I don't get tired of Tokyo. A trip just to get to know the city, to live it, to apprehend it. Someone once defined it as a city that expands horizontally rather than upward, and that is how it seems when one looks at it from a distance. Tremendous megalopolis.
It is not that you will find many skyscrapers together, it is not New York in that sense, but it has tall and impressive buildings and many of them have vantage points in the heights. Let me tell you that contemplating Tokyo by day or night from a good height is an unforgettable postcard, so here are the skyscrapers and towers that you cannot miss in Tokyo.
Tokyo skytree
Marvelous. That adjective serves to define this tower that stands near the traditional neighborhood of Asakusa. It is a transmission tower located in Sumida district, very close to the river. Have 634 meters high and it is the tallest structure in the country and the second tallest in the world at the time it was completed.
Available two observation decks and both offer great views. Climbing to the highest is more expensive but worth it. You can't go there and not climb 450 meters. They are a hundred meters more than the first observation deck and it makes a difference. The lowest floor is 350 meters and it's the Tembo Deck. Even so, it has three levels and the last one is the one with high windows, the best.
In between is the souvenir shop and Musashi Restaurant where you can eat Japanese and French cuisine. On the first level there is a cafeteria and reinforced plastic tiles to see through the floor. If you bought the ticket to go higher you must take the elevator and climb up to the Tembo Gallery with its walkway in the clouds. It is the best!
It has a spiral ascending ramp surrounding the tower midway up it rises and lights up, at night, in shades of purple, blue and pink. The best of the best, it looks like you are in a 2001 Space Odyssey. The truth is that the site invites you to stay a long time, much more if you go at night.
I bought both tickets on the first floor, before going up. It opens from 8 am to 10 pm, never closes and tickets cost 2060 yen for the first observatory and an additional 1030 for the second. If you make a reservation for the restaurant, for dinner, you must make it online up to one month in advance.
Mori Tower
Officially it is called Tokyo City View and reaches the Meters 238. It is an office building although it has some shops and restaurants, common in Japan, and a very prestigious art museum called Mori Art Museum.
The best thing about this skyscraper is the Sky Deck, the second observatory, because it's outdoors, is on the same roof of the building, in the area where the heliport is. Imagine that! There are no windows or steel to separate you from the Tokyo air. It's great! You can see very close the Tokyo Tower, Yoyogi Park and the Tokyo Skytree itself and if you are lucky to Mount Fuji itself.
This Sky Deck is open from 11 am to 8 pm and the regular observatory is open from 10 am to 11 pm, although on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays it opens one more hour. Admission is 1800 yen plus a 500 plus if you want to go up to the Sky Deck.
Tokyo Tower
It is the most classic tower of all and if you do not have time I think it is the only one that you cannot ignore because it will not be as high as the others but it is an icon of the city. The best thing is to go up at sunset because then it gets very bright and as it is painted a reddish-orange hue it seems to shine.
It was inaugurated in 1958 and originally it was used for the transmission of the public chain NHK although later the transmission of radio signals was added. Overtaken by the activity of the capital in 2011, the Tokyo Skytree was built and that same year, due to the tsunami earthquake, the disused antenna was twisted and had to be removed by officially lowering the height of the tower to 315 meters.
At the base of the tower there is a mini mall with stores that today have a One Piece special exhibit, a very popular anime and manga. Also It is usually decorated according to the time of year toYes, at Christmas it is a party. The elevator takes you 150 meters, to the main observatory which has two cafes and a souvenir shop and those reinforced glass tiles to stand and see the ground in the distance.
There is also a show with projections of how the city looked before, in a historical route that at least until this year ended in 2016. This year I could not go up to the other observatory that is 250 meters away because it was closed and under repair but it exists and if you go and it's open don't miss it. And what's more, I decided not to take the elevator to go down and go down the stairs.
It was cold but tell me, how many times in your life are you going to walk down the Tokyo Tower? The main observatory is open from 9 am to 10 pm and the special one from 9 am to 9:30 pm. The entrance is 820 yen, about 8 dollars, and 700 for the special observatory. If you buy the combined ticket you pay 1600 yen.
Climbing these three tall buildings or structures in Tokyo you will have another perspective of the Japanese capital. Do not leave them in the inkwell!