Odaiba is a must-see area in Tokyo for any sightseer looking to plan the perfect trip to Japan. But Tokyo in 2024 is a whirlwind of big changes and new attractions; don’t miss these five Odaiba spots for sightseers during your 2024 Tokyo travels!

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Odaiba Sightseeing Itinerary: 5 Must-Sees in 2024

Tokyo is so sprawling and full of life that each neighborhood feels like its own city, with a different vibe and new things to do, but that enormous size also makes it difficult to put together the perfect Tokyo travel plan. So when you're making your Tokyo itinerary, it can be helpful to choose some goals for your trip, and plan accordingly.

In this article, we've planned out an Odaiba travel itinerary perfect for sightseers looking for fun Tokyo experiences, slightly off-the-beaten-path destinations, and a little bit of relaxation too. Thanks to Odaiba's recent post-pandemic development, and all the new Tokyo tourist destinations that came with it, there's plenty to see even for experienced Odaiba visitors. If you're planning a trip to Tokyo and aren't sure where to look first, check out this picturesque area on Tokyo Bay, and our five favorite recommendations for a 2024 visit to Odaiba!

① Asia’s Largest: SMALL WORLDS Miniature Museum

Our first Odaiba area recommendation is the largest museum of miniatures in all of Asia, appropriately named Small Worlds. The models might be on a tiny 1:80 scale, but it's no small facility, with 7,000㎡ of floor space and a wide variety of miniature dioramas. There are six different areas on display, from replicas of real places to fictional realms, including Kansai International Airport, the Evangelion Hangar and Evangelion's Tokyo-III, and scenes of Japan after dark.

For many anime-loving visitors, the facility's two Evangelion areas are particularly popular, thanks to the scenery and vignettes taken from the immensely popular anime masterpiece. In the Evangelion Hangar, visitors can see vividly realized miniatures of Unit-01, Unit-00, and Unit-02 in movement as they go through their launch procedures. Over in Tokyo-III, this city of the future cycles through day and night, with every nook and cranny of the urban landscape packed with highly detailed models of people and places straight from the anime, including Shinji, Rei, and Katsuragi. Small Worlds also sells some pretty cool Evangelion merchandise to go with the miniatures, like drink cups featuring a glowing Unit-01.

^{*The Evangelion drink cup comes with one soft drink ticket.}

Small Worlds also offers custom miniature figures made with the use of their high-tech 3D camera, which scans you from every angle to recreate your exact post in miniature form. If you purchase a "Resident Rights Plans," you can even have your little miniature figure placed in an actual museum exhibit, to become a resident of Small Worlds for a year.

▶︎ Details on 3D figure making at SMALL WORLDS.

If you want to save some money during your trip to Odaiba, you can get a pretty good deal if you pay for transportation and Small Worlds together! Go for the special Yurikamome Line 1-day pass that includes unlimited rides all day (the Yurikamome Line is Odaiba's main transportation route), along with admission to Small Worlds – the combined pass is super convenient, and it's cheaper than paying for everything separately! The pass gives you a full day of Odaiba area transportation along with your museum ticket, and it's only about 250 yen more than the normal adult admission price for Small Worlds. If you're planning a trip to Odaiba, you'll definitely want to pick up this ticket bundle in advance.

▶︎ Details on the Yurikamome 1-day Ticket + SMALL WORLDS TOKYO Admission Pass.

SMALL WORLDS Miniature Museum (スモールワールズ)
Ariake Butsuryu Center, 1−3−33 Ariake, Koto City, Tokyo
Hours: 9:00 – 19:00 (final admission 18:00)
Admission: adults (18+) 2,700 yen | 12~17 y.o. 1,900 yen | 4~11 y.o. 1,500 yen | free for children 3 years and younger
Official Website (en)

② Innovative New Perspectives at the Museum: Tokyo Trick Art Museum

If you're looking for a place to get a little hands-on and get in on all the fun, try taking some mysterious photos at the Tokyo Trick Art Museum for memories to last a lifetime. This unusual museum immerses you in a series of scenes where your imagination becomes reality, letting you fly in the sky, shrink and grow your body at will, or even trap yourself like a genie in a bottle. And while the Tokyo Trick Art Museum traffics mainly in optical illusions, the exhibits also incorporate traditional Japanese themes like ninjas, supernatural Japanese "yokai" creatures, and Edo-era scenery, so you'll never forget where you were when you took these wacky snapshots!

Not sure you can pull off the optical illusions for a perfect photo? Don't worry, the enthusiastic staff are ready to help with a smile, offering up pro tips on the best angles and the funniest poses. They even offer their museum guide (a quick introduction at the entrance) in English, so sightseers can make the most of their visit to this cool spot that goes beyond the bounds of a normal art museum.

Tokyo Trick Art Museum (東京トリックアート迷宮館)
Decks Tokyo Beach 4F, 1-6-1 Daiba, Minato City, Tokyo
Hours: 11:00 – 21:00 (final admission 20:00)
Admission: adults (high school and older) 1,200 yen | 3 years ~ middle school 800 yen | free for children 3 years and younger
Official Website (en)

③ An Odaiba Landmark: DiverCity Tokyo Plaza

Find Gundam Heaven at The Gundam Base Tokyo & Annex

DiverCity Tokyo Plaza is home to the famous real-size 20m-tall Unicorn Gundam, now an iconic Odaiba landmark, but the popular shopping center actually has even more Gundam on the inside! The Gundam Base Tokyo on the 7th floor might be the closest thing to paradise for fans of the Gundam anime and Gunpla models, with its huge floorspace divided into four areas and dedicated to Gunpla and Gundam goods, including a number of limited-edition exclusive products found nowhere else. Gundam fans will be excited to find that the shop not only has shelves and shelves of Gunpla kits, but also exhibits featuring expertly-built models, Gundam information, and even a rentable workshop space where you can airbrush and construct your own Gunpla.

If that wasn't enough Gundam for you, the new Gundam Base Tokyo Annex opened in December 2023 on the second floor of DiverCity, right in front of the 20m Unicorn Gundam. While the 7th-floor shop is mainly focused on Gunpla, this newer addition goes light on the Gunpla and focuses more on fun souvenirs, perfect for everyday anime fans looking for something cool to bring home from Tokyo.

Dine on “Kawaii” Desserts

If all that shopping is making your stomach growl, DiverCity Tokyo Plaza also has restaurants and a food court, plus a bunch of dessert spots that are so cute they've certainly earned the label "kawaii."

Hello Kitty no Kongariyaki, next to the Hello Kitty Japan shop on the second floor, offers a menu of cute Sanrio-themed desserts. Our recommendation is the kongariyaki cakes, which come shaped like Hello Kitty (plain or custard-filled) or like Gudetama (plain or chocolate cream and cornflake-filled). These cute little cakes are hard to resist, and they're only available for a limited time, so you'll want to try them before it's too late!

Located over in the food court, DECORA CREAMERY offers cotton candy creations that look more like something you'd find in a video game than in real life. There are enormous mountains of light-as-air rainbow cotton candy, and wreaths of it surrounding colorful cones of soft-serve ice cream. If you want a sweet treat that's as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the mouth, you'll want to stop by when you're in Odaiba.

Shop for Japanese Fashion Staples at GU

After checking out DiverCity Tokyo Plaza's sweet snacks and their more niche offerings, you won't want to miss out on clothes shopping! GU is a hugely popular Japanese fashion brand, offering the latest trends in men's and women's styles, and the brand is known for offering everything from everyday fashion to sportswear, plus things like under clothing and accessories. Everything is sold at an affordable price point, so it's a great first stop for anyone interested in dipping a toe into the world of Japanese fashion.

We especially recommend the convenient basic t-shirts, the comfy pajamas (great as a souvenir), and the tote bags – perfect for anyone worried about fitting their new Japanese purchases into a small suitcase. The prices at GU are incredibly reasonable, but if you fill up your cart and spend 5,500 yen or more, you can also get a tax refund for an even better deal. To enjoy a shopping trip without worrying about the price tags, head to the fourth floor of this Odaiba landmark – DiverCity Tokyo Plaza!

DiverCity Tokyo Plaza (ダイバーシティ東京 プラザ)
1-1-10 Aomi, Koto City, Tokyo
Hours:
　General: weekdays 11:00 – 20:00 | weekends & holidays 10:00 – 21:00
　Food Court: weekdays 11:00 – 21:00 | weekends & holidays 10:00 – 22:00
　Restaurants: 11:00 – 22:00
Official Website (jp)

④ Hot Springs in Tokyo: Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai

If you dream of soaking in a Japanese onsen without leaving the Tokyo city limits, and the closure of the Odaiba Oedo Onsen left you disappointed, then we've got some good news for you. Tokyo has a new hot spring spa called Toyosu Manyo Club, and it's a part of the new Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai complex that opened its doors in the Odaiba area in February 2024.

Tucked in among the sights of the Odaiba area, one of the best things about Senkyaku Banrai (and its onsen facility Toyosu Manyo Club) is its convenient location. Busy travelers can enjoy real Japanese onsen baths without ever leaving Tokyo, and the highrise spa building even has open-air baths with a view of Tokyo Bay! Since Tokyo isn't exactly blessed with local hot springs, this onsen facility actually trucks in real natural hot spring water from Hakone Onsen and other popular springs in the region, but the spa also comes equipped with extras like "bedrock baths," multiple rest areas, and even a handful of rooms for overnight guests.

Even without paying to access the main onsen facilities, anyone can enjoy the free footbath on the 8th floor, with a breathtaking view looking over the water and out at Rainbow Bridge. (Tokyo Tower is just visible peeking out between tall buildings.) Tokyo has a lot of popular observation decks, but this one is a little different!

The other half of Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai is the Toyosu Jogai Edomae Ichiba, or Edo-Style Market, which is designed to look like a traditional Japanese market from centuries past. Built next to the Toyosu Market that now provides Tokyo restaurants with their fish and other groceries, this market takes advantage of the super fresh ingredients to offer specialties from around Japan. There are even a few eateries straight from the market's predecessor in Tsukiji! So you can spend hours soaking in the onsen and feasting on Japanese delicacies.

Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai (豊洲千客万来)
6-5-1 Toyosu, Koto City, Tokyo
Hours:
　Onsen Facilities: 24 hours
　Free Foot Bath: 10:00 – 19:00
　Market Restaurants: 9:00 – 18:00 | 10:00 – 22:00 (shop hours vary)
Onsen Admission: adults 3,850 yen | children 1,400~2,000 yen | additional fee required for use after 3 am
Official Website (en)

⑤ Accommodations for Odaiba Sightseers: Mitsui Garden Hotel Toyosu Premier

After a full day of shopping and sightseeing all around the Odaiba area, there's nothing better than a comfortable hotel with a great view. This Mitsui Garden Hotel is not only directly connected to the huge LaLaport shopping mall, but it's also just ten minutes away from popular Tokyo tourist spots like Ginza, and of course the hotel offers convenient access to all the Odaiba area spots mentioned above. It's close to the buzz of central Tokyo, but since it's located on floors 33 to 36, Mitsui Garden Hotel Toyosu Premier is a peaceful oasis with windows overlooking Tokyo Bay. You'll feel it from the moment you step into the lobby!

Taking advantage of the great views, the hotel has communal baths 165 meters above ground, including open-air baths that let guests look up at Tokyo's starry sky when soaking in the tub. The view isn't only great at bath time – the bar and restaurant area also have huge windows facing the water, and they offer afternoon tea, special prix fix meals, and special options for celebrating anniversaries, so you can make the most of the atmosphere no matter what you're up to.

Mitsui Garden Hotel Toyosu Premier (三井ガーデンホテル豊洲プレミア)
2-2-1 Toyosu, Koto City, Tokyo
Check-in/Check-out: 15:00 / 11:00
Anniversary Surprise Service
Official Website (en)

Tokyo’s New Entertainment Hub

Tokyo has been buzzing with new construction and big changes ever since the pandemic, and there's a lot going on these days. But there's no doubt that the Odaiba area is at the heart of some of the city's biggest, fastest changes! Odaiba is setting trends in Tokyo, and in 2024, we hope sightseers will get to see the area for themselves, and all it has to offer.

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