A Lovely Day at Odaiba Bay

We’ve been wanting to see the sea since we got to Tokyo, and so what better place than to go to the famous Odaiba Bay area. (Famous because many friend’s recommended it). And it blew my expectations!

When we started the day, it was slightly overcast, and yet you could see light pouring in through the clouds in the distance at all times, which made for a very atmospheric walk through the beach. The waters were completely calm, and with the cityscape in the background it felt so serene.  

As we reached the far end of the Odaiba beach, we found that the similarly named Daiba Park was actually an old artillery battery from the Edo Period!  It was originally a huge, square structure, with tall, textured walls rising out of the sea, it wasn’t hard to imagine it as a formidable military base in the past.  However, in the present day it is a simple park, with long grass covering the entire top surface.  It also has a very neatly arranged row of pine trees lining the outer edge, and Jack found out how prickly they were after accidentally walking into a branch!

The juxtaposition between what the park currently looks like, and the clear reminders of the its previous purpose, gives the park an almost surreal atmosphere, as if you’re walking through a history documentary. 

But my favourite moment was much simpler.  Sitting on a bench, looking out to the sea and watching the boats go by.  It was so lovely and calm, it felt like we had that whole park just for us; a brief moment in time where the intensity of the city just melted away, leaving only a peaceful vista, and a gentle breeze.

After a trip into DiverCity, the mall with a huge ‘Gundam’ statue at the front, we found that we were walking on the ‘Sky Walk’.  With the city in the background, we watched a small water spray display with lots of lights and colours called “Tokyo Sparkle”.  However, the real spectacle was the stunning views of Tokyo metropolis at night time, including the rainbow bridge and Tokyo tower, both glowing a beautiful red against the backdrop of the starlit sky. 🗼