A must-see destination for anyone looking for the best things to do in Japan is a visit to Tokyo Skytree. Owned by TOBU RAILWAY CO., LTD., Tokyo Skytree is located in the Asakusa neighborhood in the historic Sumida Ward of Tokyo.
The tallest stand-alone tower in the world, it opened in 2008 and pays tribute to the Japanese culture by sharing characteristics with Gojunoto towers, which are Japanese traditional five-story pagodas. It only takes three minutes to get here by train from Tobu Asakusa station on the Tobu Skytree Line–which continues all the way to Nikko in the Tochigi prefecture (a beautiful and important historic place to visit).
Taller than the 533-meter high CN Tower and Kuala Lumpur Tower (421 meters), Tokyo Skytree dwarfs both the Eiffel Tower (324 meters) and the Sydney Tower (309 meters). The tower is not only one of Tokyo’s most recognizable landmarks as it also serves an important purpose—to transmit radio waves for television and radio broadcasting. But the striking landmark is much more than a broadcasting tower—it offers world-class shopping, dining and incredible views of the city below.
An Architectural Wonder
Tokyo Skytree symbolizes the intersection of the Japanese culture of harmony with state-of-the-art technology. Indeed, the tower is an architectural wonder and engineering masterpiece that changes its shape from bottom to top, from a triangle at the base to a circle at the top. This unique structure ensures a firm foundation while also eliminating the effects of wind gusts enabling visitors to have a 360-degree panoramic view from its observation decks.
Tokyo Skytree is a truss structure, which means its points connect to form a triangular shape. The tower is known for its impressive earthquake protection that is achieved through a reinforced concrete cylindrical pillar that is structurally separate from the steel framework tower body at the periphery. The upper section of the central pillar at the core serves as a “weight” to control vibrational impact.
Best Place To View Tokyo
Close to the top of the tower is an observation deck that is open to the public from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm daily. The elevator to the “Tembo Deck” viewing platform, which is 350 meters high, takes 50 seconds as the elevator travels at a remarkable speed of 600 meters per minute. The elevator is among the fastest, and remarkably quietest, elevators in the world. International visitors are eligible for a Fast Skytree ticket that provides priority status for the elevators, which means a shorter wait time in line. Reservations are not required for tickets, which can be purchased on the same day as entry.
The Tembo Deck viewing platform is surrounded by a circular wall of glass that is five meters tall. This makes it possible for visitors to enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view. Visitors can see distances as far away as 70 kilometers on a clear day and equally impressive is seeing the cityscape at night, when millions of lights twinkle below—a thrilling experience for everyone. A short trip on a second glass elevator takes visitors even higher to a second viewing platform called the Tembo Galleria that is 450 meters high.
There’s Something Here For Everyone
Tokyo Skytree is much more than just a place to get the best view in town and no visit to Tokyo is complete without a visit here. Tokyo Skytree is a destination that will easily keep you entertained for an entire day, so be sure to budget enough time to experience its many offerings.
At its world-class shopping destination, you will discover things that you will not find back home—and you could spend weeks running around Tokyo to find all the unique items that are available to purchase here. International visitors with passports in hand can pick up a booklet at the Information Desk that provides discounts at many of the purveyors located in Tokyo Skytree.
World-Class Shopping
Countless specialty boutiques are spread across multiple floors in Solamachi, the attached shopping center that is part of Tokyo Skytree. Here you will find such Japanese-themed items as personalized chopsticks, Japanese sweets made of sweet potato, Japanese teas and Japanese cosmetics. “Tokyo Banana Tree”, for example, is a popular shop that is found only in Japan. It specializes in colorful desserts including cream-filled sponge cakes filled with Matcha cream and sweet adzuki bean paste.
Solamachi also offers outstanding crafts shops. The Amezaiku boutique, for example, sells “traditional Japanese candy craft”. There is an artisan on site who sculpts tropical fish and other things out of molten sugar, with the use of a small blowtorch, similar to how a glassblower operates. Amezaiku is an art form that dates back to the eight century and was especially popular during the Edo period.
There are a number of fascinating theme stores, such as ones that feature anime and other well-known Japanese characters. There’s Pokemon Center Skytree Town, Hello Kitty Japan, Ultraman World M78 and Kirby Café, just to name a few. Featuring characters well-known in Japan, but perhaps not yet in the U.S., Kirby Café is a pop-up store that is so popular, it is necessary to make a reservation just to enter to shop there. It features a slew of Kirby character-themed items, from stuffed animals to toys, baseball hats and coffee mugs.
Another unique boutique is the Japanese Bath and Body shop that features moisturizing facial masks that resemble the faces of cartoon characters, animals and even princesses when worn. Beautifully crafted “fake” food is also an art form, and there are several boutiques that sell lifelike food, ranging from sushi to fresh fruit and vegetables (some of which double as pencil holders).
Home To The Sumida Aquarium
Tokyo Skytree is also home to the renowned Sumida Aquarium, which houses more than 10,000 sea creatures. Located on two floors of the entertainment complex at the base of the tower, the centerpiece of the aquarium is a 350,000 liter tank that is the largest open indoor tank in the country. Here, visitors can observe penguins and fur seals through with walls made of glass, enabling them to see inside the tank with no obstructions. There’s also a jellyfish display, a coral reef exhibit and tanks that represent the different habitants around Tokyo Bay, the Izu Islands and the Ogasawara Islands.
Dining at Skytree
Hungry? Tokyo Skytree offers countless cafes that specialize in foods found throughout Japan ranging from ramen to soba, takoyaki, teppanyaki, motsunabe, okonomiyaki, sushi, curry and tempura dishes. Of course, there are several western-themed (Italian, Spanish, etc.) restaurants, as well.
One of the most extraordinary restaurants in all of Tokyo, however, is found near the top of Skytree at a height of 345 meters. Called 634 Sky Restaurant, it is a world-class and beautifully decorated restaurant that offers spectacular views and excellent food to match. On a clear day, while dining at this exquisite restaurant it is possible to see Mount Fuji and the Kanto plains. At night, the views are dazzling with tens of thousands of twinkling lights covering the landscape below.
Worthy of a Michelin star, 634 offers Japanese cuisine with a French twist. Known as “Tokyo Cuisine”, it features fresh vegetables in-season, fresh seafood and other delicacies such as Waygu beef. The restaurant also offers an impressive wine list, including excellent French wines. The restaurant offers several different prix fixe menus and teppanyaki and is open for lunch and dinner. Children under the age of 10 are not permitted in the restaurant for the dinner service. Advance reservations are recommended as it is a highly popular restaurant.
A Sight To See
At night, Tokyo Skytree is lit up with colorful LED lights (2,075 lighting devices in total) and can be seen from all over Tokyo. Perhaps one of the best place to view Skytree is from the Tobu Hotel Levant Tokyo, which is less than a mile away. Also owned by Tobu, this hotel features a restaurant on its top floor (the 24th floor) called Skytree View Restaurant Ren with a bar (called “Bar Ren”) that offers spectacular views of the tower. Like 634, it is beautifully decorated and offers seasonal Japanese cuisine. There’s a Kaiseki menu that features multiple courses, from sashimi to sushi, a shellfish platter, Waygu beef, dessert, soup and more.
