Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower was the symbol of Japan's postwar recovery long before Skytree took its broadcasting job, and for many Tokyoites it is still the tower that means the city. Completed in 1958 and standing 333 meters tall in Shiba Park, it borrows its lattice silhouette from the Eiffel Tower but wears the international orange and white required for aviation safety, which makes it one of the most photogenic structures in Tokyo, especially when it is lit up at night. Visitors ride an elevator to the Main Deck at 150 meters, a two-level ring with a wide view across central Tokyo, Tokyo Bay and, on clear days, Mount Fuji; glass Skywalk Windows in the floor let you look straight down about 145 meters. The more energetic can climb the outdoor staircase of around 600 steps to the Main Deck, which the tower promotes as sightseeing and exercise in one. Above that, the Top Deck at 250 meters is a small, sleek space finished in geometric mirrors and LED lighting, reached on a separate, higher-priced ticket; a premium guided version launched in 2024 is limited to a small number of participants each day. At the base, Foot Town holds shops, cafes, restaurants and attractions. The tower is open daily from morning until late evening, with last entry thirty minutes before closing, and general admission to the Main Deck is very reasonably priced by Tokyo standards. It sits a five-minute walk from Akabanebashi Station on the Oedo Line, with Kamiyacho and Onarimon stations also nearby, and right beside the great Buddhist temple of Zojo-ji, whose main gate and halls frame the tower in one of the classic Tokyo photographs.

Tokyo Tower or Skytree? Skytree is almost twice as high and better for the sheer scale of the city, but Tokyo Tower has two advantages: it is right in the middle of central Tokyo, so the view is closer and more legible, with Roppongi Hills, Shiodome, the Imperial Palace and the bay all identifiable, and it is a landmark in its own right, so the best views of it are from the ground. If you only climb one tower, choose Skytree for Mount Fuji and height, and Tokyo Tower for atmosphere, nostalgia and a cheaper ticket. Many visitors climb Skytree and photograph Tokyo Tower from somewhere else, which is a reasonable compromise.

Make the most of the visit by combining it with the neighborhood. Start at Zojo-ji, the family temple of the Tokugawa shoguns, with its massive Sangedatsumon gate, its rows of small stone Jizo statues dressed in red caps and pinwheels, and the tower rising directly behind the main hall. Walk up through Shiba Park, which has some of the best ground-level angles on the tower, then go up for sunset and stay into dusk, when the lights come on across the city. The Main Deck ticket is enough for most people; the Top Deck is worth it for its design and extra height if you enjoy observation decks, but book it ahead. Climbing the outdoor stairs is a fun option on mild days and a good way to beat the elevator line.

Tickets can be bought at the counter, but a dated mobile ticket saves time on weekends and holidays, and combination products pair the tower with Skytree or teamLab Planets. For photographs of the tower itself, the classic spots are the Zojo-ji forecourt, Shiba Park and the Roppongi Hills observation deck at Tokyo City View, which frames Tokyo Tower against the evening skyline. The area is quiet at night, so plan dinner in Roppongi, Hamamatsucho or Azabudai Hills, all a short walk or ride away.