#29 Odaiba

This was one of my favourite places in Tokyo. And I had a lot of amazing places to choose from! Located across the bay (and the rainbow bridge) it consists mainly of a group of like 4 shopping centres. I didn't have much money to spend in Tokyo so I never bothered with shopping, but for some reason I really liked it here. It's really spacious in comparison to the rest of Tokyo, and coming from a pretty unpopulated country like Ireland it could be something I'd subconsciously missed. On a bright sunny day it is really pleasant to amble around and if you're not planning on shopping it can work out at a cheap day out. Although it's not one of the best known places in Tokyo, I would highly recommend a trip!

The main shopping centres are Palette Town, Diver City, Decks and Aqua City. Each features clothes shop and cafes and restaurants, pretty much the usual for Tokyo. There's also a maritime museum and a science museum, and Tokyo Big Sight convention centre isn't too far away. Of the shopping centres, Palette City was my favourite, it features a big Ferris wheel, views out into the sea, the Toyota showroom for those interested in cars, and a great Hello Kitty shop. But the highlight is inside the Venus Fort - what looks like a warehouse on the outside is the most fantastic shopping centre I have ever seen.

See? The inside has a fake sky ceiling, and is laid out to feel like you're in an old town in Venice or somewhere romantic. While the shops were pretty expensive, the décor is just so beautiful. At the end of the corridors (or streets?) is a big open area with a high ceiling and a large water fountain. Palette City really is one of Tokyo's hidden gems!

As well as the multiple shopping centres, Odaiba is home to the following:

The giant Gundam robot:

 Located outside the Divercity shopping centre, the giant robot is a great photo op! There's also a small shop and a cafe for those who are interested (I wasn't).


The Hello Kitty store:

"Hello Kitty's Kawaii Paradise" is the name of the Hello Kitty store located in Palette Town shopping centre. Kawaii means cute in Japanese, and the shop lives up to its name. On the day I went Hello Kitty herself made an appearance for the children. The shop is decorated like something out of Disneyland, it feels like you're in a cartoon world. There's also a Pancake cafe, but it was closed when I went.

 The Statue of Liberty. . . .Japanese style:

I don't know the origin of this mini Lady Liberty, but it makes a nice backdrop against the Rainbow bridge and the rest of Tokyo. From this vantage point you can also see Tokyo Tower.

The Fuji Television Building:

The ball at the top is actually an observation deck! It costs under 1000yen but I didn't bother because I wasn't sure if the views would've been particularly worth it. There's also a cafe and shop with products related to the TV station and some of the shows they air. But really it's only famous for its architecture.

To get to Odaiba it's probably easiest to get the Rinkai line to "Tokyo Teleport" and then all the centres are pretty obvious once you exit, with Palette city and the Ferris wheel right in front of the station. Or you could get the Yurikamome elevated train from Shinbashi, it's probably not as convenient and is a little more expensive, but it takes you over the Rainbow Bridge and offers good views of Tokyo you can't get from the ground, so it could be worth it!