Odaiba
Comments: 11
A few weeks ago we went to Odaiba — not somewhere we would usually go except that the National Science Museum is there. I don’t like Odaiba: it looks too much like the future and I prefer not to know these things.
Odaiba is basically completely artificial (think DisneyLand minus the concept of fun — although it’s supposed to be a date spot full of amusement centres and whatnot). It also appears to have been intended as some sort of architectural showcase, with the emphasis firmly on the postmodern.
Whatever the intention, no expense has been spared in making the place thoroughly disconcerting. The dominant message, delivered with a quiet fascistic certainty, is that in the future everything will be like this, so you’d best get used to it.
There are some buildings that work, and work well. But they’re forlorn exceptions in a barrage of unrelenting hubris. Odaiba is not stylish but hos-style.
On the other side of the bay to Odaiba is Haneda airport, so the skies are full of jets making their landing approaches. This makes for some disturbing views.
You get these weird perspectives where you can’t help thinking that all your September elevens have come at once.
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Posted to Architecture, Photographs • 2003.08.12 (Tue) • 19:38
Comments
Posted by Aegir 2003.08.12, 22:29
Funny the date you posted that on, what with the September 11 style photos. Move over 9/11, it’s time for 8/12. In a couple of years it’ll be 7/13?
Posted by Adam 2003.08.12, 23:43
Hmmm…interesting. Actually I think it looks rather neat. I might have to schedule a date to visit.
Posted by Blake 2003.08.13, 01:10
Looks very Epcot to me. Which is a good thing now, bad thing later. The future becomes outdated.
Posted by Adam Rice 2003.08.13, 01:41
One could put together a travelog of Japan’s protofuturistic developments—this, Makuhari Messe, Minato Mirai (which I think of as Yokohama Dateland—for some reason, it too is supposed to be a popular spot for dating), Ebisu Garden Plaza…
But I’ve seen Blade Runner. I know that the future looks like Shibuya.
Posted by steve minutillo 2003.08.13, 02:40
Even the ground in Odaiba is artificial. It’s all reclaimed land!
The area around Makuhari Messe is a lot like Odaiba, except (at least when I was there for TGS) completely devoid of people. It’s like they built this huge futuristic city, with skyscrapers, parks, shopping areas, gigantic 10 lane highways and sweeping pedestrian walkways going everywhere, but nobody showed up.
Posted by Curmudgeon 2003.08.13, 08:34
If I remember correctly, all those “futuristic” buildings were intended to be part of some kind of exposition planned by the Tokyo metropolitan government. That event eventually was canceled by the previous governor of Tokyo. Odaiba does have some history to it as it was originally created by the Tokugawa shogunate to serve as a fort protecting Edo Bay. I think the outline of the fort can still be seen today.
Posted by ksquared 2003.09.30, 13:34
It’s a nice place for an afternoon. The Joypolis is nice for kids and the shopping is interesting. There are no real nice restaurants. If you like to shop or have kids it is pretty nice
Posted by allison 2003.12.05, 07:45
Odaiba is a really great place! The Fuji TV Building gave me and my brother two packs of Fuji TV cartoon dog tissue and a tissue box for free! I’ve been dying to go on the large Ferris Wheel!
Posted by Kevin 2003.12.07, 17:26
Odaiba is not the future or the past but is far more interesting; it is the geographical spot on the planet where the late twentieth century economic bubble burst. The physical manifestation of that is the empty center the monorail spirals down to and then around which is filled with poorly tended gardens of poppies and nearly empty grade level parking lots (arguably the most expensive, undevelopable real estate on the planet). There is still a lot to enjoy on this artificial island like the Hong Kong level of decks, and having a beer on the beach watching kids learn to windsurf and fish jumping out of the water (well at least in July). The Fuji TV, science museum and Toyota buildings are all spectacular- especially the hot wheels collection in the Toyota building. Joyopolis is a let down, for strange indoor themed entertainment in Japan Namjatown in Sunshine city is still the best (the tricycle ride is unparalled for bizarreness). Take the monorail to Odaiba in the morning, walk around and go to the beach in the afternoon after lunch in the Hong Kong level of decks, then buy a ticket on the ferryboat to Asakusa. It is a boat ride you will never forget to one the best touristy tokyo areas, get there before they extinguish the incense chambers.
Posted by Jason 2004.01.03, 07:31
After a year in the suburbs of Tokyo I found my trip to Odaiba to be highly refreshing. It was clean, a had sense of style, and displayed huge amount of open space. It was well-lit but not garishly so and one could walk in it without taking the risk of getting run over. I was completely amazed there was actually grass with no electrical wires hanging around everywhere! Personally, I would take the open artificiality of this place over the organic opressiveness of the suburbs and Shibuya. Odaiba is open whereas the rest of Tokyo seems to close in on you.
Posted by melanie 2004.02.08, 07:40
oh c’mon!! Odaiba isn’t that bad. If you went to the DECKS you would’ve had a blast!
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