Visiting Tokyo SkyTree

Tokyo SkyTree is the world’s tallest tower and 2nd tallest building. You can take a thrilling ride to the top at 450 meter to enjoy the breathtaking view of Tokyo.

Hi Everyone,

Sorry for disappearing last week.  We were living out of hotels as the awful popcorn ceiling was being removed.  It was so nice to finally come back home but there were dusts everywhere.  Mr. JOC and I spent the past 2 days wiping and dusting fine white particles from our furniture and shelves.  Now the house is finally in livable condition again I am trying to get back on schedule.

As summer’s getting closer, I know some of the readers are planning a trip to Japan.  I’ll be sharing some travel posts for Japan starting with this quick guide to Tokyo Skytree (東京スカイツリー).

As I had mentioned in my Asakusa post, Tokyo Skytree is about 1 1/2 hours from my home in Yokohama.  My children has seen Tokyo Skytree many times from far away while riding on the bus or in a car and get super excited whenever they see the landmark.  When we visited Asakusa, it was the perfect opportunity for my family to see the tallest tower in the world.

Tokyo Skytree was built as a television and radio broadcast tower, taking over responsibility from the older Tokyo Tower which is now surrounded by skyscrapers and not as effective as delivering the signals.  The tower was completed in 2012 and is currently the world’s second tallest building and tallest tower.  There are 2 observatory decks you can visit, and you will need to purchase an additional ticket to visit the higher observatory deck (Tembo Galleria) at 450 m (1,480 ft).  The lower desk is 350 m (1,150 ft).

We visited on a warm Saturday afternoon around 2 pm.  The tower itself is in a plaza called Skytree Town, which also include an aquarium, dome theater, offices, gift shops, and restaurants in addition to the broadcast tower.

When we found the line for the observatory, the sign at the end of the line said 90 min wait.  It almost made us give up but since we were there already we decided to grind through it and wait it out, just in case the sign was wrong.  When we started waiting, the line actually extended outside the building.

As we enter the building, there were beautiful display of Super Craft Tree by designer Yukio Hashimoto.

You can also see the steel structure that’s supporting the tower from the large windows.

What seemed like an eternity has passed, it was exciting to finally see the ticket counter.  After purchasing the tickets to visit both observation decks, we thought the lines has ended.  Not quite, there’s a short line to wait for the elevators.

Tokyo SkyTree – Tembo Deck & Tembo Galleria

Inside the elevator, the lights inside darkened but the top part had beautiful Japanese patterns that changed colors and brightness as you ride to the top.  Everyone in the elevator was entertained by the changing lights during the quick ride.

The first stop is the Tembo Deck at Floor 350, which also includes with ticket booth to Tembo Galleria and a cafe.  There are 2 more levels, Floor 345 and 340 within the Tembo deck which houses the gift shop, Sky Restaurant, and a cafe.  You’ll go through these lower levels as you return to the lobby.

We went ahead and purchase the tickets to Tembo Galleria (Floor 445 and 450)to enjoy the breathtaking view.  The elevator to the Tembo Galleria is quite thrilling, as the doors are glass panels and it has a glass ceiling.

As you exit the elevator at Floor 445, the children squealed with delight and enjoyed the views.  The elevator leads to a ramp to Floor 450.

By Tamaru (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Sceneries from Tokyo Skytree

On top of the tower and along the way, there’s the unobstructed view of Tokyo.

It’s incredible as all the tall buildings now look like as if they were made of small Lego bricks.

You can see Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea in the direction of Chiba City.

Other recognizable structures we could easily see are Tokyo Dome, Tokyo City Gov’t Building, and Tokyo Tower.

After spending some time seeing the different sights, it’s time to head down.

One of the coolest feature as you journey towards the lobby is the glass floor on Floor 340.  It’s a bit nerve wrecking but definitely very cool to be able to look down.

It was a memorable experience and we had a great time despite the super long wait.  By the way, if you love sushi and happens to be around the area during meal time, I highly recommend Toriton which is located in 6th floor of Tokyo Solamachi within the Skytree Town.  It’s a sushi boat chain that’s from Hokkaido, and this is the only store they have outside of Hokkaido.  The sushi quality is amazing and pricing is super fair.  I’m drooling just thinking about the wide variety of amazing sushi they offer.

Hope you’ll have a great time when you visit Tokyo Skytree next time you’re in Japan!

Worldwide Giveaway

Today I’m partnering with Tuttle Publishing to give away one (1) copy of A Geek In Japan by Hector Garcia!  This giveaway contest is open to everyone worldwide.  Click HERE to enter for your chance to win!

Update: Each month 20% of proceeds from selling my eBook will go to charity.  For April 2015, I donated to Himalayan Earthquake: Support the Survivors.   Thank you so much for those who purchased my eBook!