Odaiba - Its Ultramodern Attractions

Where else can you find a man-made island that is an architectural and engineering marvel and a complete futuristic city by itself? Originally constructed as a fort on reclaimed land to defend the city from foreign invasion in the 1850s, Odaiba is the extensive, gleaming artificial island in Tokyo Bay, that is now one of Japan's premier tourist attractions and futuristic business districts.

Derived from a series of six island fortresses, Odaiba was built in 1853 by the Tokugawa shogunate. It underwent massive development from the late 1980s. In 1996, the area was rezoned from just a business district to allow entertainment, pleasure and leisure pursuits.

Odaiba bloomed and was reborn as a tourist and leisure zone, showcasing large hotels, shopping malls, museums and theme parks. Several large companies also moved their offices to the island. Transportation links improved with the connection of the Rinkai Line into the JR East railway network in 2002, and the eastward extension of the Yurikamome to Toyosu in 2006.

Among the many enticements and allures of Odaiba are the magnificent Rainbow Bridge, highly regarded as the symbol and pride of Tokyo Bay; Odaiba Ferris Wheel, Palette Town's highlight and one of the world's largest with its 115 meters height; Tokyo Big Sight, Japan's largest convention center wherein big events are held throughout the year.

Other attractions include the Fuji TV Building, with its exhibitions of popular Fuji TV programs and souvenirs; Decks Tokyo Beach, a three-storied shopping mall that features various stores and restaurants; Aquacity Odaiba, an emporium with a 13-screen cinema complex; Museum of Maritime Science, with its seafaring related exhibits from the past and the future; National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, a highly interactive and bilingual museum that displays space exploration, information technology and the likes; Telecom Center, headquarters to the information highway with its large satellite antennas on the observation deck; Oedo Onsen Monogatari, a hot spring theme park; Palette Town, a shopping and entertainment complex; Venus Fort, a mall in the style of an 18th century South European Town; Mega Web, a showroom, where one can see the latest offering from Toyota.

Even access to Odaiba can be considered an attraction because of its futuristic architecture and city planning.

How to Get There:

Serving Odaiba is the automated Yurikamome Line from Shimbashi and the privately owned Rinkai Line running between Osaki and Shin-Kiba.

Ferries also operate between Tokyo and Odaiba; city buses are also available; it is also possible to cross the Rainbow Bridge on foot by getting off at Shibaura-futo station on the Yurikamome.

*published in the July '08 issue of "Let's Tour Japan", Philippine Digest*