Japan 2013: Traditional Meets Modern Art

Nee-chan took care of almost everything for our trip but I contributed a few must-see places myself and Tokyo Trick Art Museum (TTAM) was one of them. I've been to Trick Eye Museum in Hongdae (South Korea) last year and had so much fun. I wanted my family to experience it as well so I made sure to include TTAM in our itinerary.

We've been to Odaiba once for Miraikan, Gundam and Toyota MegaWeb. But you see, one day is simply not enough to see all the sights and attractions Odaiba has to offer.

Odaiba day 2!

TTAM is located at Decks Tokyo Beach, a mall divided into two areas: Sea Side Mall and Island Mall. If it isn't obvious enough, it's a beach-themed mall - two of my favorite places in one! So if you're a beach lover like me, you'll fall in love with it's calming interiors too.

Before going into the museum, Daddy went for a quick bathroom break while the rest of us shopped for Japanese sweets and treats at the nearby Okashi store which we realized a little too late was a bad move. Now we have to lug around grocery bags in the museum if not for the thoughtful museum staff who volunteered to look after our stuff while we explore the place. TMI tip for boys: the men's room has a little video game to keep you entertained while you do your business. I won't go into the details on how you control it but you get the idea. Haha

Tokyo Trick Art Museum

One of the things I love about Japan is their appreciation for both traditional and modern culture. In the same way, TTAM combines traditional and modern art in one. The first half of the museum has a Japanese Edo period feel so it was like traveling back in time while literally having fun with art. Perfect combination of history and art if I may say.

Ninja shots: FAIL! HAHAHAHA

The first few art exhibits were easy enough to get creative with. But this one was really tough! You sure need ninja skills in order to take the perfect shot. We were all laughing trying to figure out how to make the photo convincing! I especially love Karly's weird daydreaming in mid-air pose. Haha

Almost successful ninja shots.

After a few attempts, we kinda got the hang of it (or should I say, we just gave up? Haha) and then moved on to the next ones. After all, there's more to the museum than the ninja installations.

Running from/playing with ghosts.

I love how they incorporated ghosts and other supernatural beings into the exhibit as these are part of Japanese culture as well. As we all know, Asians are really good in making scary movies. Who could ever forget Sadako, right?

Trying not to fall into the nato mixture!

Even Daddy was game in doing silly poses all for the sake of photography. At first, we directed his poses but he caught on soon enough and even initiated most of his shots saying, "Picture-an mo ko dito." Haha

Ah~ immersing ourselves in Japanese culture.

Thanks to the museum, we were able to experience some of their cultural arts like tea ceremony, traditional Japanese paintings, and even sumo! Look how different our sumo pictures look because Karly didn't get how the trick worked. Err... =.=

Don't let the kappas get us!

We even encountered a couple of kappa - not the fraternity/sorority kind, but the Japanese folklore kind. I think they're similar to our local siokoy? That's basically everything I know about kappas which I picked up from watching an episode of Mojacko. Talk about reliable source. Haha

Yikes!

There were also different kinds of demons and monsters which were pretty scary had they not been in 2D. I love how daddy's all laughing while the evil spirit tries to take Nee-chan away. Troll daddy!

Running from demons.

I'm not sure what this is but walking the plank is scary enough for me even without a huge head chasing me.

With the skeleton warrior.

This skeleton warrior was game enough for wacky poses though.

Oh no!

I didn't get what this was either but it was fun trying to figure out what our poses should be. Haha Ariel definitely takes the crown for the weirdest pose here! Niluwa? :))

Look, a secret passage!

Funny how we got confused when we reached a dead end a little too soon. If not for the clues, we might've gone back. But after discovering the secret passage, we were transported back into the present world.

Hello present world!

The second half of the exhibit showcases modern art similar to that of Hongdae's where you can be part of the art itself.

Are we in Jurassic Park?

During our visit, this T-rex reminded me of nothing but Jurassic Park. But now that I look at it, I can't help but be reminded of the viral dinosaur-themed wedding photos as they seem to be all the rage these days.

Or Jaws?

We had fun posing for this one as we had to completely lie down on the floor to make the photo work. Good thing, we were practically the only people there during that time.

Fun with mirrors.

This art installation is obviously a crowd favorite. I've had a chance to try a similar one in Hongdae so I let my travel buddies have fun with it while I took pictures. Hence, the poor quality of the photos. Haha

Feeling trapped?

One of the last exhibits was this mean Dracula who enjoys trapping tourists in a wine glass. How cruel! Although I wouldn't mind if Adam (Only Lovers Left Alive) traps me in a wine glass. Harhar #ANNEBISYOSA

Now, TTAM is not solely for eye candy. There were also some puzzles to give your mind a little exercise before exiting the place. And the fun doesn't even stop there. If you walk around the mall, you'll find several interesting pieces like this shinkansen (bullet train) that came out of nowhere!

Bye Tokyo Trick Art Museum!

I love how even the museum's souvenirs played tricks on you. I was this close to buying 3D greeting cards and some other cool stuff. Good thing Nee-chan stopped me as they were a bit pricey.

A visit to a trick art museum is a great way to pass time while having fun. I'd love to visit more trick art museums around the globe if given the chance. I'm pretty sure it'll be a staple on my future itineraries as long as there's one nearby. Which reminds me, I think I saw one near The Block. The loud music always ticks me off but I'll try to visit it one of these days. Maybe during the upcoming holidays even. :)


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Traveling party: Daddy, Karly, Nee-chan (organizer), Sera, and Ariel
Travel date: April 17, 2013 [Day 8]
Photo credits: Karl