Robot city ()
Just next to Haneda Airport’s Terminal 3 where international flights are jetting in and out daily, is a place to transport you into the world of tomorrow, complete with robots, cutting-edge technology and more.
Innovation City is a multifunctional complex that offers lodging and entertainment with an aim to bring people and businesses together.
The center opened in November and is easily accessible from the airport and Tenkubashi Station. Visitors will find restaurants, shops and seasonal activities to unwind after a long flight or for last-minute shopping or eating before heading to the airport.
The hub is owned by Ota Ward and features office space and a medical facility. According to Atsushi Kato, the site is also where firms can test new technology like food-delivery robots and self-driving buses ahead of launches in other parts of Tokyo and Japan. Kato is manager of Haneda Future Development Co., the firm overseeing the launch of Innovation City.
“We wanted to create a mysterious space,” Kato said. “You land [at Haneda] and then you board some autonomous vehicle, but you don’t know where you’ll be taken to. It’s a mysterious journey.”
I got to see some of that mystery during my visit, including robots and 3D food printers. During my many times transiting through Haneda Airport, I never knew there was a futuristic city with robots being created right next door. Now that I do, I will be going back to future next time I’m at the airport.
Address: 1 Chome Hanedakuko, Ota City, Tokyo 144-0041
Notes: ATMs and smoking rooms available. The facility also has a foot-soaking area. Currently the self-driving bus system Kato mentioned is still being piloted by a company called Boldy Update Mobility. The group said once testing is done and safety is confirmed, the autonomous buses will be operational by late 2024.
Website (Japanese only)
Get some stress-free shut eye with a view at Tokyo’s Innovation City hotel
With the rise of technology, so is the ease of completing tasks that can sometimes be intimidating or complicated. One such task is checking into a hotel overseas, but a hotel at Innovation City next to Haneda Airport aims to make that easier.
Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Haneda front desk is unmanned and allows guests to easily check in using their preferred language via handy kiosks at the entrance.
Guests can choose from 13 different types of rooms, ranging from standard rooms to suites starting around 16,150 to 55,250 yen ($180.30 – $370.51) . The hotel’s junior suite has a unique view of Haneda Airport’s airfield, allowing you to watch planes zip in and out from the comfort of your room. Don’t’ worry, soundproofing means you’ll still sleep soundly.
Inside the hotel, there are also smoking rooms available, a restaurant, a small gym and a rooftop observation lounge with a 360-degree panoramic view of the city. During my visit, the air was clear, so I could see Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Disneyland and Mount Fuji. There are chairs to relax on and enjoy the planes landing and taking off nearby.
Though a stay here might be a little pricey, its location to the airport makes it a great option if you have an early flight to catch or a late arrival and are ready to hit the hay. And, since it’s in Innovation City, you’ll also have access to some great food and shopping options, robots included.
Taste the future at Gurunavi Food Hall WYE in Haneda Innovation City
Innovation City’s Gurunavi Food Hall WYE next to Haneda Airport has appealing options for hungry travelers like me.
At first glance, the food hall’s décor made me feel like I was entering old Japan. The entrance had a small sori-bashi (moon bridge) and a karesansui (rock garden) with torii gates and a yagura (tower). I’ve never been to Kyoto, but it did feel like I was there when I entered the area.
Looking beyond the architecture and decorations of the space, the food hall had an interesting feature that was not a fixture in old Japan: robotic food servers. The robots themselves were shaped like half cylinders with multiple compartments to hold food trays on-top of what looked like a Roomba guiding them. When a robot delivered our food, it did a 180 and we retrieved the trays. There was a neat button on top that reported to the robot that the food had been delivered and returned to the kitchen. The robots use sensors to avoid bumping into people or tables, as well as to know which table to deliver to.
To place an order, diners scan a QR code at their table, which leads to the menu and ordering system. The menu came in English as well, making ordering very simple on the line app.
The extensive menu offered many options, including Thai food, burgers, fries, and Japanese food like oyakodon (chicken and egg rice bowl) and beef tongue. The food hall also serves alcohol, and for those who partake, there are deals on drinks after 3 p.m.
For my order, I went with the gapao rice, a spicy Thai dish consisting of ground chicken and rice topped with a fried egg, for 1,200 yen. My friend ordered the fried karaage chicken set.
We waited eagerly for our robot waiter to bring us our meals. After 10 minutes, one of the electronic minions arrived with our trays carrying, to our dismay, small portions of food.
Although the serving was not big enough for my liking, my gapao rice was very tasty. My friend was happy with the flavor of his karaage, but we both agreed that we would have liked more food.
The seamless, no-contact order and receiving process carried over to paying out bill. Diners can pay on their phone from their table. But if you have yen or want to pay in person, you can head to the front register where the staff will take care of you.
We did not interact with the staff much, making the experience feel quite different from other restaurants, but in a good way. Often when traveling abroad, you have language barriers to contend with, especially at restaurants. The food hall seems to reduce the stress a newcomer might have ordering a meal in a foreign language.
Despite the small portions served at Gurunavi Food Hall WAE, it is a great place to see robots in action and bypass having to order in Japanese. I will come back to this place next time I’m at Haneda Airport.
Address: 1-1-4 Haneda Innovation City [2F], Hanedakuko, Ota-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.,
Takeout hours, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Price estimate: 480 yen to 1,680 Yen on meals with non-alcoholic drinks being around 480 Yen.
Tel: 03-5579-7704
