Shibuya Walk

This article is based on a visit made on Monday, 14 November 2016.

Shibuya (渋谷, lit. 'astringent valley') is one of the many commercial centres of Tokyo.  Situated on the southwest of the Yamanote line loop, Shibuya maintains a focus on youthful fashions and nightlife.  Fashion trends have been born here almost at the rate of nearby Harajuku, which is also part of the Shibuya ward, in fact.  But if that holds no sway for you, don't worry, because Shibuya still caters to many interests.

Shibuya's namesake train station is one of the larger in Tokyo, served by a total of 9 lines among 4 companies.  Directly northeast of the station is the Shibuya Eki-mae scramble crossing.  As a scramble crossing, traffic in all directions is periodically stopped to allow pedestrians on all sides to cross the road.  It has grown to become one of Tokyo's most iconic landmarks in recent history, thanks to movies such as Lost In Translation (2003) and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), plus a short film made for the closing ceremonies of Rio de Janeiro's 2016 Olympics (which will be followed up by Tokyo in 2020).  This place is perhaps Japan's best analogue to Times Square in New York City, although it certainly has competition on that front, even within Tokyo itself.

There are a few points of interest just on the corner between the crossing and Shibuya Station, and the most famous of them all is the Hachiko statue.  Hachiko (ハチ公, Hachikō) was an Akita dog owned by a professor in the University of Tokyo.  Every day, his pet would leave home to greet him upon returning to Shibuya Station.  That was, until a year later (1925), when the professor died during a lecture.  Hachiko, however, kept returning to the station to await his owner, every day for almost ten years.  Over time, its faithfulness warmed peoples' hearts and made him a national icon.  The dog eventually did die in 1935, but even before then, a statue of it was unveiled here, in front of the station.  The statue remains to this day a popular meeting point for people in Shibuya, and is best accessed from, naturally, the station's Hachiko exit.

Hachiko has inspired other works of art, too, such as this bas-relief mural on a nearby wall of the station.

Across from the Hachiko statue stands this 1950s-era Tokyu train car, which has been repurposed as a small visitor's centre.  A few books are laid out inside, containing pictures of what Shibuya looked like in decades past.  Tokyu, short for "Tokyo Electric Railway" (東京急行電鉄, Tōkyō Kyūkō Dentetsu), is one of the many private railway companies operating in Tokyo.  Two of their lines, including the Toyoko (TY) line to Yokohama, start from Shibuya Station.

The glass tower... okay, one of the glass towers on the other side of the crossing (it's the one with the giant video display) hosts a Starbucks cafe.   If you order something, you can take it up to their sitting room on the 2nd floor, and get one of the best views of the scramble crossing.  Here's what it looks like before pedestrians have the green light...

...And here it is after.  Mind you, this was mid-morning on a Monday, so the foot traffic was nowhere near its full potential.  The Starbucks room, however, was still packed at the time, so I had to wait a minute to get a seat.  I've read a few anecdotes stating it to be one of the busiest, if not the busiest, Starbucks branch in the world, but couldn't find any hard statistics to that effect.  So, if that doesn't work out for you, you can also get good views from the overpass on the other side of the crossing (to the right in this shot), connecting Shibuya Station and the Shibuya Mark City mall.

One of the many streets branching off from the scramble crossing is Center-gai (センター街, Sentā-gai).  Center-gai is a pedestrian zone lined with many stores, restaurants, nightclubs, and game centres.  I'm sure it would look even nicer with all that neon signage lit up (and it would, because I've been here at night before).

Opening out not far from Center-gai, the Spain slope (スペイン坂, Supein-zaka) is named after its supposed resemblance to alleyways from European cities.  Its entrance is right beside an easily identifiable (even by Center-gai standards) green-glass facade of the Bershka store.  Which is appropriate, since Bershka is chain of retail stores based in Spain.

Spain-zaka is lined  with even more cafes and boutiques which advertise a sort of Spanish atmosphere... or a French atmosphere, in some cases.  There's not too much going on along Spain-zaka, compared to the streets surrounding it, but it feels more secluded for it.  Then again, maybe the time of day was a factor.

Going uphill, the Spain slope dead-ends at the Parco department store, which is closed for renovation until 2019.  Instead, turn right and you will end up on Koen-dori (公園通り, Kōen Dōri, lit. 'Park Street'), where there are yet more places of retail, much of it higher-end.  For example, there's a Swarovski store right across from where we entered, and a couple of doors down from that, an Apple Store (pictured).  The flat, metallic, facade of its building contrasts with its neighbours...

...But really, standing out is the rule, not the exception.  For example, there's a Disney Store on Koen-dori with a fanciful castle as part of its storefront.

Seibu (西武, lit. 'west Musashi') is a department store owned by the holding company of the same name, which also runs the Seibu railway network.  Ironically, none of its lines stop at Shibuya, but instead at Shinjuku and Ikebukuro, the latter also being the site of its flagship department store.  As for its Shibuya branch, shown here, I thought the lighted columns at the entrance were pretty.

Within the Shibuya area alone, the Seibu group also owns the Loft and (currently closed) Parco stores.  It competes with the Tokyu group, owner of the Tokyu department stores, Tokyu Hands, Shibuya 109, Shibuya Mark City, and the new Shibuya Hikarie, plus the Tokyu rail network, which I mentioned above.

Movida is another shopping centre owned by Seibu, up the road from the main store.  It had a clock out front which was a looping video of hands turning pages in books for every new second, minutes, or hour.

And thus the road takes us back down to Shibuya Station.  I have been to Shibuya on all three of my adventures in Japan thus far, but somehow I have never seen the Hachiko statue in person... until now, that is!  Please allow me to indulge in this one selfie sign-off to document my debut meeting with this canine celebrity.

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Access: The Shibuya district is best accessed by, naturally, Shibuya Station (JR Yamanote (JY), Saikyo (JA), Shonan-Shinjuku (JS), Tokyo Metro Ginza (G), Hanzomon (H), Fukutoshin (F), Keio Inokashira (IN), Tokyu Toyoko (TY) and Den-en-Toshi (DT) lines).  On the Yamanote line, it takes 25 minutes and ¥200 to reach Shibuya (JY20) from Tokyo Station, or 7 minutes and ¥160 from Shinjuku Station.

Akasaka Hikawa Shrine

This article is based on a visit made on Monday, 14 November 2016.

Waking up on my second November morning in Japan, I planned my day's itinerary with a focus on the western areas of Tokyo.  My sights set on Shibuya, Shinjuku, Nakano, and beyond, there was one place I wanted to stop by on the way: the Akasaka Hikawa Shrine (赤坂氷川神社, Akasaka Hikawa Jinja).  But what interested me about this of all places?  It was featured in an anime I like!  ...Sort of.

The manga and anime series Sailor Moon, or Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (美少女戦仕セーラームーン, Bishōjo Senshi Sērā Mūn) if you are so inclined, takes place in the Tokyo district of Azabu-Juban.  The local Shinto shrine, named Hikawa Shrine, is a frequent meeting place for the main characters.  One of them, Rei Hino / Sailor Mars, works there as a miko (巫女), a shrine-maiden or priestess-in-training.  There is an actual Hikawa Shrine in the real Azabu-Juban, and that setting was used in the original manga.  But for the anime, however, I read somewhere that more inspiration was taken from the other Hikawa Shrine in Akasaka, where I ended up going to.

I started my search for the shrine from the district of Roppongi.  This sign, attached to the wall of the highway, is a good point of reference.

The walk to Hikawa Shrine goes through an urban residential neighbourhood.  The Mori Tower of the Roppongi Hills complex could be seen behind me, but not for long.

After a few minutes we reach the front entrance of the shrine, its name clearly written (in kanji) on the stone post to the right.  Its name is written as "氷川神社", where "氷川" means "ice river".  However, a Fun Fact: in Sailor Moon, the shrine is instead written as "火川神社", "火" meaning fire, because Sailor Mars uses fire-based attacks.

But back to reality.  There is a small but spacious... space in front of the shrine itself.  A tall tree stood off to the side, roped off with a shimenawa to denote its sacred status.  Didn't stop the tree from having its leaves turn colours and drop off, although that's not exactly a bad thing.

Here is the main hall.  There are ropes hanging down in front of the offering box.  These are attached to bells; you pull them and ring the bells as part of your prayers, to better attract the attention of the kami spirits enshrined there.  Japanese Buddhist temples lack this part due to the differing nature of the religion.

I left the shrine by a separate exit on the east side.  It led down some stairs to another highly wooded plaza.

There was even a small landscape garden just off to the side.  With how quiet and tranquil the place was, it reminded me of Meiji Shrine, only on a far smaller scale.

Instead of returning to Roppongi, I continued on in the other direction to the Akasaka subway station.  On the way, I chanced upon this statue placed in front of a nursing home.  The subjects of this work of art are Katsu Kaishu (勝 海舟, Katsu Kaishū, 1823-1889) and Sakamoto Ryoma (坂本 龍馬, Sakamoto Ryōma, 1836-1867).  They were both involved with forming the Imperial Japanese Navy before and after the Meiji Restoration of 1868.

Right next door stands this youth centre.  I simply adored the "!" and "?" decorating the building.  Shame they couldn't spell "arena" quite right, though...

Later on, I came across this nice little park.  There's not much to it, but there was a decent rainbow of leaves going on in the season.

This fanciful facade stands across from the park.  As I discovered after later research, this place, called the Hotel Chantilly, is actually a love hotel.  A "love hotel" is a type of accommodation that caters to couples seeking a brief romantic, intimate getaway.  I can't vouch for or against the quality of this particular one, but the service at some of these places is very good, with many amenities on offer, some but not all related to sex.  If you want to see some (less-explicit) examples of love hotels, there's a scene in The Wolverine set in one, and YouTuber Gaijin Goomba has posted a video explaining them in better detail, including a few he and his wife visited in Japan.

So, did I get what I expected from Hikawa Shrine?  Not exactly; there's not really any evidence that the place is tied to Sailor Moon.  In that regard, I might as well have visited the other Hikawa Shrine in Azabu-Juban instead.  If you're interested in going there, it's 10 minutes on foot from Azabu-Juban Station (Tokyo Metro Namboku and Toei Oedo lines).  Furthermore, upon comparing the anime's Hikawa Shrine with other Shinto shrines in Tokyo, I think a closer match would be the nearby Hie Shrine. For those interested, Hie Shrine is next to Tameike-Sanno (Tokyo Metro Ginza and Namboku lines), Kokkai Gijido-mae (Tokyo Metro Marunouchi and Chiyoda lines), Akasaka-Mitsuke (Tokyo Metro Ginza and Marunouchi lines, and even Akasaka, so I could have continued there from Hikawa Shrine.

But it's what I didn't expect but got anyway that made this place totally worth a visit.  Both the shrine itself and the approach to it take you through the less-touristed parts of Tokyo, giving me a chance to soak in the atmosphere of everyday Japanese life.  And then the shrine grounds themselves provided an extra layer of natural isolation, making for a relaxing, tranquil experience.  That was sure to provide suitable contrast to my next activity, a walk around Shibuya, next time on Sekai Ichi!

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Address: 6-10-12 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 〒107-0052

Access: 8 minutes from Roppongi (Tokyo Metro Hibiya (H) and Toei Oedo (E) lines), Roppongi 1-chome (Tokyo Metro Namboku (N) line), and Akasaka (Tokyo Metro Chiyoda (C) line) stations.

From Tokyo Station, walk to the nearby Nijubashi-mae Station and take the Chiyoda subway line to Akasaka (10 minutes, ¥170).  From Shinjuku Station, take the Oedo subway line to Roppongi (9 minutes, ¥220).

Directions: From Roppongi Station, start at the intersection of  Roppongi-dori and Gaien Higashi-dori (Hibiya Line exit 4, Oedo Line exits 5 & 6).  Head west on Gaien Higashi-dori, away from the "Roppongi" sign, and take the second right.  Continue straight for 7 minutes; the shrine entrance will be on your left.

From Roppongi 1-chome Station, start at exit 1.  Turn right out of the exit, and right again at the dead-end.  Cross the street, turn left at the next dead-end, then the next right, and then the next right again.  The shrine entrance will be on your left.

From Akasaka Station, start at Exit 5A.  Turn around and head south, and bear right at the fork.  Continue straight, bear left at the next fork, and then turn right after that.  Continue straight for 3 more minutes; the shrine entrance will be on your right.

Website: (Japanese)

Know Your Trains: Narita Express and Keisei Skyliner

Edit 2 October 2019: Updated prices to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax.

Now that I've covered all the Shinkansen lines on my "Know Your Trains" series, I'll keep it going by shifting its focus to the many other limited express train services in Japan.  And to that effect, what better to start this new phase with than the first such trains most travellers will encounter upon arrival in Japan?  Narita International Airport, the entry point for many overseas visitors, has two limited express services to downtown Tokyo: the Narita Express by JR East, and the Skyliner by Keisei Electric Railway.  I introduced both of these lines in my article on transportation to Narita Airport, but now that I'm bringing them into the "Know Your Trains" fold, it's time to give them a more detailed description.

The Narita Express service was introduced by JR East in 1991.  From the Terminal 1 and Terminal 2/3 stations underneath the airport, it runs along the Narita Line ⬛ and Sobu Main Line (JO), with most services making no further stops until reaching Tokyo Station.  A few trains in the early morning (for Tokyo) and evening (for the airport) make additional stops in Chiba prefecture, adding 15 minutes to travel time.  These timetables are geared more towards commuters from Tokyo's eastern suburbs.

Upon reaching Tokyo Station, the train is separated in half.  One half continues down the Yokosuka Line (JO) to Yokohama and (sometimes) Ofuna Stations, and the other diverges along the Yamanote (JY) and Saikyo (JK) lines to Shinjuku and (sometimes) Omiya Stations.  On top of this, there are occasional, seasonal trains that go all the way to Kamakura and Yokosuka (via Yokohama), or via the Chuo (JC) and Fujikyu (FJ) lines to Kawaguchi-ko (via Shinjuku).

Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Line	Yokohama Route	Shinjuku Route
Narita Airport Terminal 1	成田空港	JR Narita ⬛	X	X
Narita Airport Terminal 2-3	空港第２ビル		X	X
Narita	成田		O	O
Sakura	佐倉		O	O
		JR Sobu (JO)
Yotsukaido	四街道		O	O
Chiba	千葉		O	O
Tokyo	東京		X	X
Shinagawa	品川		X	X
Musashi-Kosugi	武蔵小杉		X	I
Yokohama	横浜		X	I
Totsuka	戸塚		O	I
Ofuna	大船		O	I
Shibuya	渋谷	JR Shonan-Shinjuku (JS)	I	X
Shinjuku	新宿		I	X
Ikebukuro	池袋		I	O
Omiya	大宮		I	O

Travel time is approximately 60 minutes between Narita Airport Terminal 1 and Tokyo Station, or 90 minutes to Yokohama or Ikebukuro stations.  Regular one-way fares start at ¥3,070 between the airport and Tokyo Station; Green Car fares start at ¥4,640.

An E259-series Narita Express train at Yokosuka Station.
By Rsa (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons

The full length of each Narita Express train is twelve cars, with six cars going on each of the two routes after being uncoupled at Tokyo Station.  All seating on the Narita Express is reserved, which means as long as you indicate your desired stop to the ticket attendant, you shouldn't have to worry about getting onto the wrong car.  There are also two Green Cars, one for each half of the train.  Seat pitch in the Green Cars is 116 cm (46 in), while the ordinary seats are not far behind at 102 cm (40 in).  For more information on the Narita Express, visit (English) or (Japanese).

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A Keisei AE-series "Skyliner" train at Ueno Station.
Taken on Saturday, 12 November 2016.

The Keisei Skyliner has existed in various forms since 1972, before the airport was even built, utilising the Keisei Main Line.  In 2010, the more direct Keisei Airport (KS) Line (a.k.a. the Keisei Sky Access Line) was opened, and with it, they introduced a new Skyliner service.  These new trains have a top operating speed of 160 km/h (100 mph), making them the fastest non-Shinkansen trains in Japan.  From the two Narita Airport stations, they make no stops except for Nippori, on the Yamanote line, and the Keisei-Ueno terminal.

Name (English)	Name (Japanese)	Line	Skyliner
Narita Airport Terminal 1	成田空港	Keisei Airport (KS)	X
Narita Airport Terminal 2-3	空港第２ビル		X
Keisei-Takasago*	京成高砂		I
		Keisei Main (KS)
Nippori	日暮里		X
Keisei-Ueno	京成上野		X

*Keisei-Takasago is the junction between the Keisei SkyAccess and Main lines.  Skyliner trains do not stop there.

Travel time is 40 minutes from Narita Airport Terminal 1 to Nippori Station, or 45 minutes to Keisei-Ueno Station.  One-way fares are ¥2,520 between the airport and Nippori/Ueno.  All Skyliner trains have eight cars, with only one seating class.  As with the N'EX, all seats are reserved.  The seat pitch is 105 cm (41 in), and the width is 47 cm (18.5 in).  For more information on the Skyliner, visit (English) or (Japanese).

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Despite their differences, both the Narita Express and the Skyliner share similar features that make the trip into Tokyo convenient and comfortable (far more so than you may have experienced on the plane in, I'd say).  Seats in both trains (including Green Cars on the N'EX) are arranged 2+2 across.  They all recline and come equipped with tray tables, AC power outlets, and wide windows, which even have shades you can pull down if the sun gets in your eyes.  Digital displays on both trains list upcoming stations and other announcements in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean.  Each car has luggage storage compartments that are guarded over by security cameras; on the N'EX, these also feature combination locks for extra security.

So, which train is the better option?  I've been on both the N'EX and the Skyliner and personally, I prefer the Skyliner.  Compared to the N'EX, you can get almost anywhere in Tokyo faster with the Skyliner and a transfer to the Yamanote line.  It's cheaper, too, although the foreigner-exclusive round-trip discounts on the N'EX are cheaper than those on the Skyliner.  But the N'EX has its own advantages; it stops at far more places than the Skyliner without the need to switch trains, which can be handy if you're travelling with lots of luggage, or if you need to transfer to one of the Shinkansen trains.  It is also free to use with the Japan Rail Pass, unlike the Skyliner.  So, they both excel in different situations, but really, you won't go wrong with either one or the other.

Tips

• The Narita Express is fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass as well as other JR East regional passes covering the Kanto area.  The Skyliner, being run by a different company, is not covered under any of those passes.
• For those not using one of the above passes for the Narita Express, the N'EX Tokyo Round Trip Ticket is available for foreigners.  It covers one round-trip on the N'EX, plus direct transfers within the Tokyo area.  The return trip must be taken within 14 days of first use.  It costs ¥4,070, a discount of over ¥2,000 compared to regular N'EX tickets.  More information: (English)
• Keisei offers a similar discount to foreigners using the Skyliner.  The Skyliner Discount ticket costs ¥2,250 one-way or ¥4,380 round-trip.  Again, the return trip must be taken within 14 days of first use.  This ticket can also be bundled with Tokyo Subway passes, good for 24, 48, or 72-hour periods.  More information: (English)
• Keisei-Ueno Station is not directly connected to the main Ueno Station, serving JR and Tokyo Metro lines.  They are very close together, however, requiring at least two minutes to walk between.

Trivia

• As Narita International Airport was being built, there were plans to construct a high-speed Shinkansen line from Tokyo to the airport.  After protests from residents who were about to lose their land, construction on the line was officially cancelled in 1983.  Some of the trackage rights eventually went to the Keisei Sky Access Line, used by the Skyliner.  The new stations under the airport, which would have been used by the Narita Shinkansen, were still built, and are used by both the Narita Express and Skyliner.

Sega Joypolis

This article is based on visits made on Sunday, 30 March 2014 and Sunday, 13 November 2016.

Edit 2 October 2019: Updated to reflect the increase in Japan's national sales tax, and the replacement of certain activities.

Previously on Sekai Ichi, I visited the Decks shopping mall in Odaiba.  Another major attraction of Decks is Sega Joypolis, an indoor theme park and arcade. It reminds me of the similar DisneyQuest, which closed earlier this year in Orlando.  There are other Joypolis locations in Osaka, Shanghai, and Qingdao, China.

Edit 11 June 2018: They have also owned another similar indoor park in Dubai, known as Sega Republic, but this has since closed and replaced by a different virtual-reality attraction.

Note that admission to the rides is separate from the admission to the park itself, which alone costs ¥800.  Be sure to buy tickets from one of the ticket machines for the price of the ride you wish to get on. You could also buy a passport, which includes admission and unlimited rides on the day of purchase. It starts at ¥4,300, but goes down in price at certain points in the afternoon and evening.

It appears that somebody hit a jackpot on one of the crane games! Congratulations!

Some of the attractions in Joypolis are souped-up versions of Sega's arcade games, such as the "Initial D Arcade Stage 4" Limited attraction. Essentially a special version of their Initial D arcade racing games, this one uses full-size cars on motion simulators. The white Toyota (centre) and yellow Mazda (right) are cars driven by main characters in the Initial D manga & anime; I, on the other hand, got put into the blue Subaru (left). And won.

Edit: As of 2019, this attraction has been replaced by "Spicy Taxi", a different kind of motion-simulator ride where up to 4 guests take control of a tuk-tuk in a Southeast Asian-styled setting.

Not all of the rides in Joypolis are based on an arcade game. Halfpipe Tokyo, for example, riders rock back and forth along the titular halfpipe. There is some still kind of game element, but I wouldn't know, since I didn't manage to get on this one.

It's a Sega park, so naturally Sonic the Hedgehog and friends are the mascots of Joypolis, and feature in several of the attractions. In Sonic Athletics, you play track-and-field events as one of eight characters by running on a treadmill. I did this, and I'm embarrassed to say that it wiped me out, leaving me unable to explore the park further.  But, that's what my return visit was for!

A tamer Sonic-themed attraction can be found in the form of this 3-D movie, "Night of the Werehog", where Sonic and Chip, his companion from Sonic Unleashed, mess around with some ghosts out to chase them.  There's not really any spoken dialogue in this 15-minute film, so that means no language barrier to worry about!

But Sonic's not the only video game icon represented in Joypolis!  "Ace Attorney in Joypolis" is an attraction based on the courtroom visual-novel games published by Capcom, starring (and I'm using their English names here) defence attorney Phoenix Wright (right) and prosecutor Miles Edgeworth (left).  In this attraction, guests can try their hand in solving one of three murder mysteries.  Unfortunately, it is presented only in Japanese.

Joypolis also has a mascot of its own.  Down on the first floor, there is a stage where "Lopit", the park's own virtual idol, performs periodically.  If you've ever seen a "live" performance by Hatsune Miku, you've got the idea.

Due to the limited space, most of the thrill rides involve spinning the rider around in place.  One example I rode on was "Storm-G", a bobsled racing ride which is like the Initial-D attraction described above, but spins side-to-side and upside-down during play.  But there is a ride that gets to stretch its figurative legs, and that is the "Geki-on Live Coaster".  It starts out slow, stopping every so often for the riders to play a button-pressing rhythm game.  But halfway through, the car picks up speed and zooms about the place, doing a corkscrew roll above the main atrium and spinning wildly.  The car spun so much that, when I rode it, it slid my glasses clean off my head!  (Luckily it landed in the car and was in one piece when I managed to pick it up.)

As we leave Joypolis, we get to see autographs from a few celebrities who have visited in the past, such as Michael Jackson (upper-centre), Leonardo DiCaprio (lower-left), and the pop band Dreams Come True (right).  Did you know that one of its members, Masato Nakamura, composed the music for the first two Sonic the Hedgehog games?

Oh yeah, and my return visit coincided with the 20th anniversary of Joypolis Tokyo.  Its longevity is an amazing feat when you consider that out of the 8 Joypolis locations opened in Japan, all but this and the one in Osaka have closed due to low visitor numbers.  (Another Joypolis branch still exists in Okayama, but now operates as a straight-up arcade instead of a theme park.)  So congratulations on reaching 20 years, Tokyo Joypolis!  May you have twenty more!

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Hours: Open 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM. Admission ends 45 minutes before closing time.  No regular closing days.

Costs: ¥800; attractions cost an additional ¥500-1,000 each. A Passport allowing use of unlimited attractions for the day costs ¥4,500 (¥3,500 after 5:00 PM, ¥3,000 after 8:00 PM).

Address: Decks Tokyo Beach 3F-5F, 1-6-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 〒130-0091

Access: 2 minutes from Odaiba Kaihin-koen station (Yurikamome line (U06)), or 5 minutes from Tokyo Teleport station (Rinkai line (R04)).

Directions: Joypolis is on the western end of Decks, opposite the aforementioned stations.  Read my article on Decks Tokyo Beach for directions to the mall itself.  The entrance hall is on the 3rd floor, same as the Centre and Seaside Decks. Simply follow either promenade to the far side of the building to reach the entrance.

Website: (English) (Japanese)

Tokyo Trick Art Museum

This article is based on a visit made on 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 visited the Decks shopping mall on Odaiba, which is home to several entertainment attractions.  But the one I want to highlight for now is the Tokyo Odaiba Trick Art Museum (東京お台場のトリックアート美術館, Tōkyō Odaiba no Torikku Āto Bijutsukan).  "Trick art" is a form of optical illusion where paintings are set up in such a way that, when viewed from a certain angle, appear three-dimensional, even interacting with the outside world.

At the entrance, you will be assembled into small groups and led through the museum by a guide who will explain to you the concept of trick art, and demonstrate some examples of how it works.  In this example, the guide's shirt is caught on a hook where the painted lady's finger is.  Also, the bench on the left secretly protrudes out and can be sat upon.  Guides who speak English or Mandarin Chinese are available upon request.

The first wing of the museum features trick arts based on Edo-period scenes, such as this one where I appear to be fighting off a pair of ninjas.  Am I fighting them off with a high-flying butterfly kick, or was this picture taken upside-down with me just lying on the floor?  You make the call!

In this room, two people position themselves at opposite corners.  Because the floor is slanted upward, the person in front appears disproportionately larger than the one in the back.  Of course, crouching down to make yourself even smaller helps.

The second wing is all about yokai, Japanese folklore monsters.  Here I am escaping from a Wanyudo (輪入道, Wanyūdō, lit. 'wheel monk'), also known as a "firewheel" or "soultaker".

And here's one where I am reaching out from the mouth of a Chochin-obake (提灯お化け, Chōchin-obake, lit. 'paper lantern ghost'), or lantern ghost.

There are trick arts based on non-Japanese monsters, too!  It's certainly fun to play-act in these scenes, even if I'm supposed to be trapped under this glass with no apparent escape.

The third wing, the "Trick Art Gallery", moves away from all the spooky stuff.  I took this one for my sister, an animal lover who has done jobs and internships at a few zoos across the US, and likes giraffes most of all.

There are even a few non-painted illusions.  Where has my body gone?  For once, I'm not going to tell you...!

The museum ends with the "Puzzle Area", where this last painting is hung.  Twelve animals are hidden in the painting, all from the Japanese Zodiac (rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, boar).  I managed to find them all!  Can you...?  Don't forget to click on the picture to view it in a bigger size!

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Hours: Open 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM.  Admission ends 30 minutes before closing time.  No regular closing days.

Costs: ¥1,000.

Address: Decks Tokyo Beach 4F, 1-6-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tōkyō-to 〒130-0091

Access: 2 minutes from Odaiba Kaihin-koen station (Yurikamome line, (U06)), or 5 minutes from Tokyo Teleport station (Rinkai line, (R04)).

Directions: Tokyo Trick Art Museum is on the 4th floor of the Island Mall (south side).  Read my article on Decks Tokyo Beach for directions to the mall itself.

Website: (English/Japanese)