Tokyo Skytree is the tallest tower in the world, standing at 634 meters, and it’s also the tallest structure in Japan. Opened in 2012, this tower primarily serves as a broadcasting hub for terrestrial digital TV and radio, and it’s also a popular observation spot.
As a fan of cityscapes, I made sure to visit Tokyo Skytree during my trip to Tokyo, Japan, in early March 2024. I went twice—once at night and once during the day. I purposely bought the Combo ticket to fully enjoy both observation decks: the Tembo Deck at 350 meters and the Tembo Galleria at 450 meters.
The ticket counter is on the 4th floor. From there, you take an elevator that ascends at an ear-popping speed of 600 meters per minute! It takes just 50 seconds to reach the Tembo Deck at 350 meters. Inside the elevator, you can watch a TV screen on the wall indicating the height as you ascend. The beautiful elevator decor helps to ease the mind.
At the Tembo Deck, you can enjoy a 360° view of Tokyo by walking around the deck. The glass panels are over 5 meters high, offering a broad view, allowing you to see up to 70 km away on a clear day, including sights like Tokyo Disney Resort, Haneda and Narita Airports, and even Mount Fuji! The city of Tokyo looks neat and beautiful, with its small, boxy buildings and the clean Sumida River running through. For a closer, clearer view, high-definition digital telescopes are available. On the same floor, I took a break at the Skytree Café and enjoyed a refreshing Sakura Lemonade.
Next, I headed up to the Tembo Galleria at 445-450 meters, taking a glass-door elevator from the Tembo Deck that left me weak at the knees. Here, you can walk around for about 110 meters to reach the highest point, Sorakara Point, at 451.2 meters. With glass all around, the view of Tokyo becomes even more spectacular.
Before heading down to the ground floor, there’s another exciting attraction on the 340-meter floor—walking on a glass floor that offers a dizzying view hundreds of meters below! For a great photo, I hired a professional photographer right next to it for a quick one-minute shoot.
The difference between visiting at night and during the day is striking: Tokyo appears romantic at night with its city lights, while during the day, the entire city is clearly visible. I might visit again at sunset next time—it must be stunning!
I also stopped by the Skytree Shop (located on the 5th floor or the 345th-floor observation deck) because the Tokyo Skytree merchandise is adorable, especially the mascot character, Sorakora-chan, a little girl with star-shaped hair! What impressed me was that Tokyo Skytree provides a prayer room for Muslim visitors! Located on the 1st floor, the prayer rooms are separate for men and women, with prayer mats already provided.
Tokyo Skytree is more than just a tower, as at its base, there’s a large mall with over 300 shops and restaurants called Tokyo Solamachi. I spent hours in the mall, as it has some of my favorite stores, including ABC Mart (a discount shoe store), the Disney store, and the Marvel Store by Small Planet. There are also unique shops, like Strawberry Mania (which offers various strawberry treats), Nanaco Plus+ (selling accessories made from candy), and Shokuhin Sample Ya (selling wax replicas of food, from sushi magnets to spaghetti displays).
For lunch, I recommend The Platinum on the 6th floor. It’s an all-you-can-eat buffet for around 2,000 yen per person, offering a wide variety of dishes, from salads and seafood soups to various pastas and pizzas. Desserts include crepes, ice cream, and cakes, and drinks include iced tea, juice, and coffee—totally worth it! For dinner, head to Ginza Grill Cardinal on the 7th floor, specializing in hamburgers. In Japan, this means just the meat is served with omelet rice (omurice) and special sauce. A meal costs less than 2,000 yen.
The Tokyo Solamachi mall also houses the Japan Post Museum, Konica Minolta Planetarium Tenku, and Sumida Aquarium. Being a “sea lover,” I naturally visited Sumida Aquarium. Unlike typical aquariums, Sumida has a garden-like concept; you can stroll or sit in the café surrounded by aquarium tanks filled with various marine creatures, from jellyfish and pufferfish to sharks, seals, and penguins!
Exploring around Tokyo Skytree is enjoyable as the pedestrian paths are wide and clean, offering great photo opportunities of the tower from the outside, especially at night when the tower is illuminated. For photography enthusiasts, these spots are a must:
- Tobu Bridge: Located directly across from Tokyo Skytree, it’s the perfect spot to capture the tower with blooming cherry blossoms in the foreground.
- Tokyo Mizumachi: A row of cute shops and restaurants along the Kitajukken River, next to Sumida Park, which is full of cherry trees.
- Sumida River Walk: A comfortable pedestrian path between Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree, crossing a bridge over the Sumida River.
- Azumashi Bridge: Stunning at night with its colorful bridge lights and buildings.
In conclusion, Tokyo Skytree is amazing because it has everything!