5 Free Things to Do in Odaiba
Nestled in the southeastern corner of Tokyo not far from Nihonbashi, Odaiba is a beautiful area, and there’s plenty of free stuff to do there. Below are 5 free things to do in Odaiba.
Odaiba is an artificial island. The Japanese built it as a defensive structure in the 1800s, and you can actually still see some of the old fortifications in the middle of the water.
The fortifications are easy to see from Rainbow Bridge.
Anyway, here are 5 free things to do in Odaiba.
1. Mallrat for Free at Aqua City Odaiba
Sure, if you want to buy anything, you have to pay, but there’s nothing stopping you from just walking around and taking in the sights. Inside the mall, there’s plenty of window shopping to do, and outside, you can shoot photos of the sea, fight local gym leaders in Pokemon Go, and chill in one of the outdoor chairs.
Plus, there’s a ferris wheel, and it looks amazing when it’s lit up at night.
Why don’t you start at the mall and come back to the ferris wheel after sunset, which you’re going to spend on Rainbow Bridge.
2. Beach Bum for Free at Tokyo Bay
Odaiba has a sandy beach, and on a good day, you can find people playing catch, flying kites, tossing frisbees, and building sand castles.
If you’re the sporty type, I suggest bringing a ball or a bee to beach bum around Tokyo Bay. On the other hand, if you’re more the chilled out type, then why not bring a foldable chair and a bottle of wine?
I’ll still never get over the fact that you can drink outside in the open in Japan. It’s so nice.
3. Take a Selfie for Free at the Odaiba’s Statue of Liberty
Yes — there’s a Statue of Liberty in Odaiba. About 1/7 the size of the NY original, the Japanese originally built it to celebrate its relationship with France. Although it was meant to be temporary, reactions were positive, and so there it still stands.
Interestingly, there are two other Statues of Liberty in Japan — one in Osaka and another in Shimoda.
4. Climb Rainbow Bridge (for Free, Obviously)!
If you hear toward the Rainbow Bridge entrance, you’ll find a little security hut. From there, you can enter the pedestrian lane on Rainbow Bridge. It’s a bit of a hike, but the view is gorgeous, so bring your camera.
You can check out the sunset from here (as I did), or there’s another choice: the Odaiba observatory.
5. Check out Odaiba’s Ferris Wheel at Night for Free
At night, Odaiba’s ferris wheel lights up, and they somehow project all these cool shadows and images all over it. It’s very cool, and if you’ve been drinking all day since the beach, you’ll really appreciate this display.
And honestly, even if you’re sober, all the lights are still a lovely experience.
BONUS: See All at Odaiba’s Telecom Center Building Observatory (500 yen)
This last one is a bit of a cheat, since
- A. it isn’t free, and
- B. you already have another spot to watch the sunset from
However, you can see very far from the observatory, and at 500 yen, it’s still very inexpensive. So if you can shell out the extra dough, I would recommend it.
Here’s the Telecom Center Building Observatory website.
Below, you can see the observatory (the silvery sphere) as seen from the Rainbow Bridge around sunset time. I’ve yet to enter the observatory, but I hear it’s a beautiful experience.
