Page 21 - DreamScapes Magazine | Fall/Winter 2025

PHOTOS: DENKEI / PIXTA | TOKYO CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
Finding Tokyo’s
HIDDEN SOUL
BEYOND THE NEON
BY JODY ROBBINS
ool water swirls around my bare ankles
C
as digital koi fish dart between my
legs—my first clue that this will be no
ordinary museum visit. Unlike traditional gal-
leries where touching is forbidden, teamLab
Planets demands full sensory immersion. I dry
my feet and step into the next chamber, where
shimmering projections of glitter rain down like
a techno fever dream, responding to my every
gesture. In another room, I sprawl across a field
of virtual flowers, watching petals spiral over-
head in an ever-changing kaleidoscope that
pulses with the collective energy of everyone in
this digital garden.
Welcome to Tokyo, where neon dreams collide
with ancient traditions and memories crystallize
in pixels and light. Twenty-five years ago, I
explored this metropolis as a wide-eyed English
teacher living in rural Japan. Now, I’ve returned
with my university-aged daughter, but instead of
racing through tourist bucket lists, I plan to leave
space for serendipity to work its magic.
Morning Rituals at the Fish Market
Certain Tokyo experiences remain unavoidable
crowd-magnets. TeamLab Planets tops that list,
though timed entry tickets keep things manage-
able. The daily fish auction at Toyosu Market
ranks as another packed-to-the-gills bucket list
experience (snag tickets early). I’ve discovered it’s
an efficient way to leverage jet lag.
Even if you miss the frenzied auctioneers barking over glistening
tuna, there’s plenty to devour. The market’s upper-level sushi restau-
rants transform the morning’s bounty from ocean to plate within
hours. You’ll need cash at most spots, but it’s worth every yen to rub
shoulders with wholesalers and porters while feasting on sushi so
impossibly fresh and sweet it tastes like ocean candy.
Wandering through maze-like hallways, searching for our exit, my
daughter spots a sign for a rooftop garden. Could it be private? Turns
out it’s public, but we have the entire space to ourselves, soaking up
early morning port views while walking off our sushi feast barefoot
TOWER TRIBUTE
Rising 333 metres above the bustling
metropolis, Tokyo Tower isn’t the city’s
tallest (that title goes to Tokyo Skytree),
but this crimson structure has watched
over the city since 1958. Climb to its
observation decks for sweeping views
that stretch from the Imperial Palace to
Mount Fuji on clear days.
FALL/WINTER 2025 DREAMSCAPES 21