Places in Japan: The Tokyo Skytree

Basic Information

• Name: Tokyo Skytree
• Where: Tokyo, Japan
• Hours: 10:00AM – 9:00PM
• Cost: Up to 3,100 yen per person (ticket prices)
• More Information: Official website

Directions

Skytree is located in Tokyo and accessed via subway at Tokyo Skytree Station.  More information about arriving by subway can be read at this link.

Parking

For those driving by car there is a large parking lot underneath the Skytree.  It cost 350 yen per 30 minutes.  More information for parking can be read at this link.

Narrative

A must see attraction in Tokyo is without a doubt the Skytree.  It opened in May 2012 and is the world’s 2nd highest structure at 2,080 feet (634 m); second only to the Burj Khalifain building in Dubai.  However, it is the world’s tallest freestanding tower and absolutely dwarfs Tokyo Tower, which used to be Tokyo’s highest tower by nearly 1,000 feet (301 m).

My family and I we decided to go and drive into Tokyo to visit the Skytree.  The drive into Tokyo wasn’t that bad, but once I got near the Skytree the traffic was horrible.  I soon found it was because cars were backed up waiting to get into the various parking garages around the Skytree.  Once we got into the parking garage we found a spot quite easily and made our way to the ticket counter.  The cost of a ticket depends on how high up the tower you want to go.  The lower observation deck is at 350 meters and the upper deck is at 450 meters.  We got tickets to check out both observation decks.  At our scheduled ticket time we took a very fast moving elevator up to the lower deck.  It was very busy and crowded:

The entire lower deck feature 360 degrees views of the Tokyo region.  Many of the windows had signboards describing what can be seen in the views:

At various locations the Skytree also had historical displays up as well.  I found it interesting to compare this old painting of Tokyo with the view that can be seen today:

We visited the Skytree late in the afternoon so I was able to get a good picture of the massive shadow the tower was leaving over this eastern Tokyo neighborhood.  I could also see Arakawa River running through the neighborhood with Mt. Tsukuba visible in the far off distance:

Looking at the buildings down below me I felt like I was flying in an airplane:

Looking to the north in the far off distance I could see the snowcapped mountains near Nikko:

To the northwest I could see more of the various neighborhoods of Tokyo and the mountains in the Saitama prefecture in the distance:

To the west I could see the snowcapped, the 12,389 foot Mt. Fuji hovering over the Tanzawa Mountains:

At the southern end of the Tanzawa Mountains I could see the famous pyramid shaped, 4,108 foot Mt. Oyama:

Here is a closer look at the view to the west where the high-rise buildings in Shinjuku are visible:

Looking to the southwest we spotted Tokyo Tower that appeared to be slowly getting surrounded by taller high-rise buildings:

Additionally way-out in the distance we spotted the Hakone volcano which is one of our favorite holiday areas in the Tokyo region:

To the south we could see the waters of Tokyo Bay:

Here is the view looking towards the southeast where Chiba is located:

After about 45 minutes of taking in the views from the lower deck we then took the elevator to the upper deck.  The space up here was more crowded and confined.  Additionally the windows were not as big as the lower deck, but still had great views:

Here is an example of the view from the upper observation deck looking towards the north:

Here is a nice view of Mt. Fuji I took from the upper deck:

Despite being higher I would not say the views are that much better to justify the higher ticket price.  We spent about 30 minutes down on the upper deck before heading back down to the lower deck because the crowds were horrible up there.  Though it was crowded at the lower deck it was still easy to get window space to see the view unlike the upper deck. My recommendation after having been on both decks is to not pay the extra money to visit the upper observation deck.  Once on the lower deck my kids wanted to go and stand on the glass floor that looks straight down the tower.  It was a bit disorienting looking straight down like that:

We spent about another 30 minutes on the lower deck checking out the shop they had there and the views.  The Skytree really gives a good perspective of how densely populated Tokyo is:

There is very little green space that can be seen:

After we finished taking in the views we then took the elevator back to the base of the Skytree which is a massive shopping center.  We walked around the shopping center and spotted that it was also home to the World Beer Museum.  My wife and I had fun seeing what types of beers they had at the museum:

After we ate dinner at the Skytree we then proceeded to drive home.  It was now dark and I found the traffic coming out of the Skytree was not too bad.  Here is a picture I took at a stoplight looking up at the bright lights of the Tokyo Skytree:

Conclusion

The Tokyo Skytree is definitely a must visit location when visiting Japan’s capitol city.  It is not overly expensive to visit and the views from the observation deck are fantastic.  It really gives visitors a great visual depiction of the various neighborhoods in Tokyo and on clear days Mt. Fuji is visible.  The Skytree is easy to access and is also home to a large shopping center with various stores, restaurants, and bars.  This is a great place to spend a half day at during a visit to Tokyo.