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A Day in the Mori Digital Art Museum

The Mori Building Digital Art Museum was easily the most-anticipated museum opening of 2018 in Tokyo. We have literally been hearing about it for months and taunted with breathtaking promotional videos and the glowing testimony (and endless Instagram photos) of those lucky few who got to preview the 10,000-square-meter facility in Odaiba, one of Tokyo's man-made floating islands.

The Digital Art Museum is the brainchild of teamLab Borderless, and the massive complex is powered by 520 computers and 470 projectors, and when I try to imagine the sheer amount of coding, not to mention artistic planning, that must have gone and will go into these installations it boggles my mind.

Tickets have to be bought in advance and, unsurprisingly, sell out quickly. But I managed to get in during the first month's "early bird" special.  Before I get to the meat of this post--some hopefully drool-worthy photos--here are some essential things I learned:


  • Absolutely buy your tickets in advance. There are a set number of tickets per day (though no set times, like they do at the Ghibli Museum) and once they're gone, well, they're gone. Tickets can be bought online HERE, even outside of Japan. You'll be sent an email (and a reminder one a few days before your scheduled ticket) with a QR code. 
  • Wear pants. Some people also recommend light-colored clothing, but, at minimum: pants. Many floors are reflective and mirrored so, if you're not careful you might accidentally show off your underwear. Also, wear practical shoes for some of the exhibits that prohibit heels or sandals. 
  • Show. Up. Early. It's early days yet for the museum, but I'm sure the hype will stay strong for a long time. We showed up promptly for the 10am opening on the weekends and already the line stretched down several blocks. So. Perhaps show up at 9:30? 
  • Give yourself at least 3 hours for this museum, though you'll likely want to spend more. Bring snacks that you can eat in the break rooms--there's no restaurant, though there is the En Tea House, in the museum. 
  • Explore. Wander. Embrace your inner child. Follow what interests you. 
Now! Here are my photos. 
And trust me: they pale in comparison to the real thing. 





















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