[2026 Edition] What Is Immersive Art? Its Meaning, and the Main Venues Where You Can Experience It in Tokyo and Across Japan

Immersive art is a term used for works and exhibitions that envelop a space in images, sound and light so that viewers can step inside and experience them. “teamLab Borderless” at Azabudai Hills in Tokyo passed 4 million visitors in July 2026. On Wednesday, November 18, “Arte Museum Nagoya,” which originated in South Korea, opens in Chita, Aichi Prefecture. This article summarizes how immersive art differs from projection mapping and VR, the characteristics of the experience, and the current status of the main venues around Japan and how to choose among them.

What is immersive art?

The Japanese dictionary “Digital Daijisen” explains “immersive” as describing something that gives a sense of immersion and lets one become absorbed in that state, often used of theatrical and game staging and of experiential devices. According to the American dictionary Merriam-Webster, the earliest known use of the English word “immersive” in this sense dates from 1929.

The idea of making a space itself into a work is not new in the art world. Britain’s Tate explains installation art as large-scale constructions, often created for a particular place and period of time. They often occupy an entire room through which the audience walks, becoming a single unified experience rather than a display of individual works.

Tate traces its origins to the “environments” made by Allan Kaprow and others from around 1957, and calls Kurt Schwitters’ “Merzbau” of 1933 an even earlier forerunner. Since today’s immersive venues also create experiences out of whole spaces, they can be seen as an extension of this lineage.

How it differs from projection mapping, VR and interactive art

Projection mapping refers to the technique of projecting images matched to the shape of three-dimensional objects (see What Is Projection Mapping? for details). Immersive art, by contrast, is closer to a word describing the nature of an experience. Many of the venues in this article use projection as a means of enveloping a space. The Kadokawa Culture Museum’s “Galaxy Express 999 THE GALAXY EXPERIENCE” wraps a space of about 1,000 square meters in images using 32 4K laser projectors.

According to the Virtual Reality Society of Japan, VR (virtual reality) refers to something that is real in essence or effect even if it is not the original in appearance or form. Meanwhile, systems that overlay images onto real objects and spaces with projectors do not require stereoscopic glasses or head-mounted displays, a point also made in the 2001 paper “Shader Lamps.” teamLab’s venues, too, speak of immersing oneself bodily in the works together with others.

Interactive art is a general term for works that come into being through dialogue between the work and the audience or through the audience’s participation (“Nipponica”). It sometimes refers specifically to works in which sensors respond to the audience’s movements (“Digital Daijisen”). “teamLab: Digitized Fukuoka Castle Ruins 2026-2027,” which opened on Friday, October 30, also includes works that glow and resonate with sound when people approach.

Characteristics of the experience: photography, the body and sound

Photography: Most of the venues introduced in this article allow photography. teamLab Planets allows photos and videos, and teamLab Biovortex Kyoto allows photography and posting on social media. Both prohibit flash photography and the use of tripods, selfie sticks and similar items 30 cm or longer.

The body: Exhibits that visitors enter with their whole bodies are another feature. teamLab Planets has a work in which visitors walk barefoot through water, with places where the water comes up to an adult’s knees. teamLab Borderless bills itself as a “museum without a map,” where works leave their rooms, move around and mingle with other works. At the tea house that teamLab Biovortex Kyoto opens on Friday, November 20, pouring tea gives rise to an artwork, and visitors drink part of it.

Sound and scent: The Kadokawa Culture Museum’s Galaxy Express 999 exhibition fills the space with music, dialogue and sound effects in immersive surround sound. RÊVE DES LUMIÈRES in Ariake recreates Van Gogh’s paintings on the walls and floor with images, music and spatial audio. Arte Museum Nagoya also uses scents blended for each work.

Major venues in Tokyo and the Kanto region

The main venues in the Tokyo metropolitan area are introduced below, based on information as of October 19, 2026. Some venues use dynamic pricing, so check prices on the official websites.

teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM (Toyosu, Tokyo)

A museum by the art collective teamLab made up of works such as ones visitors experience by walking into water. Its run has been announced as continuing until the end of 2027. In October 2026, it announced the unveiling of a new work, “Body of Waves,” a soft sculpture into which visitors’ feet sink as they walk. Prices and the operating period are summarized in our article on teamLab Planets.

Dates: Saturday, July 7, 2018 – end of 2027
Hours: 8:00–22:00 (until 20:00 on December 31; last entry 1 hour before closing)
Closed: Thursday, November 5; Thursday, December 3
Address: 6-1-16 Toyosu, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Admission: Adults (18 and over) 3,800 yen, junior high and high school students 2,800 yen, children (ages 4–12) 1,500 yen, free for children 3 and under (timed entry, dynamic pricing; no on-site sales)
Official website: https://www.teamlab.art/jp/e/planets/

Mori Building Digital Art Museum: EPSON teamLab Borderless (Azabudai Hills, Tokyo)

A permanent museum where borderless works move from room to room. Relocated from its former Odaiba venue (2018–2022), it opened at Azabudai Hills on February 9, 2024. It passed 4 million visitors on Friday, July 31, 2026, about 70% of them reportedly from overseas. The works on view and prices are introduced in our article on teamLab Borderless.

Opened: February 9, 2024 (permanent)
Hours: 8:30–21:00 (last entry 1 hour before closing; subject to change)
Address: Azabudai Hills Garden Plaza B, B1, 5-9 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Admission: Adults (18 and over) from 3,600 yen, children (ages 4–12) 1,500 yen, free for children 3 and under (per a July 2026 press release; dynamic pricing for adults; 200 yen extra when bought on site)
Official website: https://www.teamlab.art/jp/e/tokyo/

RÊVE DES LUMIÈRES powered by EPSON (Ariake, Tokyo)

A digital art venue that opened on Friday, June 12, 2026, in TV Asahi’s complex TOKYO DREAM PARK. According to the organizers, it is the 10th location of the “Lumières” series that Culturespaces operates around the world, and the first in Japan. The first main program is a work of about 40 minutes on Van Gogh, and a short film of about 10 minutes on Gaudí is also screened. Details are in our guide to RÊVE DES LUMIÈRES.

Opened: Friday, June 12, 2026
Hours: 10:00–19:00 (subject to change and closing days)
Venue: TOKYO DREAM PARK 8F
Address: 3-3-8 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo
Admission: Free for preschool children (under 5). Holders of a disability certificate and up to one companion pay half price (check the official website for the price of each ticket category)
Organizers: TV Asahi, Pia
Official website: https://tdp.tv-asahi.co.jp/reve-lumieres

Kadokawa Culture Museum: “Galaxy Express 999 THE GALAXY EXPERIENCE: That Journey Still Continues” (Tokorozawa, Saitama)

A limited-time exhibition that depicts the world of “Galaxy Express 999” with images and immersive surround sound. After an approximately 30-minute video experience, visitors walk along a 25-meter track and see production materials. The organizer has extended the run until Monday, November 23 (national holiday) (article on the exhibition).

Dates: Saturday, April 25 – Monday, November 23, 2026 (national holiday)
Hours: 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30)
Closed: Tuesdays (open on Tuesday, November 3, a national holiday)
Venue: Kadokawa Culture Museum, 1F Grand Gallery
Address: Tokorozawa Sakura Town, 3-31-3 Higashitokorozawawada, Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture
Admission: Adults (university students and older) 2,700 yen, junior high and high school students 2,200 yen, elementary school students 1,500 yen, free for preschool children
Official website: https://kadcul.com/event/260

Major venues in Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya and elsewhere in Japan

teamLab Biovortex Kyoto (south of Kyoto Station)

A permanent venue that opened on October 7, 2025, with more than 50 groups of works in a total floor area of about 10,000 square meters. According to its operating partnership, more than 1.3 million people from 167 countries and regions visited in its first year, with an average stay of more than 2 hours 30 minutes. The experiential art center “Superblue Kyoto” is scheduled to open on the adjacent site in early 2027. The first year is described in detail in our article on teamLab Biovortex Kyoto’s first anniversary.

Opened: October 7, 2025 (permanent)
Hours: 9:00–21:00 (last entry 19:30)
Closed: Tuesday, November 17; Thursday, November 19; Tuesday, December 15
Address: 21-5 Higashikujo Higashiiwamotocho, Minami-ku, Kyoto
Admission: Adults (18 and over) 3,800 yen (varies by date and time), ages 13–17 2,800 yen, ages 4–12 1,800 yen, free for children 3 and under (200 yen extra when bought at the venue)
Official website: https://www.teamlab.art/jp/e/kyoto/

teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka (Nagai Botanical Garden)

A nighttime outdoor museum set in Nagai Botanical Garden, about 240,000 square meters with a large pond. Flowers and plants become part of the works, which change with the garden’s seasons. Many works respond to people, wind and rain, and the official website recommends allowing plenty of time to go around. Hours and prices are introduced in our article on the Botanical Garden.

Opened: July 29, 2022 (permanent)
Hours: Opens at 18:00 (closes at 21:30 or 22:30, depending on the period)
Closed: Monday, October 26; Monday, December 14; Monday, January 18, 2027
Venue: Nagai Botanical Garden (1-23 Nagai Koen, Higashisumiyoshi-ku, Osaka)
Admission: Adults (high school students and older) 1,800 yen, children (elementary and junior high school students) 500 yen, free for preschool children (dynamic pricing; on-site purchase costs 200 yen more for adults and 100 yen more for children)
Official website: https://www.teamlab.art/jp/e/botanicalgarden/

Arte Museum Nagoya (Chita, Aichi Prefecture)

A new location of “ARTE MUSEUM,” operated by the Seoul-based digital design company d’strict. According to the organizer, it is the brand’s first venue in Japan and its ninth in the world, and its venues have drawn more than 12 million visitors in total. The theme is “ETERNAL NATURE,” with 18 works shown in 17 spaces. Pre-opening information is compiled in our article on the opening of Arte Museum Nagoya.

Opening date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
Hours: 10:00–20:00 (check the official website for last entry)
Closed: Open every day
Address: 8-22 Ose, Shinmaiko, Chita, Aichi Prefecture (address before registration)
Admission: Adults 3,400 yen on weekdays, 3,800 yen on weekends and holidays; junior high and high school students 2,500 yen on weekdays, 2,800 yen on weekends and holidays; children 1,800 yen on weekdays, 2,000 yen on weekends and holidays; free for children 3 and under
Official website: https://artemuseum.co.jp/

teamLab also has permanent exhibitions in Fukuoka, Higashiosaka (Osaka), Naha (Okinawa), Takeo Onsen (Saga) and Oita. As a limited-time event, “teamLab: Digitized Fukuoka Castle Ruins 2026-2027” runs from Friday, October 30 to Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday), at Maizuru Park in Fukuoka, where the castle ruins’ stone walls and stone steps also become stages for the works.

*Information as of October 19, 2026. Please check the official websites for the latest information.

How to choose a venue: area, time required and age

• Area: In Tokyo, there are venues in Toyosu, Azabudai and Ariake. South of Kyoto Station, Superblue Kyoto is set to open next to teamLab Biovortex Kyoto. For enjoying the outdoors at night, there are teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka and the Fukuoka Castle Ruins Light Festival, which open from around 18:00.

• Time required: The average stay at teamLab Biovortex Kyoto is more than 2 hours 30 minutes, and teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka has no time limit after entry. RÊVE DES LUMIÈRES centers on a main program of about 40 minutes, and the Galaxy Express 999 exhibition on a video experience of about 30 minutes.

• Age: At teamLab Planets, children under 13 must be accompanied by a guardian aged 18 or over, with up to three children per adult (including children admitted free). For small children, it recommends clothes that can get wet or a change of clothes. teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka requires junior high school students and younger to be accompanied and recommends sneakers or similar shoes, as many areas are dark and uneven.

Frequently asked questions

Are immersive art and projection mapping the same thing?

No. Projection mapping is the technique of projecting images matched to the shape of three-dimensional objects, while immersive art is a term for immersive experiences. Among the venues in this article, the Kadokawa Culture Museum and others create their spaces with projectors and projection techniques. Companies in Japan that produce such exhibitions and projection mapping are sorted out in our article on production companies.

Can I buy tickets on the day?

It depends on the venue. teamLab Planets does not sell tickets on site. teamLab Borderless and teamLab Biovortex Kyoto also sell tickets at the venue, but at 200 yen more than online. On-site tickets for teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka are for the same day only and may sell out.

Can I enjoy them on rainy days?

Outdoor venues are affected by the weather. teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka may cancel in bad weather that affects visitor safety and posts notices on its official website and social media. The Fukuoka Castle Ruins Light Festival is held in the rain, but it may delay opening, cancel or suspend when a storm warning, heavy rain warning or similar is issued.

*Top image: from a press release by teamLab Inc.

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on official announcements by each organizer and facility (as of October 19, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team

A note from the publisher

*Disclosure: Among the venues and events introduced in this article, the “Ukiyoe Immersive Art Museum GINZA” and the “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU” are produced and planned by HITOHATA, INC., an affiliate of HITOHATA ASSOCIATION, the general incorporated association that operates TOKYO ART SPHERE (About us).

Ukiyoe Immersive Art Museum GINZA (Ginza, Tokyo; scheduled to open in spring 2027)

As the first permanent venue of the “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition,” it is scheduled to open in Ginza in spring 2027. Based on more than 300 works by Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige and others, it will create three-dimensional video spaces built on eight concepts. Actual ukiyo-e printed in the Edo period and reproductions made from blocks carved in the Meiji period or later will also be exhibited. According to the organizer, the series has drawn more than 700,000 visitors in total across 11 cities in Japan and abroad. The opening announcement is covered in our article on the planned opening of GINZA, and the history of the series in our article on the Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition.

Opening: Spring 2027 (planned; location and opening date to be announced)
Hours: 10:00–20:00 (last entry 19:00, planned)
Official website: https://www.ukiyoeimmersiveart.com/ginza

Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU (Gifu)

Drawing on more than 300 works by Hokusai, Hiroshige, Utamaro, Sharaku and others, the exhibition recreates the world of ukiyo-e in three-dimensional video spaces using 3DCG animation and projection mapping. Each space loops footage of about 3 to 10 minutes, and between the spaces Edo-period ukiyo-e and reproductions are displayed with commentary. Exclusive to the venue, it also features scenes in which ukiyo-e of Oda Nobunaga and cormorant fishing come to life. Details are introduced in our article on the Gifu exhibition.

Dates: Friday, November 6, 2026 – Monday, January 11, 2027 (national holiday)
Hours: 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (open on Monday, November 23), Tuesday, November 24, Monday, December 28 – Monday, January 4
Venue: Gifu City Museum of History, 1F Special Exhibition Room (2-18-1 Omiya-cho, Gifu, Gifu Prefecture)
Admission: Adults (high school students and older) 1,500 yen (1,300 yen in advance), elementary and junior high school students 700 yen (500 yen in advance), free for preschool children. Advance tickets on sale until Thursday, November 5
Organizer: Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition GIFU Executive Committee
Official website: https://www.ukiyoeimmersiveart.com/gifu

The latest information on events produced by HITOHATA, INC. is available at HITOHATA, INC.’s event information. Inquiries about hosting or co-organizing the “Ukiyo-e Immersive Art Exhibition” and the “Yokai Immersive Art Exhibition” are accepted through the company’s contact form.