How to Spend a Day in Tokyo’s Bay Area (Odaiba/Ariake Japan Itinerary)
Need help figuring out how to spend a day in Tokyo? In this Tokyo travel guide, we are heading to Odaiba, a man-made island in Tokyo’s Bay known as a futuristic high-tech entertainment and museum hub.
It’s an area that’s popular with tourists because of the plethora of museums that feel uniquely Japan and standout landmarks. You can see what it’s like at each of these locations in the video below.
I hope you find new things to add to your Tokyo, Japan travel itinerary!
If I were to re-do the itinerary shown in this video, I’d go to the Small Worlds Tokyo museum first since it is located a few train stops away. The following itinerary is in the order I’d recommend.
1-Day Odaiba (Tokyo, Japan) Itinerary
Small Worlds Tokyo Miniature Museum
Small Worlds Tokyo was such a surprise. It’s a unique indoor museum filled with miniature worlds created with incredible detail.
The attention to detail was impressive, and I was not expecting the exhibits to be as built out as they were.
The exhibits were interactive, with buttons you could push to make the little figurines move and perform different activities.
There are lots of places to sit and relax. Plus, you can create a miniature figurine of yourself, which you can then place in one of the miniature worlds!
I could spend hours in there just taking in the amazing craftsmanship.
I highly recommend this museum. It’d be an exceptionally great option for your itinerary if the weather is too hot, rainy, or cold outside.
Small Worlds Tokyo Info
Odaiba Statue of Liberty
Did you know that there’s a Statue of Liberty in Tokyo? The Odaiba Statue of Liberty is a much smaller replica of the original one in New York—it stands about 11 meters tall, compared to the original, which stands at 93 meters.
It was originally installed temporarily in 1998 to commemorate the “French Year in Japan” event, which celebrated strong cultural and historical ties between the two countries.
Due to its popularity, the statue was reinstalled permanently in 2000. Today, it still stands as a well-loved landmark in Tokyo by both tourists and locals due to its charm and surrounding views.
It is free to view the Odaiba Statue of Liberty.
Rainbow Bridge
Behind the statue, you get a stunning view of the bay and the iconic Rainbow Bridge.
The Rainbow Bridge supports a range of transportation modes and connects Tokyo’s mainland to the Odaiba area. It’s a popular sight, especially at night when the bridge lights up using solar energy stored during the day.
After taking in the view of the bay, we head inland towards the DiverCity Tokyo Plaza to see the life-size Gundam.
Pay attention during the walkover because there’s lots to see in Odaiba. Everything from the Fuji TV building—headquarters to one of Japan’s nationwide stations to Aquacity Odaiba, and more!
Unicorn Gundam Statue
The life-sized Gundam statue is hard to miss, standing at 19.7 meters, or 64.6 feet, tall.
The original Gundam statue was installed in 2009 at another park in Odaiba to celebrate the 30th anniversary of one of Japan’s most beloved anime franchises. However, this new RX-0 Unicorn Gundam statue replaced it in 2017.
This newer version has moveable parts of the suit that open up and also a lighting system that allows it to shift between two modes. The transformation sequence happens multiple times daily.
If you’d like a souvenir from your visit, you can also purchase merch from the franchise inside DiverCity Tokyo Plaza.
Btw, it’s free to view the Gundam statue!
DiverCity Tokyo Plaza
The Odaiba Gundam statue is located in front of the DiverCity Tokyo Plaza—a large shopping mall that’s home to quirky museums, like the Unko (poop) museum, and official merch stores for some of Japan’s most popular characters, like Hello Kitty, Conan Detective, Gundam Base & more!
Pro Travel Tip: Most places in the area don’t open until 10 am. But if you’re an earlier riser (or just wanted to get to the area early to beat the crowds), there’s a Starbucks located on the 2nd floor that’s open at 9 am.
Miraikan (National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation)
As I said previously, I’d recommend visiting the miniatures museum first and then coming back to this main Odaiba area, where the DiverCity Plaza is located, because it’s near many other surrounding museums and has Tokyo Bay views.
One of the nearby museums is the Miraikan or the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation.
The thought-provoking museum focuses on our relationship with the universe and helps us understand what’s happening in the world from a scientific perspective. It is very interactive and engaging.
It takes about 2 hours to go through the Miraikan.
Museum highlights for me
These were just a few of the many in-depth exhibitions available to explore at the Miraikan.
Miraikan Museum Info
Final Thoughts
You can spend an entire morning or afternoon roaming around the Odaiba area, thanks to the abundance of museums, theme parks, shopping malls, and landmarks.
The Odaiba area is a great add to your Tokyo itinerary especially if it’s a rainy day or a hot one (where you’d want the indoor AC).
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