Tokyo Skytree
At 634 Metres, The Tallest Tower In The World · Tokyo, Tokyo
A broadcasting and observation tower in Sumida, east Tokyo, opened in 2012 and standing 634 metres high, the tallest tower in the world and the tallest structure in Japan. The height was chosen because the numbers 6, 3 and 4 can be read as Musashi, the old name of the province round Tokyo. Its shape changes from a triangle at the base to a circle at the top, and inside it has a central concrete column that works like the core pillar of a traditional pagoda to help resist earthquakes. Visitors ride fast lifts to the Tembo Deck at 350 metres, with glass-floor panels and wide windows over the whole city, and then on to the Tembo Galleria, a sloping glass corridor that spirals up to 450 metres. On clear winter mornings Mount Fuji rises far to the west. At the foot of the tower, the Tokyo Solamachi complex holds hundreds of shops and restaurants, the Sumida Aquarium and a planetarium, and Asakusa and Senso-ji lie across the Sumida River. At night the tower is lit in changing colour patterns.
1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida City, Tokyo, Tokyo, 131-0045, Japan
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the decks open around 10 am and close around 9 or 10 pm, with last entry about an hour before closing; Solamachi shops open around 10 am and restaurants later into the evening. Hours change for holidays and events. Traps: sunset slots sell out; cloud can hide the view; strong wind can close the Galleria; long lines for lifts after sunset. Confirm current hours and ticket rules before relying on them.