Been Up The Tallest Tower In The World
10th April 2023 - New Experience Number 8.
Our first day in Japan was spent settling in to the capital. Tokyo is a huge metropolis, with 23 ‘special wards’ which refer to themselves as cities in English, this could get confusing! To help get our bearings we decided to get a birds eye view and headed for a visit to the tallest tower in the world; the Tokyo Skytree.
How Is It The Tallest Tower In The World?
‘What about the Burj Khalifa?’ you may be wondering.
Ok, so as with many things, an accolade often has some subtleties in the wording. The Tokyo Skytree is the tallest tower in the world, not the tallest structure, and not the tallest building.
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, (who knew that was a thing?!), is responsible for certifying the World’s Tallest buildings. Their criteria is that at least 49% of the height needs to include habitable space, Any structures which don’t meet that quota are then defined as a tower.
So, The Tokyo Skytree isn’t the tallest building in the world. However, stretching 634 metres into the sky, it is the tallest tower, and it is the third tallest structure in the world, or at least it is whilst I am writing this in 2023!
At the moment, in terms of tall structures, the Tokyo Skytree is only surpassed by Merdeka 118 – the 118 storey skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur which is 768.9 metres tall. Sitting high at the top of the tallest man made structure list though is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which really does tower over everything else at 829.8 metres in height. Phew!
Attention To Detail
As with many things in Japan, there is a reason behind the design. It wasn’t a random decision to build it 634 metres tall. The region where the Skytree is situated used to be called Musashi. When read aloud in Old Japanese, the number 634 is pronounced as ‘mu-sa-shi’. Nice touch!
As this is a structure of significance, even the colour of the exterior paint work is unique to the tower. The specially blended shade is called ‘Skytree White’.
Why Does Tokyo Need Such A Tall Tower?
You could say why not?
As well as being an impressive tourist attraction, Tokyo Skytree is also a major broadcasting tower. Previously the tallest tower in Tokyo was the iconic red and white Tokyo Tower, which had a slight resemblance to the Eiffel Tower in shape.
The Tokyo Tower is 332.9 metres, yet wasn’t quite tall enough to support the wide reaching plans Japan had for terrestrial digital broadcasting. Hence, the Tokyo Skytree was built.
Going Up The World's Tallest Tower
We walked to the Skytree from Asakusa where we were staying. Through pretty parks, over the river, and by shopping districts, we got some beautiful views of the iconic landmark.
The entrance was on the fourth floor. It’s not just a tower, it has incorporated lots of other attractions including plenty of shops, and an aquarium, so if you visit you can easily spend a full day here.
There was barely a queue, so we joined it and bought our tickets for a visit there and then. It was a spring morning with lovely blue skies and sunshine, so hopefully we would get some good views from the top. If it had been busy we’d probably have booked on-line for another day. There were two ticket options available, single which would give us access to the Tembo deck on floor 350, or a combo ticket which meant we could also visit the 450th floor of the Tembo Galleria.
Two Observation Decks - Isn't That A Bit Excessive?
The Tokyo Skytree boasts two observation decks. We did wonder why, surely it’s the same view from each, just ever so slightly higher up? How much more could we possibly see from the 450th floor compared to the 350th floor? We opted for the combo ticket and went to find out.
Going Up To The First Observation Deck
With no waiting, we were straight into the elevator. There were four lifts, each was themed by a season. The theme was very subtle, and a short video showcasing the Skytree played for the duration.
Less than a minute later, travelling at over 600 metres per minute, we were at the 350th floor; the Tembo deck. It was a seamless ride up. Only the screen counting the floors as we passed them and my ears popping had given me any indication that we were moving.
All visitors get the lift up to the Tembo deck, and for those with the single ticket, this is the only stop.
Tembo Deck
Stepping out of the lift doors, light flooded over us from the floor to ceiling windows. Wow! The views were just phenomenal.
The Sumida river snaked its way through the city; swimming pools hidden on rooftops glistened in the sun; multi-story buildings looked like dolls houses as we towered over them.
Fingers pointed as people spotted landmarks in the distance. Tall districts rose through a haze in one direction, whilst the sun glinted off the glass domes of structures in another.
Looking down and across the grid-like layout we eventually spotted our accommodation, and saw lots of the places we were planning to visit during the rest of our stay.
The incredible view sprawled for miles, and whilst we could just make out the shapes of some hills in the distance, the elusive Mount Fuji, remained, well, elusive. Apparently there are only 80 days in a year when it is actually visible!
Plenty of signage let us know what direction we were looking in, and what we were looking at, highlighting key buildings and areas.
There were lots of things on this floor geared up for tourists including paid photo opportunities, a cafe, a souvenir shop and some of the highest post boxes I’ve ever encountered.
Going Up Again To The Second Observation Deck
Our combo ticket meant that we could access the second observation deck; the Tembo Galleria. To access this we took a different lift from the Tembo Deck.
Speeding upwards, this elevator had glass doors and a glass ceiling. We were in the skeleton of the Skytree! Watching the metal structure from inside as we ascended further, the lift stopped at floor 445. But the top of the Tembo Galleria was at floor 450!?
The Tembo Galleria - Going Round and Around
This second lift didn’t take us to the top, instead it let us out at floor 445. From there, the floor spiralled upwards around the tower in a gentle incline until we reached floor 450. What a fantastic panoramic design!
This floor was a little quieter, both in terms of number of visitors, and tourist add-ons. This floor was all about the view. So whilst the view wasn’t too different from the Tembo deck, it was perhaps a better view as there was less paraphernalia getting in the way of the windows. It wasn’t such a tall floor as the Tembo Deck, but in parts the windows were once again floor to ceiling.
Here the windows felt slightly more curved and the glass seemed to tuck under the floor and beneath our feet rather than stopping square on. It was a bit like walking on air. If you are not a fan of heights, there are barriers so you aren’t right next to the window, and you can always keep closer to the interior wall.
The views were bigger, the buildings below were smaller. Tokyo looked beautiful under the blue skies and spring sunshine.
Was It Worth Visiting Both Observation Decks?
Although the Tembo Galleria was not too much higher than the Tembo Deck, I am really glad we visited both. Hopefully we will get the chance to visit Japan again in the future, but going up the Tokyo Skytree is something I think we would only ever do once, so we figured we might as well do it all. On a fairly quiet April morning it was an incredible experience.
There was no time limit on either floor, so it was nice to take it at our own pace and soak in the spectacular scenes from the quiet Tembo Galleria, and then enjoy the more vibrant atmosphere on the Tembo Deck.
Tokyo is an utterly awesome city. The views from up high really highlighted the vastness, and also the space and green parks in between; the old juxtaposed with the new and the bustling areas and the quiet neighbourhoods dotted in between.
Want To Try It Yourself?
- It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in Tokyo.
- You can find the Tokyo Skytree in the Sumida City Ward, which is not far from Asakusa.
- It’s easy to get to on the metro, with its own dedicated stop at the end of the Asakusa line.
- The walk across the river is really nice too, so you might want to consider getting off a stop or two earlier.
- If you’re not visiting Japan any time soon, how about looking into towers you could visit on any future travels?
- Maybe there’s a tower in your locality that you’ve never been to before – why not pay a visit and get a different perspective of your neighbourhood?
- If there aren’t any tall towers or buildings near you, maybe there’s a rooftop bar instead?
Cost Of Experience
On our April 2023 visit, our combo ticket bought on the same day cost 3,100 yen per person, which was around £18.
A single ticket to the Tembo deck would have cost 2100 yen per person, or around £12.
If you buy your ticket in advance you will make a bit of a saving. Also buying in advance will mean won’t have to queue, so it’s worth doing!
The combo ticket was 2,700 yen, or just under £15, and the single ticket cost was 1,800 which was around £10.
There’s also Skytree Enjoy Packs which are worth looking into if you are considering visiting the Tower and some other attractions in the Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree areas.
Take a look at the ticket page of the Tokyo Skytree website for full booking details for any of the tickets and any special offers.
Recommendations
- Check the forecast before you go. Of course we all know the weather can change, and there’s no guarantee you won’t step out of the elevator at the top to be greeted by a sea of cloud. It’s worth doing a little bit of checking to see if you can plan a visit when you’ll get some good views. If you’re lucky enough to go on a good, clear, day, you can see around 75 Kilometres away which includes Mount Fuji!
- If you, or anyone you are with has a fear of heights, or confined spaces, this may not be the most enjoyable experience.
- Make sure your camera batteries are charged.
- The view from the bottom is just as impressive as the top, and you’ll get some fabulous views of the tower from many of the streets, bridges and parks below.
- Take a picture of any tall visits you take, and share your ‘high’ achievements to inspire others!