I love to go up in high towers, and in Japan I visited three Tokyo towers–Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo Tower, and Ropongi Hills.
Tokyo Skytree
The second tallest freestanding structure in the world towers over the city of Tokyo. Tokyo Skytree is a communications tower built with multipurpose in mind. The base is a mall with all kinds of stores and restaurants. I particularly enjoyed the modern Japanese souvenir shops where I was introduced to tenugui. This is the Japanese tradition of printed cotton fabrics that are used for just about anything including gift wrapping, décor, washcloths, etc. I got myself a few before returning to China.
The top of the tower has a series of observation decks. I walked around all of them. The Tokyo Skytree Tembo Galleria is the highest with a maximum viewing height of 450 meters, the fifth highest in the world. The views are spectacular from that height. I could see all of Tokyo and beyond. Unfortunately, some clouds in the distance blocked Mount Fuji. The clouds were moving, but not fast enough for me to wait longer than I did to reveal the mountain.
The observation areas are clean and modern. Based on the accommodations they have for long lines, I was lucky that there was no line when I arrived. There were also relatively few people up top. I spent a lot of time up there looking out and down. It is something I would definitely do again.
Tokyo Tower
I also found my way to the Tokyo Tower. This older and shorter structure is also a broadcast tower. With an iconic shape and its red and white paint, it has been an iconic part of the Tokyo skyline for many years. However, especially compared with Skytree, Tokyo Tower is dated and lacking. It seems like the poor man’s tower. It is dirtier and more crowded. The experience was very different. This tower was obviously not built with tourists in mind but as an afterthought.
I did enjoy the views from the tower. I went up this one at night, so I got to see the city lights. Unfortunately, the windows are super scratched up making it hard to get clear views or pictures out of them.
There are also some shops at this tower too, but mostly cheap souvenir shops. There was a special event/exhibit area for additional admission, which I didn’t partake of. Being there in October, it was Halloween themed.
Ropongi Hills
I also visited the Ropongi Hills complex. This super fancy multi-use building has a tall skyscraper with observation deck, which I didn’t go up. I figured I had already been up the other two. It looked nice, but I didn’t want to spend the money for a third observation deck. The complex has a high-end mall, art museum, and more. It is a lovely space with its outdoor gardens. However, it didn’t have a lot of content I was interested in.
Of the three Tokyo towers I visited, I would probably only revisit two. No questions, I would go back up the Tokyo Skytree. Being curious, I may try out the Ropongi Hills observation deck. I don’t have plans to return to Tokyo any time soon, but hopefully, I’ll experience some other awesome tall buildings before then.
