1-6-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tōkyō-to 〒135-0091
Access: 2 minutes from Odaiba Kaihin-koen
(U06) station on the Yurikamome line, or 5 minutes from Tokyo Teleport
(R04) station on the Rinkai line.
Directions: From the exit of Odaiba Kaihin-koen station, turn right and then left. Decks will be directly ahead of you.
From Tokyo Teleport station, turn right (north) from exit A. Follow the walkway for 275m (900ft), and turn left at the dead-end. Decks will be directly ahead of you.
Website:
(English) (Japanese)
