On Tuesday, October 7, 2025, teamLab's new permanent museum, teamLab Biovortex Kyoto, launched in Kyoto, an ancient city where tradition and innovation seamlessly intertwine. With a total area of about 10,000 square meters, this museum is teamLab's largest in Japan, and is sure to become a major cultural hub in the southeast area of Kyoto Station!
In this article, we share the excitement and awe we felt during the recent preview event—captured through photos and firsthand impressions.
Travel
Dec 26. 2025
First Look: teamLab Biovortex Kyoto Opens October 2025--Featuring Never-Before-Seen Works Debuting in Japan
What is teamLab?
teamLab, Traces of Life © teamLab
teamLab is an international art collective that engages in experimental creative activities at the intersection of art, science, technology, and the natural world. Guided by the philosophy of "exploring new perceptions of ourselves and the world through art", they have crafted many magnificent and immersive works that harness the full potential of digital technology.
Their standout pieces are celebrated around the world and continue to captivate audiences with their immersive appeal. Known as “interactive art,” these works respond to touch and movement, making the viewer’s presence an essential part of the experience.
What is the Permanent Art Museum "teamLab Biovortex Kyoto"?
Opened as part of Kyoto City's urban development
teamLab Biovortex Kyoto opened as part of a community development initiative centered on culture and the arts in Kyoto City, with a particular focus on the southeastern area around Kyoto Station. The museum officially opened on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, marking the beginning of a broader plan to develop a cultural complex in the area.
What is the "Environmental Phenomena" pursued by teamLab?
teamLab pursues the concept of “Environmental Phenomena” rather than traditional material-based art. At the heart of this unique philosophy is the idea that the environment gives rise to phenomena, and those phenomena give rise to existence. By crafting special environments, they allow the natural phenomena that emerge within them to give rise to the artwork itself. Many of their installations bring this concept vividly to life, offering an immersive experience that blurs the line between art, space, and observer.
The museum showcases not only some of teamLab’s iconic works—such as Forest of Resonating Lamps, a visitor favorite from the former teamLab Borderless: MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM in Odaiba (closed in August 2022 and now relocated to Azabudai Hills)—but also never-before-seen pieces making their debut in Japan. Let’s take a closer look at some of the featured installations unveiled at the preview.
First release in Japan "Massless Amorphous Sculpture"
teamLab, Massless Amorphous Sculpture © teamLab
Massless Amorphous Sculpture is one of the works making its Japan debut. As its name suggests, it is an “amorphous sculpture without mass.” Unlike traditional sculptures made from materials like stone, wood, or metal, this piece is formed from everyday elements—soap, water, and air—and has no fixed shape. True to teamLab’s concept of “Environmental Phenomena,” the work embodies the idea that the environment gives rise to phenomena, and those phenomena give rise to existence.
Born from a sea of bubbles, this giant “sculpture” floats weightlessly through the air, never holding the same shape for more than a moment. Reach out to touch it, and the bubbles vanish instantly—like trying to grasp a cloud. The foam is surprisingly dry to the touch, unlike ordinary soap bubbles, creating a curious sensation that defies expectation.
This work completely redefines the idea of a “physical object” and captures the very essence of teamLab’s artistic philosophy.
《Morphing Continuum》
teamLab, Morphing Continuum © teamLab
Morphing Continuum, like Massless Amorphous Sculpture, is a work rooted in teamLab’s concept of “Environmental Phenomena.” Within the installation, countless spheres appear to float in space. When a particular order of energy arises—brought about by the specially created environment—that order gives rise to the existence of the work itself.
While this explanation may feel abstract, the meaning becomes clear when you experience it firsthand—engaging all five senses.
This is exactly what unfolds before your eyes—a sensation of becoming one with the swirling energy around you.
Before you know it, a powerful presence—a sculpture—has formed as part of the space itself.
Inside this installation, the floating spheres gently bump against your body with soft pops, but no matter how hard you try to grasp them, they slip away. They spin vertically and horizontally throughout the space—and before you realize it, a massive form has taken shape right before your eyes.
《Silent Radiance Within》
teamLab, Silent Radiance Within © teamLab
Displayed in one of the museum’s most expansive spaces, Silent Radiance Within features large flowers that bloom and wither in an instant. When touched, each flower bursts into full, vibrant bloom—only to fade away moments later.
The floral designs are inspired by traditional Japanese paintings, immersing visitors in the feeling of stepping into a living Nihonga artwork.
《The Way of Birds》
teamLab, The Way of Birds © teamLab
The Way of Birds is a large-scale, awe-inspiring work in which hundreds of thousands of birds flock together, moving as if they were a single, living organism. Each individual bird contributes to a collective motion, creating a new form of beauty on a grand scale.
With a mirrored floor beneath, sitting at the center of the space offers a surreal sense of immersion.
《Forest of Resonating Lamps: One Stroke - a Year in the Mountains》
teamLab, Forest of Resonating Lamps: One Stroke - a Year in the Mountains © teamLab
This popular work was previously exhibited at teamLab Borderless: MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM, which ran in Odaiba until August 2022 (now relocated to Azabudai Hills). Countless lamps appear to float within a mirrored space that seems to stretch on forever. As a person approaches one of the lamps, its light responds and spreads to the next closest lamp, then the next—rippling through the space like a single, continuous brushstroke.
The light of the lamp changes one after another.
teamLab's "Environmental Phenomena" and the New Face of Kyoto
The concept of “Environmental Phenomena” developed by teamLab is something that words and still images alone cannot fully convey. To truly understand it, you need to experience it for yourself—through all five senses.
The museum is located in the southeastern area of Kyoto Station, a district currently undergoing revitalization focused on culture, the arts, and youth-led urban development. Unlike Kyoto’s more well-known—and often overcrowded—tourist spots, this area offers a more relaxed and spacious environment.
In a city rooted in centuries of tradition, what kind of chemical reaction will occur when cutting-edge technology meets cultural heritage? The future of this evolving neighborhood—and the art it inspires—is something to look forward to.
Facility Overview: teamLab Biovortex Kyoto
- Address: 21-5 Higashikujo Higashi-Iwamotocho, Minami-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
- Access: 7 minutes walk from Kyoto Station by train, 1 minute walk from Kawaramachi Hachijo by bus.
- Business hours: 9:00 a.m. ~ 9:00 p.m. (last admission 7:30 p.m.) *Subject to change
- Admission: Adults (18 years old and over): 3,4 00 yen and up (dynamic pricing system), junior high and high school students (13~17 years old): 2,800 yen, children (4~12 years old): 1,800 yen, 3 years old and younger: free
*Reservations required; same-day tickets incur an additional fee.
teamLab Biovortex: Place you might want to visit while in Kyoto, Vegan Ramen UZU
Did you know there’s another teamLab work to discover in Kyoto? Just 30 minutes by foot or bus from teamLab Biovortex Kyoto, you’ll find Vegan Ramen UZU—the world’s first ramen restaurant to receive a Michelin Green Star, and a Bib Gourmand recipient for four consecutive years as of 2025.
Inside, teamLab’s mesmerizing artwork Reversible Rotation – Black in White adorns the walls, creating an immersive atmosphere where art and cuisine blend seamlessly. Guests can indulge in the UZU Signature Course, a full tasting menu that includes a welcome drink, appetizers, a rich and flavorful vegan ramen as the main dish, and a beautifully presented dessert.
We had the chance to try the course on preview day—and were blown away by the artistic presentation and the incredible depth of flavor. It was hard to believe the entire menu was plant-based!
If you’re planning a visit to teamLab Biovortex Kyoto, make sure to pair it with a stop at Vegan Ramen UZU for a truly unforgettable sensory experience.
Vegan Ramen UZU
- Address: 146 Umenokicho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
- Access: [Bus] In front of Kyoto City Hall, or 5 minutes walk from Kawaramachi Marutamachi
- Business hours: 12:00-15:00 (LO 13:30), 17:30-21:30 (LO 20:30)
- Closed: Irregular holidays
- Official website: https://vegan-uzu.com/pages/uzu-kyoto-en
👉Book Vegan Ramen UZU from the official website
As for teamLab Biovortex Kyoto, more facilities—including a café—are expected to open in the near future. It’s exciting to see this area evolve into one of Kyoto’s newest cultural hotspots!
Contents Source
This information is sourced by Fun Japan Communications Co., Ltd.
There may be business closures, changes to hours of operation,
or temporary suspension of the service of alcoholic beverages, etc.,
implemented without prior notice.
For details, please check the official websites or inquire with the
establishments directly.
