Tokyo Skytree
東京スカイツリー
The best vantage point in the area — go up, then stay for the night view.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons — click any image for the photographer and licence.
What this place is
Tokyo Skytree (東京スカイツリー, Tōkyō Sukaitsurī; [toːkʲoː sɯ̥kaitsɯriː] ), a.k.a Tokyo Sky Tree, is a broadcasting and observation tower, located in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan.It has been the tallest tower in Japan since opening in 2012, and reached its full height of 634 metres (2,080 feet) in early 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world, displacing the Canton Tower, and the third tallest structure in the world behind Merdeka 118 (678.9 metres or 2,227 feet) and Burj Khalifa (829.8 m or 2,722 ft).The tower is the primary television and radio broadcast site for the Kantō region; the older Tokyo Tower no longer gives complete digital terrestrial television broadcasting coverage because it is surrounded by high-rise buildings.Skytree was completed on Leap Day, 29 February 2012, with the tower opening to the public on 22 May 2012.
Tokyo Skytree (東京スカイツリー) is one of the standout places to visit in Tokyo. Give yourself unhurried time for photos, seasonal views, and nearby food stops. IC cards such as Suica, Pasmo, or ICOCA cover most trains and city buses.
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
Why it is worth the trip
- An observation deck that lays out the whole city or valley in one sweep.
- Sunset and blue hour, when the lights come on and the view changes completely within 20 minutes.
- Glass floors, open-air decks or cafés built into the deck so you can linger rather than snap and leave.
What you can do here
- Go up about 40 minutes before sunset to see the view in daylight, dusk and darkness on one ticket.
- Pick out the landmarks using the directional panels around the windows.
- Have a drink or dessert at the deck café and take the view slowly.
- Send a postcard or get the commemorative stamp — most decks still have both.
Getting there by public transport
- Hanzomon/Asakusa Line or Tobu Skytree Line to Oshiage.
- Nearest station/stop: Oshiage / Tokyo Skytree.
Good to know before you go
- Weekend and holiday evenings mean queues; weekday nights are much calmer.
- Shoot through glass by pressing the lens right against it to kill reflections.
- Visibility drops sharply in summer haze; winter evenings are the clearest.
Traveler reviews
No reviews yet — be the first to share how it went.