Visiting Teamlab in April 2023

We (husband and I) are travelling to Tokyo in mid-April with our daughter and 14 year old grand-daughter.

Teamlab Planets and Teamlab Borderless look fabulous and just the kind of thing we all love!
I'm finding it difficult to work out what will be available around 20th April.

Does anyone know whether both galleries will be open, which would be better to visit and how it is best to book?

Should we be booking well ahead for this experience?

Any advice at all would be very welcome - as well as ideas of other wonderful places for our family to visit in Tokyo.

thanks in advance

Kathy

Dear yeshekathy,

Team lab borderless are unfortunately closed at the moment now.
Since the Location in Odaiba has closed last Year in August, the new relocated Place at the Mori Building Digital Art Museum will be opened sometime in 2023 as part of the new "Toranomon-Azabudai Project" Building complex.

At the Moment only for sure, you can book tickets for Team lab Planets. I recommended that you book your tickets in advance. (The timeslot for tickets for February to April are open):
https://planets.teamlab.art/tokyo/

I hope this would be helpful for you. :-)

Greetings from Germany,
Vio

While TeamLab Borderless will be open this year, they have not released the exact date yet. You can check their website from time to time, but don't assume it will be open by the time of your trip.

TeamLab Planets though is still running and will close at the end of 2023, so now is your chance. It would be far better to go there on a weekday if possible, and at a less peak time, such as when they first open in the morning.
https://youtu.be/Ah91JvPZ8fg

Planets does not take as long as Borderless. You'll likely be done with it in about 90 minutes. Also some areas have mirrored floors, so better not to wear any short skirts.

There is loads else to see in Tokyo as well. Two main sights are the Sensoji Temple, as well as Meiji Shrine. If you are going in April, then you should be able to see the wonderful Denboin Garden next to Sensoji there also. It is only open a couple months a year, and most don't even know about it, so unlike the temple it is not that crowded. The Nakamise St there is also wildly popular for souvenir shopping.
https://goo.gl/q5nDom

Meiji Shrine also has its own shrine garden in the middle which is worth seeing - most just blow past it. Nearby is Harajuku, which is popular for teens, plus Takeshita St for shopping and crepe shops.

If going in mid-April, then your timing is likely good to see the tulips at the Showa Kinen Park. They are some of the most beautiful you will see outside of Holland.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3034_showa.html
There's also the Sakura Furusato Hiroba in Chiba for tulips, but it is a lot more trouble to get to.

I went to Teamlab Planets in October and we just got tickets an hour or two before online but people were just turning up and buying at the entrance.

It's excellent though, enjoyable for any age.

I went to Planets on 12/30/22. We got our tickets on 11/27/22 for the 10:00 slot because I didn't want to rush in the morning and the Yurikamome line can take a bit. 12/30 is considered a holiday period and lots of Japanese office workers have off (like my friend who went with us.)

You can rent shorts to wear under skirts or dresses, though we just brought our own. It is recommended to wear white because the projected colors show up better on a white background, so any pictures you take with you in them look cooler. There is a water component so wear pants you can roll up or a skirt/dress that is not too long. There are free lockers for your outer wear/shoes/socks/bags.

They do change up the exhibits, my friend who lives in Tokyo and joined us, said she had previously seen other exhibits. My tween was only so fond of it, I think I enjoyed it more. When Borderless re-opens I will probably take her.

We all loved Uzu ramen, the little truck selling food outside the exhibition hall.

Teamlab Planets looks amazing - but I have a concern... I (grandma as I am) would not be able to walk barefoot and in water for up to 90 minutes because of my arthritis. I would be almost crippled afterwards. Is there anything I could do? Could I wear beach shoes for instance?

The water section is only a short part but you can't wear shoes I'm afraid.

No shoes, but you could try to skip some parts? It's not like a set pathway through the exhibits.
The water depth also varied while we were there within the exhibits with a water aspect. We walked uphill through a "stream" which was not even to my ankles, but later on we were in some water that was mid-shin? I am short (5' 2") The water is very warm, like bathtub warm, but not onsen warm.

For me, the hardest exhibit was this room with floors you sink into. It was very hard for me and my overweight, older, klutzy self to clamber through. My tween daughter liked that room a lot. My favorite room was a chandelier room with mirrored floor and walls. It reminded me of some of Kusama Yayoi's artworks.

Teamlab Planets looks amazing - but I have a concern... I (grandma as I am) would not be able to walk barefoot and in water for up to 90 minutes because of my arthritis. I would be almost crippled afterwards. Is there anything I could do? Could I wear beach shoes for instance?

sounds like it would be worth it to make myself manage and take extra painkillers afterwards - just not plan to do it the day before Disneysea when I'll need to be walking well.
Thank you all for your encouragement and assistance.