TEAMLAB BORDERLESS AZABUDAI HILLS || Where Art Refuses to Stay in Its Lane
The most disarming thing about teamLab Borderless is not its scale or technology, but how quickly it slows you down.
Set within the upscale surroundings of Azabudai Hills, teamLab Borderless unfolds as an environment that absorbs rather than overwhelms. Projections spill freely across rooms, unconcerned with architectural edges or fixed routes. Flowers bloom across walls and ceilings, kanji characters dissolve into motion, and wildlife drifts from one space to another. There is no single vantage point, no prescribed way to experience the work. Instead, the exhibition responds to presence, rewarding curiosity, stillness, and touch.
The wondrous designs change from one moment to another.
This idea of a “borderless world” is not metaphorical here; it is literal. Art refuses to stay put, and as a visitor, you quickly learn that the joy lies in surrendering control.
What stood out immediately was the scale. Projections stretch upward toward soaring ceilings, creating an enveloping environment that feels expansive without being overwhelming. Children dart across the floor, adults slow their steps, and everyone seems equally absorbed. It is a rare experience that feels genuinely shared across generations.
The interactive exhibits envelop, embrace, and evolve with guest movements.
One of the most captivating moments unfolds in Bubble Universe. A mirrored room filled with shimmering spheres, it shifts and evolves with light, colour, and reflection. Time feels suspended here. I found myself wanting to stay far longer than the allotted viewing window, simply watching how light refracts and multiplies. There is no narrative to follow, no instruction beyond standing still and allowing wonder to take over.
Bubble Universe is an awe-inspiring room of shiny, glittering orbs.
Equally memorable is Sketch Factory, where participation becomes creation. Sitting down to draw a piece of ocean life, I watched as my sketch was scanned and released into the vast projected seascape, joining countless others drifting across the walls. Seeing something so personal transformed into part of a collective canvas was quietly delightful. I chose to turn my drawing into a pin, a small, tactile keepsake that made the experience feel lasting rather than fleeting. You can submit your order while you’re in the exhibition, but the item pickup retail shop is outside and down a hallway.
Elsewhere, rooms shift tone and tempo. In some spaces, movement is encouraged as visitors follow projections as they migrate. In others, stillness takes over. I joined several others lying on the floor, gazing upward as imagery washed over every surface. It was calming in a way that feels increasingly rare, immersive without being overstimulating.
Guests huddle on the floor and bask in the illumination of the calming projections.
What makes teamLab Borderless particularly compelling is its refusal to dictate how the experience should unfold. There is no fixed route, no single moment you must see to feel satisfied. Instead, discovery happens organically. You may encounter the same artwork multiple times, each appearance subtly altered by light, colour, or the presence of others.
Fantastical creatures appear form various entrances and disappear into neighbouring rooms, such as this parade of whimsical illustrations and towering florals.
For families, it is playful and engaging. For adults, it offers a rare chance to slow down and reconnect with curiosity. For groups of friends, it becomes a shared memory built not around spectacle, but around exploration.
In a city that excels at precision and efficiency, teamLab Borderless offers something softer. It reminds us that art does not need to be explained to be felt, and that sometimes the most meaningful experiences are the ones that allow us to simply exist inside them.
Guests engage with the projection elements and become a part of the borderless world.
Photography by Florence Leung
