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Located in the middle of Tokyo Bay on reclaimed land, Ariake is a vast open area dotted with monolithic, futuristic buildings. The scale of the buildings and landscaping is mind-boggling. Whole forests have been transplanted, and the project is still under construction. In the center picture, you can see what a difference a couple years can make. You can get to Ariake using the Yurikamome line from Shimbashi. It's a fully automated shuttle train which runs on rubber tires. If you intend to get on and off more than once, the 800 yen day pass is a good deal. In 2003, a new train line, the Rinkai-sen, began service to O-Daiba/Ariake from Osaki. Although much faster than the Yurikamome, the 10 minute train ride still costs 320 yen!
Also in this area is the Fuji Television Building. It's actually located in
an area called O-Daiba, along with a large shopping/restaurant complex called
Decks. Plenty of construction is going on so this is an area to keep an eye
on. There's even a small replica of the Statue of Liberty here.
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In 1999, another shopping center called Pallete Town opened up in O-Daiba. Along with an amusement park and Toyota exhibition hall, there is a shopping center catering to women called "Venus Fort". I've been told that it resembles the Forum in Las Vegas. In 2000, the Aqua City Mall opened up next to Decks.