TOKYO, September 12, 2013 – Tokyo is a very popular tourist destination in Japan, attracting many tourists. Only about 15 minutes away from Haneda Airport by car, “Odaiba” in Tokyo is an area popular among foreign visitors. In addition to a large number of commercial establishments, visitors can enjoy being at a prime location commanding a fine view of such attractions as the Rainbow Bridge, Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree and Bay of Tokyo, all at the same time.
“DECKS Tokyo Beach,” a commercial complex (Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo; General Manager: Taro Saito), boasts of being at the best location. The view from its observation deck fascinates many visitors. It is also one of a very few commercial complexes comprising “amusement facilities,” “theme-based restaurants” and “fashion outlets.” The building houses many amusement facilities, including “Daiba Icchome Shopping Street,” “Odaiba Takoyaki (octopus dumpling) Museum,” “Tokyo JOYPOLIS,” “Madame Tussauds Tokyo,” “Legoland Discovery Center, Tokyo” and “Tokyo Trick Art Museum.” Both young and old people can enjoy themselves according to their purposes and applications.
Must-see spots at DECKS Tokyo Beach:
***Daiba Icchome Shopping Street***
A reproduction of old “shitamachi” (traditional working-class neighborhoods), this attraction opened for business on October 26, 2002. It has since evolved into a spot reminiscent of the Showa era (1926-1989) where people of wide generations can fill themselves with nostalgia. After a renovation, it reopened on November 25, 2006.
It features “Daiba Tower,” modeled on Tokyo Tower; “Showa Station,” patterned after the Shinkansen bullet train, the symbol of Japan’s high economic growth in the middle of the Showa era; “dagashi-ya” (mom-and-pop candy shops); and game arcades of old days. It is a zone very popular among young and old alike as well as among foreign visitors.
Daiba Icchome Shopping Street: Other attractions
– A variety of events with nostalgia-inducing Showa-era atmosphere –
The Daiba Icchome Shopping Street regularly holds events in which visitors can feel the culture and atmosphere of the Showa era. You are taken back to the good old days of the Showa era.
***Odaiba Takoyaki Museum***
The museum opened for business on November 6, 2010, the 75th year after the birth of takoyaki. It is a food theme park specializing in takoyaki, one of the most popular cheap but tasty delicacies Japan takes pride in. It features five popular takoyaki shops from Osaka, where takoyaki is a local specialty. Visitors can enjoy 30 varieties of characteristic takoyaki, ranging from traditional to innovative takoyaki, as well as takoyaki-related goods.
At the center of a zone covering 831.92 square meters, there is a common eating area with 128 seats, where visitors can savor piping-hot takoyaki in an atmosphere like that at a temple festival.
– Exhibits of takoyaki history and a branch shrine from Osaka –
In addition to these shops, there are a chronological table showing anecdotes about the birth of takoyaki, a display of cast-iron takoyaki griddles with half-spherical molds, and “Takoyaki Ebisu Shrine,” a branch of “Imamiya Ebisu Shrine” in Osaka, which is famous for bringing good luck to business. It is a food theme park featuring takoyaki from end to end.
***TOKYO JOYPOLIS***
TOKYO JOYPOLIS opened in July 1996 as one of the largest indoor amusement parks in Japan. It reopened in July 2012 as a new facility built under the concept of “DigitaReal” (the fusion of digital and real).
It features more than 20 attractions of a wide variety, including scream-inducing facilities such as a roller coaster and a horror house, and a fortune-telling event. There are also live performances on “DigitaReal Live Stage.” Visitors can enjoy novel, state-of-the-art, out-of-the-ordinary experiences.
***Madame Tussauds Tokyo***
“Madame Tussauds Tokyo,” which opened on March 15, 2013, features life-size figures of Lady Gaga, Madonna, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Angelina Jolie and other big-name artists and Hollywood celebrities, and world-famous athletes like David Beckham and Lionel Messi as well as popular Japanese stars. Visitors can enjoy celebrity experiences with these life-size wax figures authorized by the big shots they represent.
The hall comprises areas, such as “Red Carpet,” “World leaders,” “Sports,” “Music,” “History of Madame Tussauds,” “History and Culture,” “Movies,” and “A-List Party.”
***Legoland Discovery Center, Tokyo***
“Legoland Discovery Center, Tokyo” is a colorful indoor attraction, filled with Lego (R) blocks. There are many attractions which families can enjoy together, such as laser-beam shooting games and other rides, Lego classes in which visitors can work with Lego (R) blocks, and the “Lego Racer” to build cars with Lego (R) blocks. Next to the center is a shop selling more than 400 varieties of Lego (R) merchandise.
***Tokyo Trick Art Museum***
The “Tokyo Trick Art Museum” opened in July 2011 as the world’s first museum of the sort built on the theme of “Edo” (an old name for Tokyo). It exhibits the latest 45 works, primarily those in Japanese style, and is very popular among visitors because it allows them to “experience” them by touching or taking photographs of them. It has attracted a large number of visitors since its opening about two years ago.
If a visitor stands in front of “Three koalas” depicting three-dimensional koala bears and has his or her picture taken, it produces a three-dimensional composition which gives him or her an illusion that the bears are on his or her head. It is popular among visitors because they can feel the cute animals close to them in the wood and have a picture taken with them. With rich imagination, visitors can have many mysterious pictures taken by becoming a part of the art work.
For more information, please visit http://www.odaiba-decks.com/index.php?mode=information-en
Original Source: …ECKS Tokyo Beach” — Commercial Complex Most Popular in Tokyo’s Odaiba
