Family time is precious these days. My son is going on 16 and my husband travels often, so I’m always on the lookout for something thrilling enough to grab and keep their attention when we are together. Other than trying not to bend the rule, "No iPhone’s during family time," I know what their needs are: feed them & make them laugh. Let’s go to Tokyo Trick Art Museum!
I first stumbled across the Tokyo Trick Art Museum in Odaiba after having breakfast at the famous Australian restaurant, bills, located at DECKS Tokyo Beach (check out my first article published on JapanTourist, “Breakfast at ‘bills’ Kamakura”). Coincidentally, we had talked about visiting the Takao Trick Art Museum weeks earlier, so I easily convinced the boys to stay at DECKS to check it out. This ultimately saved us from paying additional train fares and 100-minutes of travel time into Takao.
Tokyo Trick Art Museum is located on the 4th Floor of DECKS Tokyo Beach complex and requires you to not only have an imagination, but to have a camera of some sorts handy for pure amusement. An iPhone, Nintendo 3DS, or even a Canon EOS will do just fine. It’s best to plan ahead and charge batteries, as there are 45 x 2-dimensional exhibits along the passageways that create the illusion of true existence. One snapshot may not be enough to capture the perfect angle. Unlike typical art museums, at Tokyo Trick Art you’re encouraged to become your own director in each mural space, touch the painting as if you were the object, take lots of pictures, and laugh out loud with friends and family.
It was a Saturday morning when we arrived at the opening hour of 11a.m. Only two families were in front of us, so the wait was minimal. Bring enough Yen to cover the entry fee since payment must be made in cash through the automated ticket machine (it looks like an ATM). Adult ticket prices are ¥900. Junior High to 4 years cost ¥600. Soon after we paid, we were greeted at the entrance with cute souvenir tickets and an English-speaking host. She introduced us to the art of illusion and explained how important it was to refer to the sample photos at each station for ideas on how to take the best possible snapshot.
After posing for some of the most hilarious photos ever taken with the family, I’d say this trip was a success. We spent at least an hour in the Tokyo Trick Art Museum and were immediately looking forward to lounging on the nearest bench to browse through all of the photos. Laughing, smiling…repeat. Good times!
