5 best new attractions and facilities opening in Tokyo in 2024

What is it Taking over Odaiba’s kitschy VenusFort shopping mall – which closed in 2022 – is Immersive Fort Tokyo. As its name suggests, this theme park bills itself as the first immersive facility of its kind in the world, offering experiences inspired by London’s interactive theatre shows which were immensely popular during the 2000s.

What to expect Immersive Fort Tokyo will have 12 attractions as well as six stores and restaurants within the sprawling 30,000-sqm facility. The attractions are all interactive in nature, whereby you play a key role in the development of the stories and narratives. You could be solving a homicide in ‘The Sherlock – Baker Street Murder Case’, evading the titular killer in the ‘Jack the Ripper’ horror maze, or fighting gang members in the ‘Tokyo Revengers’-themed escape room.

When is it opening March 1

What is it World-conquering art collective teamLab’s signature museum, teamLab Borderless, makes a highly anticipated comeback in central Tokyo – more specifically, in Azabudai Hills. When the former Borderless opened in June 2018, it quickly became a huge sensation – not just in Tokyo but also in the international art scene – beloved for its immersive digital art installations that seamlessly merge and interact with other artworks across rooms as well as with the wide-eyed spectators taking in all this visual overload.

What to expect This is not a carbon copy of the former Odaiba facility. The all-new Borderless will feature several never-been-seen installations making their world debut. From what we have seen so far, these new creations are breathtaking – they look like an evolution of the collective’s most iconic works.

When is it opening February 9

What is it Tokyo’s Toyosu district, home to one of the world’s greatest wholesale seafood markets and the amazing teamLab Planets digital art museum, is about to get even more exciting. The new Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai aims to recreate the nostalgic townscape of Edo-period (1603-1868) Tokyo, and fill it with a host of lifestyle facilities including shops, restaurants and a 24-hour onsen spa.

What to expect Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai comprises two sections. The commercial wing will be home to the Toyosu Offsite Edomae Market, offering fresh seafood from the nearby Toyosu Market as well as restaurants serving classic Japanese fare including ramen, sushi and tempura. 

The spa wing, meanwhile, will have ten levels of wellness facilities that are open round the clock. There will be a variety of baths with mineral-rich water sourced from the Hakone-Yugawara hot springs, plus an open-air footbath garden on the roof that looks out to the scenic waterfront.

When is it opening February 1

What is it Taking up prime real estate in Shibuya at the intersection of Omotesando and Meiji-dori is a new shopping mall called Tokyu Plaza Harajuku Harakado. Its edgy architecture, which holds some resemblance to the geometric glass structure across the road (Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku), is the work of Japanese architect Akihisa Hirata.

What to expect Tokyu Plaza Harajuku Harakado will house a food hall on its 5th and 6th floors, featuring new ventures by some of Tokyo’s most renowned chefs. In the basement you’ll find a modern sento operated by the long-established Kosugi-yu bathhouse in Koenji. But the building’s main draw will be its stunning vertical garden that stretches across its upper floors.

When is it opening Spring 2024

What is it This new city-centre green oasis next to the Japan National Stadium (aka the Tokyo Olympic Stadium) is within walking distance from Kokuritsu-Kyogijo and Sendagaya stations. Toritsu Meiji Park, as it’s called, currently has four areas. The grass lawn that’s been named the Plaza of Hope is the park’s main focal point and surrounding it you’ll find the Inclusive Plaza with minimalistic play equipment, and the Michi Plaza with a small stream and 13 types of cherry blossom trees. The most impressive section is the Forest of Pride, which has 508 deciduous and 214 evergreen trees planted across 7,500 square metres. 

What to expect Parts of the park have already been open since October last year, and six more sections are expected to open soon. Toritsu Meiji Park’s upcoming features include a café, restaurant, outdoor activity shop and relaxation centre.

When is it opening The park is expected to be fully open sometime in January.