Enjoying Tokyo from above has many options, from the tops of buildings or the Tokyo Tower, but the highest is Tokyo SkyTree, at 634 meters high.
The cold air greeted us as we stepped out of the Shinjuku train station that afternoon, we aimed to enjoy the city of Tokyo from the top of a building, one of which was the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) building in the Shinjuku area.
Walking through the office buildings of the Shinjuku area, which was quiet because it was a Sunday, it took about fifteen minutes to reach the office of the Governor of Tokyo.
From the top of the building, visitors can enjoy a view of Tokyo from 202 meters above the ground. The building is open to the public every day from 9.30 am to 11 pm, seven days a week, and visitors do not need to buy an entrance ticket.
Tokyo City as viewed from the Tokyo Governor's Office. PHOTO MAKHFUD SAPPE/LIONMAG
The staff kindly arranged for the visitors to queue for the lift that will take them to the 38th floor, from here the view is open in all directions, and when the weather is clear you can see Mount Fuji from here.
Tokyo Tower is visible with its orange and white paint, not far below is Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. The 38th floor is not only an observation deck to enjoy the 2,188 square kilometers of Tokyo, but you can also enjoy it while having a coffee at the restaurants on this floor.
From Shinjuku, we traveled to Sky Deck Tokyo in the Rappongi Hill area. The easiest transport from one place to another in Tokyo is the subway.
Taking the Marunouchi line to Kasumikasegi station and changing trains to the Hibiya line, it only took about 20 minutes to get to the Roppongi area.
Sky Deck Tokyo is located at the top of Mori Tower in the Roppongi Hill complex in northern Tokyo.
Mori Tower, Rappongi Hill, Tokyo. PHOTO MAKHFUD SAPPE/LIONMAG
Once out of the station, we arrived at the Mori Tower courtyard and were greeted by a giant tarantula statue. The entrance to the Sky Deck is on the side of the building, a cylindrical building with a glass wall leading to the ticket counter.
Tickets to the observatory floor cost 1500 yen and if you want to go up to the Sky Deck at the top of the building, you have to buy another ticket for 300 yen. To get to the Sky Deck Tokyo, all bags must be put into a locker before entering the lift to the top of the building. From the observatory floor on the 52nd floor, the city of Tokyo is visible.
From here we could see Tokyo Tower, which looks similar to the Eifel Tower, under Tokyo's blue hours sky, the entire structure seemed to be lit up. In the distance, the silhouette of the Tokyo Sky Tree towers over the surrounding buildings. In the distance is the 570-metre-long Rainbow Bridge, a landmark of Tokyo Bay.
This floor is not only a place to enjoy the view of Tokyo from above but also a cinema and the Mori Museum. There are also two balconies set up for visitors to take pictures with the city of Tokyo in the background.
Two Towers in Tokyo
Since it was put into operation in 1958, the 330-meter-high Tokyo Tower, which is similar to and taller than the Eifel Tower (320 meters), has become a landmark of Tokyo and the tallest steel construction tower in the world. The tower houses various antennas of TV and radio companies.
Tokyo Tower consists of two observation decks, the main deck is 150 meters high, from where you can see the entire city of Tokyo and its surroundings. The second, special observation deck is 250 meters high. Tokyo Tower is open to the public from 9 am to 10 pm, tickets to the main deck cost 820 yen for adults and 460 yen for children. If you want to get to the 250 meters high deck you have to buy another ticket for 600 Yen and 400 Yen for children.
Tokyo wasn't satisfied with just having Tokyo Tower. Since July 2008 Tokyo Sky Tree has been built with a height of 634 meters and became the tallest single tower in Tokyo and the second tallest tower in the world after Burj Khalifa.
Tokyo Tower with a height of 330 metres, view from Mori Tower. PHOTO MAKHFUD SAPPE/LIONMAG.
Tokyo SkyTree is a 634 meters high tower with a total steel frame weighing 36,000 tonnes. PHOTO MAKHFUD SAPPE/LIONMAG.
The tower is located in the Asakusa district of Eastern Tokyo. It is estimated that the first year will see 5.4 million visitors just for the tower and 25 million visitors for all the facilities within Tokyo Sky Town.
Tokyo Sky Tree consists of two decks, the first being the 350 meter high Tembo Deck with a ticket costing 2,000 Yen and to continue up the second deck, the Tembo Galleria at 450 meters must purchase another ticket at the Tembo Deck for 1,000 Yen.
It is open to the public from 22 May 2012, with online ticketing available by reservation. On-the -spot ticket sales will take place from 11 July 2012. Tokyo Sky Tree is not only used for tourists but also for digital broadcast antennas.
If you are on holiday in Tokyo and want to enjoy the city from above, you can do so from tall buildings and the newest spot is the Tokyo Sky Tree. If that's not high enough for you, there is a helicopter sightseeing package.
How high would you like to see Tokyo from?
Yokoso Japan.
Translated from Indonesian article
SkyTree ticket info for international tourists
