teamLab: Resonating Life in the Acorn Forest

With 2020 being the crazy year it has been so far, and the contradictory “Stay Home but Go-To Travel” advice being given, mental confusion and feelings of cabin fever are at an all-time high for this trepid adventurer. I needed to get out of my tiny Japanese apartment, but to do it in a way that was safe for myself and the people around me. Luckily teamLab’s latest exhibition ticked all my rainbow COVID sticker concerns.

What is teamLab?

For those unfamiliar with teamLab, it is a synergetic group of creative professionals in the fields of engineering, designing, programming, and mathematics who create digital art installations. As someone with little education in art, teamLab has opened up a whole new version of what art can be and has made it an accessible and unique experience.

Pre-corona (those were the days), I was gifted a ticket for my birthday to experience my first teamLab exhibition called Planets. Entering the space and being told to change into shorts so as to not get my jeans wet, I knew this was going to be no ordinary art museum. It was a truly immersive experience of light, colour, smell and sound. It’s an experience that I highly recommend putting on your “future places to visit” bucket list.

teamLab: Resonating Life in the Acorn Forest is what you might call teamLab lite. While it doesn’t have the same expanse or variation as its other exhibits, it does offer a taste of teamLab’s unique look at art and how it can affect space.

Installed amongst the oak trees of Musashino Forest Park in Saitama, ovoids represent acorns that were an abundant source of food for the Jomon people. These ovoids, clear and almost mercury-looking alien eggs during the day, become magical beams of colour at night. This is when you experience the transcending beauty of light reflecting in the tree canopy above, and this is why I recommend visiting teamLab: Resonating Life in the Acorn Forest at night.

COVID-19 Precaution

I can honestly say I was very apprehensive about leaving the safety of my apartment for a non-essential and non-work-related adventure. For their part, teamLab is taking this pandemic very seriously. They offer a slight discount if you purchase tickets online. While it is possible to buy tickets in person, teamLab has restricted the number of people able to enter the forest at one time. You may be unlucky enough to visit at a very popular time and be denied entry altogether. Purchasing tickets online can be done quite easily on your smartphone with google translate installed and can even be collected and paid for at your local convenience store.

Purchase online tickets here: https://kadcul.com/park

In the waiting area to the forest, markers have been placed on the ground signifying where you must stand to abide by social distancing recommendations. As previously stated, only a certain number of people are allowed to enter the forest at one time. Even if this wasn’t a COVID-19 precaution, this limit allows for a more enjoyable experience, enabling you to take your time to enjoy the changing scenery and get your Instagram-worthy shots without people accidentally photobombing in frame.

When you enter the forest, you show your ticket (on your phone if purchased online) to the cashier, all without contact. Your temperature is taken with an infrared thermometer and you are asked to sanitize your hands with the alcohol provided; this is also done in full view of the staff to socially pressure you to conform. You are also given a set of plastic gloves that must be placed on your hands before you enter the exhibition. Touching the ovoids is encouraged, so this extra precaution in safety means you aren’t touching potentially infected areas with your bare hands. Mask wearing is also enforced.

The Experience

It really feels like you are stepping into a magical forest full of alien eggs. Each egg constantly changes colour through the action of touching it or simply moving around its space. This creates a tree canopy of vivid blues, purples and pinks with all the variants between. This is a photographer’s dream—even for an amateur like myself. Depending on how relaxed you’d like your experience to be, the walk through the exhibition can take between 20 mins to an hour. I took my time to immerse myself in its colour therapy effects.

Extra Information

It is a very humid night at the time of writing this article. Heatstroke could pose as much of a danger as COVID-19. If you are planning to visit during the daytime, please bring water to keep yourself hydrated. In fact, I’d recommend the same for nighttime due to fluid loss from sweat, mask and glove wear. Also, this location is a mosquito paradise so don’t forget to wear insect repellent. 

Overall Experience

I enjoyed my experience at teamLab: Reasonating Life in the Acorn Forest. I felt more at ease knowing COVID-19 precautions had been put in place. If you are looking to escape cabin fever and want a unique and safe art experience, teamLab: Resonating Life in the Acorn Forest ticks all the right boxes.

Details

Venue

Musashino Forest Park in Higashi Tokorozawa Park 
3-9 Higashi Tokorozawa Wada, Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture

Access to teamLab Acorn Forest

9-minute walk from Higashi Tokorozawa Station on the JR Musashino Line

Time

*The last admission is 30 minutes before closing

Ticket Price

CLOSED TUESDAYS (Open on public holidays)

Discounts

WEB discount = 100 yen discount from regular price 
Citizen discount = 200 yen discount from regular price applicable to residents living in Tokorozawa city.

teamLab Acorn Forest Website

https://www.teamlab.art/e/acornforest/