All You Need to Know Before You Go to teamLab Future Park Okinawa
teamLab, the famous international art collective, has now made its way to Japan’s sunny paradise, Okinawa! teamLab Future Park Okinawa has finally opened its doors just last 15 December 2023 AND our very own Japan Klookers were able to drop by and share the inside scoop. 😌
🧡 This article was created with the help of Emily from Klook Japan
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What is teamLab Future Park all about?
teamLab, Hopscotch for Geniuses: Bounce on the Water © teamLab
In teamLab Future Park, you’ll be able to witness and take part in the beauty and value of shared human experience. The concept and art installations are some of the most jaw-dropping pieces that you won’t find anywhere else, providing us with opportunities to interact with one another in a unique way.
To give you an idea, there’s an art installation in teamLab Future Park where your actual drawing will come to life and even swim along with everyone else’s creations! This shared creation will never be replicated again, making your visit even more special.
teamLab, Sketch Aquarium: Connected World, 2021-, Interactive Digital Installation, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi, teamLab © teamLab, courtesy Pace Gallery
Read more to find out how to get teamLab tickets, what to expect, what to wear for the best teamLab Future Park experience, and how to get there.
How to get to teamLab Future Park Okinawa
teamLab Future Park can be found on the third floor of T Galleria by DFS, it’s a mall where you can also enjoy duty-free shopping. To get here, you can either take the train or go by car.
By train
Take the Yui Rail and get off at Omoromachi Station, it’s the nearest one to T Galleria Okinawa by DFS, being only a two-minute walk! For context, if you’re coming from Naha Airport, it’s about a 20-minute ride and 10 stops. As you enter the building, turn right and follow the signs pointing to teamLab Future Park Okinawa.
By car
If you’ll be driving, there are parking spaces available in T Galleria Okinawa by DFS. The car ride is about a 30-minute drive from Naha Airport.
3rd Floor of T Galleria by DFS, Okinawa
4-1 Omoromachi, Naha, Okinawa 900-0006
How to get teamLab Future Park Okinawa tickets
There are three ways to get your teamLab Future Park Okinawa tickets – online via their official website or on Klook, and offline via the ticket counters on-site. If you happen to be nearby already and want to test your luck, you can check out the on-site counters if they still have tickets available but if you want to make sure you have the right amount of tickets and have easy entry, then definitely book your tickets online and ahead of time!
Klook Tip: If you booked on Klook and aren’t able to make it to your booking, you can still get 60% back of what you paid for. Just click the “no-show refund” option on checkout. See more details and how to claim here.
For an even more hassle-free experience, booking on Klook will allow you to enter seamlessly with just an online voucher (QR code), no need to exchange it for a physical ticket! You’ll receive your code upon purchase. All you have to do is select your preferred payment method, date, and time of entry. Note that the timeslots are only for entry, so you don’t have to worry about how long you can admire the art installations.
What to expect in teamLab Future Park Okinawa
We were able to step inside and see for ourselves the wonders of this new concept from teamLab, from watching our very own drawings come to life to interacting with their massive and dynamic artwork – teamLab Future Park is truly something you have to experience for yourself but until then, here are a handful of the installations you can expect!
Klook Tip: If you want to enjoy it to the fullest, expect to explore the entire area for about 2 to 3 hours. There are also no bathrooms inside, so be sure to go before entering. You can find bathrooms on the 3rd floor where the entrance to teamLab Future Park is.
Graffiti Nature in a Beating Valley - Symbiotic Lives, A Whole Year per Year, Red List
teamLab, Graffiti Nature - Beating High Mountains and Deep Valleys, Red List © teamLab
The magic of teamLab is that its concepts immediately draw you in, where you, the visitor, can influence the very artwork around you just by simply interacting with it. So the second you enter Graffiti Nature in a Beating Valley, don’t forget to watch where you’re stepping so you can see the pretty flower petals that scatter as soon as you step on any creature. Apart from that, the creatures moving around this colourful valley are drawn by visitors!
Of course, we had to try drawing our own creations so we could see it come to life! Once we were done with our work, they were scanned and instantly appeared along with the other creations roaming about the valley. It was such a treat to witness and it’s made even more special because this very combination of artwork within the valley, at this very moment, can never be replicated again.
Klook Tip: The very drawing you make can also be printed on merchandise like tote bags, shirts, badges, and more! There’s an area in teamLab Future Park called the “Sketch Factory” where this magic happens and we’ll talk more about it below.
Make sure you get your camera ready and pay close attention to the giant whale swimming in the centre because once it starts to fill with flowers, along with the other creatures, the flowers will burst into a beautiful colourful mess that makes for a great photo!
Waterfall Droplets, Little Drops Cause Large Movement
teamLab, Waterfall Droplets, Little Drops Cause Large Movement © teamLab
In the same area as Graffiti Nature in a Beating Valley, you’ll find the Waterfall Droplets installation. Just seeing it fall from above is enchanting already, like large drops of water calmly flowing down like a waterfall.
When you go closer, you can try interrupting the flow by touching the wall then the droplets will disperse and bounce about like a ball. You can also spread your hands out, as if storing water, see how it interacts!
Animals of Flowers, Symbiotic Lives II - A Whole Year per Year
Here you’ll see giant animals made of flowers walk along the walls gracefully. The cutest way to get a photo here is by making yourself a canvas, standing by the walls, and letting these virtual giants pass by. If you touch them, the animal formation will disappear as the flowers scatter about – this very combination of seasonal flowers that form the animal also won’t be played again, so each combination that’s drawn is unique and will entirely depend on the way visitors interact with it.
Sliding through the Fruit Field
We’ll get into more detail about what to wear later but before we do, here’s one of the installations where you’ll need to bring socks! To be able to participate in this area, you’ll need to remove your shoes and the socks help to avoid friction as you slide down.
teamLab, Sliding through the Fruit Field © teamLab
The more people slide, the more fruits and bursts of colours appear (and yes, you can slide more than once)!
Waterfall Droplets, Flowing Down a Slope
teamLab, Waterfall Droplets, Flowing Down a Slope © teamLab
You won’t miss this eye-catching slope! We had to climb it to slide down the “Sliding through the Fruit Field” installation, it was too beautiful to just go through quickly so we even missed a few steps 🤣 The water droplets flow just like water, interacting both with the colourful blocks and your steps.
Sketch Aquarium: Connected World
Similar to Graffiti Nature in a Beating Valley, the Sketch Aquarium: Connected World is where your drawings will also come to life by being a part of the dynamic aquarium. The reason why it’s called “connected world” is because your drawing can be swimming in another aquarium far far away in another country, so even the creatures you see swimming could also be drawn by someone from elsewhere.
You could tap on the fish and watch as they cutely swim away and if you see a food bag, interact with it as well to feed the fish.
Light Ball Orchestra
teamLab, Light Ball Orchestra © teamLab
While there are similar Light Ball works in other teamLab exhibitions, Okinawa’s has a unique sound that makes the experience unlike the others! The majority of the balls aren’t fixed, so you can roll them around and watch them change colours too.
Hopscotch for Geniuses: Bounce on the Water
With each hop you make, creatures like birds, butterflies, and fish will appear! The key here is to make sure you step on the same shape or colour in succession so they’ll successfully make an appearance. You could play around with the space and see for yourself what pops up like if you “fall” off a stone or tap on the birds fluttering about, see what happens!
teamLab, Hopscotch for Geniuses: Bounce on the Water © teamLab
If you have a friend with you, ask to take turns taking pictures as you move through the virtual pond because as you’re gliding through, you may not be able to see the colours and animations happening right behind you.
Story of the Time when Gods Were Everywhere
teamLab, Story of the Time when Gods were Everywhere © teamLab
Watch the world unfold before your eyes with each interaction you make. Each symbol produces a different outcome from mountains, trees, and even animals.
From there, you could interact with them even more and see how the animals move and interact with other worlds created by others’ interactions around the area, showing a different story each time with every visit.
A Musical Wall Where Little People Live
teamLab, A Musical Wall where Little People Live © teamLab
Watch this very cute space of little people fluttering about from wall to wall. You interact with this work by moving the various magnetic stamps throughout the walls and watching how they interact with it, creating a new story each time.
A Table Where Little People Live
In the same area where the Musical Wall Where Little People Live is, you’ll find a table that you could also interact with. Try placing your hand or any of the available objects in any area you like and watch how the little people interact with it! Sometimes they jump, and sometimes they slide, it’s so cute and fascinating at the same time.
Make your very own teamLab Future Park Okinawa souvenir
The same drawings you created from “Graffiti Nature in a Beating Valley” and “Sketch Aquarium: Connected World” can be made into items you can take home with you like t-shirts, badges, tote bags, and more! Whether you plan to gift it to someone or keep it as a memento of your Okinawa trip, it’s a sweet way to commemorate such a magical experience.
To make sure your souvenirs turn out as perfect as can be, here are some tips and tricks we’ve learned while making ours:
📌 Draw clear outlines since in print form, the edges tend to blur a bit, so we recommend making sure to solidify the edges of your drawing.
📌 The finished goods (shirts, badges, bags) will be in white so you want to properly fill in your drawing. If you want a more vivid outcome, we recommend using darker colours.
📌 Since the goods are in white, you want to make sure to spread the colour as much as possible to avoid any white gaps. To do this, you can use your fingers or tissue to try to evenly spread out the colour. There are also wet wipes available so you don’t have to worry about your fingers getting dirty.
When you’re done, you can begin the order process by scanning the QR code that you can find in the drawing space, it’ll give you more detailed instructions like choosing the type of design you want (shirt, badge, towel, etc). After payment at the reception area, you’ll be given a reference number and a pickup time so you can shop around the facility while waiting.
What to wear for the best teamLab Future Park Okinawa experience
teamLab, Graffiti Nature - Beating High Mountains and Deep Valleys, Red List © teamLab
When at teamLab Future Park, we recommend wearing clothes that are easy to move in and comfortable shoes, bring socks too! This is to help you experience the installations to its fullest because many of them require you to climb up and slide down steep slopes and walk on uneven terrain. teamLab Future Park is also quite strict with footwear, entrance can be denied if you’re wearing high heels, open-toe shoes, and hard-sole shoes.
Notice from teamLab Future Park Okinawa: For safety reasons, anyone wearing high heels, hard sole shoes, open toe or open-heel shoes, will not be allowed entry. At the entrance hall, you can rent and change into soft sole shoes. However, they are limited in quantity and size, so we recommend that you bring your own sneakers.
At the time of writing, it costs 500 yen to rent shoes but we highly recommend that you still wear the right footwear since these are limited in quantity and your size may not be available at the time of your arrival.
Also, since there are works that involve sliding down a slope, it’s best to wear clothes that you won’t mind getting a bit dirty. Pants may also be a better choice compared to skirts or shorts so your skin won’t feel the friction from sliding down.
Lastly, it’s best to wear plain clothes and or white tops so that when you take photos, you can be the canvas of teamLab’s various projections, making the colours pop even more!
Klook Tip: You’re definitely allowed to take photos and videos of your experience, just take note of this simple guideline
✅ Allowed: Taking photos, videos, posting on your socials
🚫 Not allowed: monopods, tripods, selfie sticks, and flash photography
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take pictures, videos, and post on my social media?
Yes but you’re not allowed to use monopods, tripos, selfie sticks, and flash photography
Are lockers available?
Yes! For 100 yen, you can rent lockers for excess baggage so you can roam around teamLab Future Park freely
Will my large luggage fit the lockers?
The lockers available may only fit backpacks, tote bags, and of similar sizes but if you need larger lockers, you can find some throughout T Galleria Okinawa by DFS store (where teamLab Okinawa is located), they also have free temporary luggage storage when you shop at DFS.
Are strollers allowed?
Strollers aren’t allowed but there is a dedicated storage area for them. There’s also an elevator available located outside the building
Is it wheelchair accessible?
Yes! As mentioned above, there’s an elevator that you could use.
Are there guided instructions on how to interact with the installations?
Yes. Apart from the helpful staff, you’ll see guides throughout TeamLab Future Park Okinawa explaining how to interact with the artwork. There are instructions available in Japanese, English, and Chinese.
More Okinawa activities and ideas for your itinerary
Complete your Okinawa getaway with even more things to do and sights to see, we’ve gathered them in this Guide to Okinawa, Japan to help you plan more easily.
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