Enjoy Tokyo

Tokyo Tower will mark its 60th anniversary this year in December 2018. As a symbol of the city, it has been loved by many people since it opened in 1958. Although most of its role as a radio tower has been passed on to Tokyo Skytree since the transition from analog to digital terrestrial broadcasting was made in 2011, some functions remain unchanged.

Many tourists visit its observatory to overlook the whole city of Tokyo. Special Observatory has been renamed to Top Deck and the tower reopened after renovation for the anniversary year. A new attraction called Top Deck Tour, which requires an advance reservation, has started. We have participated in the brand new tour to reveal the full picture of the renewal.

Top Deck Lane is the tour reception located on the first floor of the Foot Town building, which houses restaurants, gift shops, and a permanent themepark (admission fee applies) of the popular anime series "One Piece." Visitors can enjoy them after the tour. Reservation is required to participate in the tour, which means there is no need to wait in a long queue. Submit the QR code, issued at the time of reservation, to a staff and check-in.

At the entrance you will be given a smartphone shaped audio guide system that is compatible with 13 languages*. Through audio and text, the device allows you to learn about the history of Tokyo Tower, as well as sceneries and buildings seen from the Top Deck. Elevator attendants, who have become rare in Tokyo, will first take you to the Main Deck at 150m above sea level.

*13 languages include Japanese, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Korean, English, Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Indonesian.

Beyond the Top Deck Gate on the second floor of the main deck is limited to tour participants although all visitors can enter the main deck* without participating in the tour. Upon entering the gate, tour participants will find themselves in a space called Tower Gallery, where it is lit in dream-like lighting. Construction scenes of Tokyo Tower and changing scenes of the city are introduced with photographic images.

*Admission fee applies

Boarding gate to a special elevator, which takes you up to Top Deck, is called platform. As soon as you enter it, there is a waft of a pleasant aroma. World's renowned perfumer, Christophe Laudamiel, created the scent inspired by the idea of contemporary Tokyo mixed with tradition and innovation. Here, drink service and photoshoot by photographers called "memory keepers" are available so you can spend leisurely time while waiting for the lift.

The elevator, which goes up to 250m above sea level at once, is a highlight of the renewal. Since two sides of the elevator are glass-paneled, you can enjoy the view through the red frames of the tower. Finally, we are at the Top Deck and have reached the climax of the tour.

Upon arriving on the Top Deck, you will witness the panorama of Tokyo. If the weather permits, Mount Fuji could also be seen. You can get a good sense of the city's geography because explanations are available for landscapes in every direction. Concepts behind the observatory's unique interior that involves a combination of mirrors is "mirrors that reflect the future of Tokyo" and "observatory created together with visitors." At night, LED lights generate a futuristic atmosphere.

At the Tokyo Tower there are various seasonal events such as projection mapping on the windows of the main deck. Depending on events and promotions, the colors of lighting at night change. On a full moon night, the bottom half of the tower is lit up in pink.

Tokyo Tower has been watching over the city in transition for 60 years. It was itself once a symbol of Japanese economic development but that has also changed to a symbol of Tokyo that makes viewers feel nostalgic. Since it reopened after renovation, the tower could be symbolizing the dawn of a new era of the city.

 

Address: 4-2-8 Shibakoen, Minato-ku
Tel: 03-3433-5111
Opening hours:
Main Deck: 9:00-23:00 (last entry is at 22:30)
Top Deck Tour: reservation can be made every 15 minutes between 9:00-22:15 (last tour is at 22:15)
Open all year round
Admission fee:
　Main Deck (150m above sea level)
　　Adults (high school students included) ¥900
　　Children (elementary and junior high students) ¥500
　　Toddlers (4 years old and above) ¥400
　Top Deck Tour (150m＋250m above sea level)
　　Adults (high school students included) ¥2,800
　　Children (elementary and junior high students) ¥1,800
　　Toddlers (4 years old and above) ¥1,200
Website (English): www.tokyotower.co.jp/en.html

　

*This article was posted on the Life in Tokyo website operated by the Tokyo International Communication Committee on April 24, 2018.