TeamLab Biovortex Kyoto Experience

My family and I were chatting about the highlight of our trip to Japan, and even though we visited so many amazing places, the overall consensus was that teamLab Biovortex Kyoto came out on top.

Which says a lot, because we are a die-hard Disney family. Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea are hard to beat in our world, so I never expected anything else to even be mentioned in the same breath.

But teamLab Biovortex Kyoto is right up there for us, because yes, it was that good!

What is teamLab?

TeamLab is a Japanese art collective that creates immersive digital art experiences. Think giant interactive rooms full of light, colour, movement and sound. You step in and, bam, you become part of the artwork. It’s nothing like a traditional art gallery where you admire artworks from afar.

Now, don’t let the word art put you off if art isn’t really your thing. That was the case for our youngest cousin in our travelling group. She wasn’t 100 per cent convinced she’d enjoy the visit when she heard it was an art experience. But two minutes in, she was completely won over. Just like the rest of us, she absolutely loved it.

TeamLab experiences can be found in a few cities across Japan, including Tokyo and Osaka. Each location is different, with its own installations and themes, so it is never the same experience twice. I had such an incredible time at teamLab Biovortex Kyoto that I would genuinely love to experience the others as well. Maybe one day.

What to expect at teamLab Biovortex Kyoto

Once you walk in, you’re not really looking at separate “exhibits” in the usual sense.

You move through a series of large immersive rooms where the whole space is part of the artwork.

The floors and walls are covered in digital light and projections that shift and react as you move through them, so nothing seems to stay still. The room changes depending on where you are and what you’re doing.

Some spaces feel really calm, with flowing light, colour and peaceful music.

Others are more full-on, with layered visuals and interactive elements:

You can play with foam…

spin giant colour-changing blobs

walk through metallic paint wearing gumboots

jump on giant bouncy cushions while following a projected star (I couldn’t keep up with the star, but it was still so much fun!)

play with giant inflatable balls, and we may have gotten carried away bouncing them off each other’s heads–lucky we’re a close family

and walk through shallow water that changes colour and reacts to your steps

I felt like a kid in a futuristic jungle gym and had a go at everything. Holiday Ruth came out to play!

Is teamLab Biovortex Kyoto worth it?

1,500 per cent yes!

TeamLab Biovortex Kyoto is an immersive, interactive feast for the senses, and unlike anything I have ever experienced before. We all absolutely loved it and would go again in a heartbeat.

If you’re planning a visit, you can find more information on the official teamLab Biovortex Kyoto website.