Tokyo’s skyline is dominated by skyscrapers and an endless urban sea.
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Tokyo’s skyline is dominated by skyscrapers and an endless urban sea. However, there’s one tower that draws a lot of attention, and that’s Tokyo Tower. While it may not be the tallest tower, since Tokyo Skytree was completed last year, it is the iconic symbol of the city.
Built in 1958, it was designed to resemble the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It’s painted white and orange because of aviation rules. Tokyo Tower is first and foremost a communications antenna. It was built to transmit TV signals to the entire Tokyo area, and this required it to be tall. At 333 metres, it was the tallest structure in all of Japan, but a mere 9 metres taller than the Eiffel Tower. It’s also a big tourist draw.
Located in Shiba Park in Minato Ward, Tokyo, it’s easy to access from numerous subway stations and Japan Rail Hamamatsucho Station.
During busy seasons, a long line should be expected. But other times, it’s easy to get into. After buying a ticket, which costs 820 yen for the main observatory at 150 metres and an additional 600 yen for the special observatory at 250 metres. There’s an elevator that takes visitors to the main observatory, which consists of 2 floors. The first floor contains a cafe and a stage for live music shows. The second floor has a souvenir shop and a shrine. You can also use rental scopes to see a long distance. Probably the biggest attraction on the first floor is the lookdown window. Standing on this window, you can look straight down from 150 metres up, and it’s not recommended for those with a fear of heights. The special observatory doesn’t have any special attractions, but it does provide a much higher view. Daytime views are incredible, but the nighttime views are even more spectacular.
At the base of the tower, there’s a building called Foot Town, which has many attractions of its own. These include an aquarium, restaurants, shopping, a gallery, a massage clinic popular with professional athletes, museum, and rooftop amusement park for children.
Daytime or nighttime, it’s a fun place for the family, and a great place to see one of the best city views in the world.
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