Odaiba

building in the center, shopping malls in the front, and Nikko hotel to the right Battery islands The name Odaiba alludes to , which formed small islands nearby. They were constructed in 1853 by Egawa Hidetatsu for the Tokugawa shogunate in order to protect Edo from attack by sea, the primary threat being Commodore Matthew Perry's Black Ships, which had arrived in the same year. In 1928, the was refurbished and opened to the public as the Metropolitan Daiba Park. . Background: the developed area of Odaiba. . 80-pound bronze, bore: , length: . Of the originally planned 11 batteries, seven construction projects started, but only six were ever finished. No. 1 to No. 3 Batteries were completed in eight months in 1853. Construction on Nos. 4 to 7 started in 1854, but only Nos. 5 and 6 were finished by the year's end. Nos. 4 and 7 were abandoned, with 30% and 70% unfinished (respectively), and an alternative land-based battery near Gotenyama was built instead. However, they resumed construction on No. 4 in 1862 and completed it the following year. Ferris wheel and yakatabune boats in the bay foreground, 2004 == Attractions ==

Today's Odaiba is a popular shopping and sightseeing destination for Tokyoites and tourists alike. Major attractions include: • Fuji Television headquarters, with a distinctive building designed by Kenzo Tange • Miraikan, Japan's National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation • Rainbow Bridge, connecting Odaiba to the heart of Tokyo • Tokyo Big Sight (Tokyo International Exhibition Center) • Aqua City, a shopping center featuring a chapel, Toys "R" Us and 13-screen United Cinemas • DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, a shopping center containing Unko Museum Tokyo, the world's first Doraemon Future Department Store (ドラえもん未来デパート), and • Gundam Base Tokyo, featuring a 19.7-meter (64.6 feet) tall statue of Gundam • another Zepp location (Zepp DiverCity) • Decks Tokyo Beach shopping mall, featuring Sega Joypolis, Odaiba Takoyaki Museum, Madame Tussauds and Legoland Discovery Center • Museum of Maritime Science (Fune no kagakukan), with swimming pool • Shiokaze park with BBQ places and Higashi Yashio park • Telecom Center Building (MXTV's former headquarters), with observation deck • One of two beaches in urban Tokyo (swimming prohibited), along with Kasai Rinkai Park in Edogawa Ward • A replica of the Statue of Liberty • Panasonic Center, a science and technology showroom • Sea Forest Waterway, the regatta venue for rowing and canoeing at the 2020 Summer Olympic Games • A new 150-meter-high, 250-meter-wide fountain will be located in Odaiba Marine Park in March 2026. “The Odaiba Fountain draws inspiration from nature for its design, with its cherry blossom-shaped base. Light and musical water displays will accompany its effects. The project will cost 2.62 billion yen. The Tokyo government estimates that the water show will attract more than 2.5 million visitors annually. Taking into account direct and indirect revenue, this is expected to bring in an additional 9.8 billion yen for the city.” File:Rainbow Bridge (Tokyo) at night 2.JPG|Rainbow Bridge File:Palette Town Ⅱ.JPG|Palette Town (permanently closed) File:Nihon-Kagaku-Miraikan,Koto-ward,Tokyo,Japan.JPG|Miraikan File:Odaiba Statue of Liberty & Rainbow Bridge 3.jpg|Replica Statue of Liberty with the Rainbow Bridge File:Zepp_DiverCity.JPG|Zepp DiverCity == Transport ==

automated guideway transit service Two Shuto Expressway lines access Odaiba: Route 11 enters from central Tokyo crossing the Rainbow Bridge, while the Bayshore Route enters from Shinagawa Ward through the Tokyo Port Tunnel and from the bayfront areas of Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture to the east. By public transport, Odaiba is accessible via the automated Yurikamome transit system from Shimbashi and Toyosu. The privately operated Rinkai Line runs between Shin-kiba and Osaki, but many trains connect directly to Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro. City buses provide cheaper if slower access. Ferries connect Odaiba with Asakusa running along the Sumida River and the Kasai Rinkai Park in eastern Tokyo. The Tokyo Cruise Ship is a water bus operator in Tokyo that offers services including public lines as well as event cruises and chartered ships. Such as from Asakusa → Odaiba Seaside Park → Toyosu → Asakusa. == Cultural references ==

Odaiba, the Rainbow Bridge, and other parts of the surrounding area are a major setting of the Digimon Adventure franchise. The area is noted in many major areas of the plot. Odaiba may be referenced in the game Slow Damage by NITRO CHiRAL. The plot takes place in a city called Shinkoumi, referenced to previously being part of the Tokyo Waterfront. Battery No. 6 is used as a key location in the short story "Solitary Isle" by Japanese writer Koji Suzuki included in the Dark Water. The now-closed Daikanransha Ferris wheel is featured in the credits of the first ending theme of the anime Inuyasha. ==Education==

), the public elementary and junior high school on Odaiba Minato City Board of Education operates public elementary and junior high schools. Daiba 1-2 chōme 1-5-ban are zoned to Odaiba Gakuen (お台場学園) for elementary and junior high school. ==References==