Hello everyone!
I finally, FINALLY, went to Tokyo Skytree (東京スカイツリー) (after a good year and 10 months of a delay). So I wanted to compare it to other places I've been and talk about the experience.
(Skytree from below, clear view)
Tokyo Skytree (English Page
Here) is the tallest tower in the world, reaching 634 meters tall, and the second tallest structure in the world. It was opened to the public in early 2012. Skytree is in the North East section of Tokyo and frankly, in what I consider the outskirts. It's past Sensou-ji (浅草寺) and the Edo Tokyo Museum (江戸東京博物館) and essentially once you reach Skytree, there is not much to do beyond that if you are coming from the center of Tokyo. For that reason, I had decided against going to Skytree for the past year (it was expensive and out of the way).
(Closer to the center of the tower)
BUT I finally went and I have to say I think I went at a pretty good time. It was not too crowded (I went mid-day, on a weekday), and the area itself was perfect for a relaxing afternoon. In addition to Skytree itself, a mall (essentially) was built surrounding it. While some parts of the mall are very touristy, other parts are interesting to go through and the food court is a perfect place for lunch (Takoyaki or たこ焼き for me, yum!).
(Asakusa; 浅草)
Another side thing I want to note, the official shops for Skytree are all within the structure itself. The surrounding mall has shops that sell Omiyage (おみやげ) or souvenirs, but none of it is 'official'. But what that essentially means, is that the shops within Skytree are the only ones that sell all the options of ("good") souvenirs available.
(Ueno; 上野 and Ikebukuro; 池袋)
While I went during a typhoon (the weather channels/websites said it was a typhoon, but it was more like a small rain shower), there was still a good amount visible from Skytree. I'd imagine that even more would have been visible if not for the rain. During the summer seasons, visibility from tall places in Tokyo are often restricted due to the humidity in the air creating a dense fog-like cover the higher up you go. However, in the winter and cooler seasons when less humidity is in the air, you can see things much further away (such as Mt. Fuji; 富士山).
(Northern Tokyo, Saitama, and Chiba)
From what I could see though, Skytree was incredible. You literally could see all of Tokyo as well as parts of Chiba (千葉県) and Saitama Prefectures (埼玉県). It was very cool to be able to see famous places that I had been to, but from way up above them. It also allowed me to have a better idea or vision as to what Tokyo's skyline and layout actually looked like. (Going through Tokyo, I often wonder where the Skyscrapers end and begin, so seeing it from above was very cool and insightful).
(Saitama)
There are two options for going up Skytree (a bit like Tokyo Tower). The first takes you up 350 meters to the Tembo Deck and is 2060 Yen. From there you can buy a ticket for 1030 Yen to go up to the 450 meter deck (the Tembo Galleria). I only went up to the Tembo Deck, so I can't speak for the Galleria, but the Tembo was impressive enough as it was for me. It was already taller than Tokyo Tower and the Tocho from that point, so you could easily see all of Tokyo from that level.
(The inside of one of the 4 Elevators, each with a different seasonal theme; this was the Fall themed one)
Within Skytree there is also a glass floor, where you can look down below. I did stand on this, but let me also note, there is a double layer here, one you stand on and one even farther below. I would assume that this is a safety feature too.
(The Glass Floor)
I was also impressed with a beautiful folding screen that depicted old Edo (江戸) from what would have been Skytree's perspective, had it existed back then. (Edo is the original name for Tokyo before the Meiji Restoration;明治維新 which took place in 1868. It is often associated with the Edo period, a time in Japan's history where it was cut off from the rest of the world and was allowed to flourish in the arts and culture). I was so impressed by it, that I choose a postcard replica of it as my souvenir. It was just so beautiful!
(Painting by Kuwagata Keisai in 1809)
(Description of above Painting in English)
Overall, I'd have to say that if you are visiting Tokyo and you have the time to go, it's worth the visit (if the weather is good, ie. very low humidity and not raining), especially if you're going to the near by Edo Tokyo Museum. Take a good camera too on good weather days as you're sure to get some beautiful shots. However, if you're on a limited time schedule, you
can skip it, only because it is kind of out of the way and other tall structures like Tokyo Tower (東京タワー) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office / Tocho (都庁) are probably more accessible (and at night give you an equally beautiful view).
(Roppongi; 六本木, Shibuya; 渋谷, Shinjuku; 新宿, and Asakusa)
I do hope you get the chance to go see the Tokyo Skytree if you come to Japan though. It's a really cool sight to go to and provides such a clear perspective on just exactly what is Tokyo. Till next time guys!
