Tokyo Skytree / Tokyo Skytree Town guide: history, hidden spots and events nearby

At 634 m, the world's tallest free-standing broadcasting tower. From the Tembo Deck at 350 m and the Tembo Galleria at 450 m you can see about 70 km on a clear day. At its base, Tokyo Skytree Town brings together Tokyo Solamachi, Sumida Aquarium and a planetarium.

Kyochika's tips

If you are going up to the 450 m Tembo Galleria, buying the set ticket online in advance is the quickest way in. Our recommendation: go up in the late afternoon to see both the far-off views in daylight and the city lights after sunset.
Back on the ground, Tokyo Solamachi, Sumida Aquarium and the planetarium right below can easily fill half a day. Asakusa is about 20 minutes on foot across the Sumida River, so pairing it with Senso-ji makes a good full day.

Events near Tokyo Skytree / Tokyo Skytree Town now and coming up

Within 1.5 km, nearest first. Checked against official pages.

Visiting info

Hours	On October 27, 2026 the observation decks are open 10:00–22:00 (last entry 21:00). Last entry is one hour before closing. Hours vary by day and may change without notice, so check the official calendar
Closed	Open every day
Admission	Tembo Deck + Tembo Galleria set: adults (15+) from ¥3,000, children (6–14) from ¥1,500. Tembo Deck only: adults from ¥1,800, children from ¥900. Tembo Galleria add-on (same day, Tembo Deck ticket holders only): adults ¥1,400, children ¥700. Free for age 5 and under and for 6-year-olds not yet in school. Prices vary by date
Buying tickets	The official site recommends buying in advance online or at a convenience store. Same-day tickets at the 4th-floor counter or machines carry a ¥500 fee per ticket (no fee for the same-day Tembo Galleria ticket)
Address	1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Getting there	About 1 min walk from Tokyo Skytree Station (Tobu Skytree Line) or Oshiage (Skytree-mae) Station (Hanzomon Line, Asakusa Line, Keisei Oshiage Line, Tobu Skytree Line)

Checked on 2026-10-27 against the official pages. Hours and fees can change; please check before you go.

Sources: 東京スカイツリー公式「各施設の営業時間」 (Japanese) / 東京スカイツリー公式「営業時間」 (Japanese) / 東京スカイツリー公式「チケット・料金」 (Japanese) / 東京スカイツリー公式サイト (Japanese) / GO TOKYO「東京スカイツリー」 (Japanese)

How did Skytree end up 634 m tall?

It was designed by Nikken Sekkei as a tower for digital terrestrial broadcasting, and construction took about four years. When it was completed on February 29, 2012, it took over the title of Japan's tallest freestanding tower that Tokyo Tower had held for 53 years.

According to the official site, the plan first gave the height as about 610 m, but the aim from the start was the world's tallest free-standing broadcasting tower, and 634 m was set after checking other tall projects worldwide. 634 can be read "mu-sa-shi," after Musashi Province, the old province covering parts of today's Tokyo, Saitama and Kanagawa.

It reached 634 m on March 18, 2011, and on November 17 that year Guinness World Records certified it as the world's tallest tower. It opened in May 2012 as the second-tallest structure in the world after Dubai's Burj Khalifa (828 m). In May 2013 digital TV transmission moved here from Tokyo Tower.

Sources: 東京スカイツリー公式「高さ」 (Japanese) / るるぶ&more「東京スカイツリー」 (Japanese) / ベストカレンダー「東京タワー完成の日」 (Japanese) / 早稲田大学「内藤多仲と東京タワー」 (Japanese) / Precious.jp「東京タワー」 (Japanese) / ジャパンナレッジ「東京タワーとスカイツリー」 (Japanese)

Why isn't Skytree painted orange?

Japan's aviation law requires structures 60 m or taller to carry either bands of international orange and white as a daytime marker or aviation obstruction lights. That is why Tokyo Tower is orange and white.

Skytree uses high-intensity obstruction lights that flash white even in daytime, so it does not need the paint. Its color is "Skytree White," a white with a hint of indigo. Put the two towers side by side and you see the same rule producing opposite answers.

Sources: All About ニュース「東京タワーの豆知識」 (Japanese) / ニッポン旅マガジン「東京タワーの色」 (Japanese) / るるぶ&more「東京スカイツリー」 (Japanese)

"Sori," "mukuri" and a pagoda's central pillar

The silhouette borrows the upward curve (sori) and the swelling curve (mukuri) found in the roofs and eaves of traditional Japanese buildings.

The column running through the center is called the shinbashira, a name taken from the central pillar of a five-story pagoda.

Sources: るるぶ&more「東京スカイツリー」 (Japanese) / 東京スカイツリー公式「デザイン」 (Japanese)

A triangle at the base, a circle at the top

The base is a triangle. According to the official site, three legs give the most stability with the fewest parts, and the shape also fits the land framed by the Sumida and Ara rivers and the east-west transport routes.

The triangle turns into a circle as it rises, reducing the sense of bulk and the spread of its shadow. The image is a great tree reaching for the sky with people gathering beneath it.

Sources: 東京スカイツリー公式「デザイン」 (Japanese)

Seven traditional colors in the logo

The logo uses traditional Japanese colors: tokiwa green (tradition), moegi green (youth), kariyasu yellow (for everyone), kogane gold (the future), kobai plum (elegance), Edo purple (chic) and sora sky blue (ecology).

Each color carries a meaning, which makes the souvenirs more fun to look at.

Sources: 東京スカイツリー公式「デザイン」 (Japanese)

Taking over from Tokyo Tower

In May 2013, seven digital TV broadcasters moved their transmitters to Skytree, and Tokyo Tower became the backup tower.

Skytree's transmission power was set to match Tokyo Tower's when it was the main broadcast tower.

Sources: ジャパンナレッジ「東京タワーとスカイツリー」 (Japanese)

Getting there by taxi and bus

🚌 Bus

Tokyo Skytree Town bus stop (東京スカイツリータウン) Skytree Shuttle (Tobu Bus) to Asakusa Kaminarimon / JR Ueno Station, Haneda Airport, Tokyo Disney Resort and Narita Airport (timetables on Tobu Bus On-Line). At Skytree Town
Kaminarimon-dori north side, Asakusa (雷門通り北側) Toei S-1 Shitamachi Bus toward Skytree (Tokyo Station – Ueno Park – Asakusa – Skytree, about every 20 minutes). —
Ueno Station-mae (上野駅前) Toei Bus 上23 (Ueno Station to Hirai via Skytree). —

Other ways to get around

Skytree Shuttle (Tobu Bus) Ueno Station Park Exit – Asakusa Kaminarimon – Kappabashi Dogugai entrance – Tokyo Skytree Town. Adult ¥220 (¥216 by IC card). Weekend/holiday 1-day pass ¥500 (Sat, Sun, holidays and Dec 30–Jan 3).
Sumida Ward circular bus (すみだ区内循環バス) Runs in the downtown area around Skytree Town; routes and stops are not listed on the Solamachi page, so check Sumida Ward's information.
Sky Hop Bus Asakusa–Tokyo Skytree course (also Ueno and Akihabara). 24-hour pass: adult ¥3,500, child ¥1,700.

PASMO and Suica work on the Skytree Shuttle. For more bus details, see the Solamachi access PDF or call 0570-55-0102 (10:00–18:00). You can also book a taxi by app: GO works in English with foreign phone numbers and cards, Uber books licensed taxis in Tokyo, and since early 2026 visitors can call S.RIDE taxis through DiDi in the 23 wards and nearby.

Sources: Tokyo Solamachi: Access / Asakusa bus guide (Asakusa Station) / Ueno bus guide (Ueno Station) / Skytree Shuttle 1-Day Pass (Jorudan) / Japan Taxi Apps for Tourists (Oct 12, 2026)

Our suggested route

4th-floor entrance and ticket counter With an online ticket, go straight to the entrance. Same-day tickets are sold here (¥500 fee per ticket).
Elevator to the Tembo Deck, Floor 350 About 50 seconds to 350 m. Take in the view from the big windows on Floor 350. 20–30 minutes.
On to the Tembo Galleria (set ticket, or a same-day ticket from the Tembo Deck machines) Another elevator of about 30 seconds takes you to 445 m. Walk up the spiral ramp in its glass tube to Sorakara Point at 451.2 m. 20–30 minutes.
Back to the Tembo Deck: Floors 345 and 340 Shops and a restaurant on 345; a cafe and the glass floor on 340. 10–20 minutes.
Exit on the 5th floor to Solamachi The exit is on the 5th floor, leading straight into Tokyo Solamachi and Sumida Aquarium.

The order follows Japan Guide. We found no source giving a walking time, so the times are our estimates; allow about 1.5 hours if you include the Tembo Galleria.

Sources: Japan Guide: Tokyo Skytree / GO TOKYO「東京スカイツリー」 (Japanese) / トラベルコ「東京スカイツリー」 (Japanese) / 東京スカイツリー公式「チケット・料金」 (Japanese)

What to see by season (2026–27)

Until October 31	Chiikawa collaboration and DISCOVER AUTUMN
November 5 – December 25	TOKYO SKYTREE Dream Christmas 2026
November 14–15	MEET SUMIDA 2026, a Sumida City event
December 1 – March 2, 2027	Exhibition pairing Hokusai with Sanrio characters
January 1, 2027	Special opening for the first sunrise of the year (see the official announcement for details)

Sources: 東京スカイツリー公式サイト (Japanese) / 東京スカイツリー公式「営業時間」 (Japanese)

Skytree or Tokyo Tower?

Skytree's decks are at 350 m and 450 m; Tokyo Tower's are at 150 m and 250 m. Skytree is Japan's tallest structure, and Tokyo Tower's 250 m deck is described as the third-highest in Tokyo after Skytree's two.

Our take: if you simply want to see as far as possible, across the Kanto Plain to Mt. Fuji, choose Skytree. With an aquarium, a planetarium and shops at its base, it also looks well suited to a rainy day or half a day with kids. To look down on the office towers up close, choose Tokyo Tower.

Sources: Japan Guide: Tokyo Skytree / Japan Guide: Tokyo Tower

Nearby: combine with

Asakusa About 20 minutes on foot across the Sumida River. Senso-ji and Skytree fit into one day.
Sumida Aquarium and the Tenku planetarium Both are inside Tokyo Skytree Town, easy to add before or after the Tembo Deck.
Ueno A direct bus runs from Ueno Station to Skytree, about 30 minutes for ¥230.

Sources: Japan Guide: Tokyo Skytree / エンジョイ東京「東京スカイツリー」 (Japanese)

Little-known spots

The glass floor on Floor 340: The lowest floor of the Tembo Deck has a see-through glass floor. Look down about 340 m.
Sorakara Point: At the top of the Tembo Galleria's gentle spiral ramp is the highest point visitors can reach, Sorakara Point, at 451.2 m.
Seasonal elevators: The roughly 50-second elevators to the Tembo Deck come in four designs: spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Windows over 5 m tall: Some Tembo Deck glass panels are over 5 m tall, and on clear days you can see about 70 km.
The lightning rod on the 1st floor: SKYTREE GALLERY on the 1st floor shows construction photos and a full-size model of the lightning rod from the very top (according to an article updated in 2025).

Sources: Japan Guide: Tokyo Skytree / トラベルコ「東京スカイツリー」 (Japanese) / tenki.jp「東京スカイツリー」 (Japanese) / いこーよ「東京スカイツリー」 (Japanese) / まっぷるトラベルガイド「東京スカイツリー」（2025年更新） (Japanese)

FAQ

What are the opening hours of Tokyo Skytree / Tokyo Skytree Town?

On October 27, 2026 the observation decks are open 10:00–22:00 (last entry 21:00). Last entry is one hour before closing. Hours vary by day and may change without notice, so check the official calendar

How much does Tokyo Skytree / Tokyo Skytree Town cost?

Tembo Deck + Tembo Galleria set: adults (15+) from ¥3,000, children (6–14) from ¥1,500. Tembo Deck only: adults from ¥1,800, children from ¥900. Tembo Galleria add-on (same day, Tembo Deck ticket holders only): adults ¥1,400, children ¥700. Free for age 5 and under and for 6-year-olds not yet in school. Prices vary by date

How do I get to Tokyo Skytree / Tokyo Skytree Town?

About 1 min walk from Tokyo Skytree Station (Tobu Skytree Line) or Oshiage (Skytree-mae) Station (Hanzomon Line, Asakusa Line, Keisei Oshiage Line, Tobu Skytree Line)

How did Skytree end up 634 m tall?

What are some little-known spots in Tokyo Skytree / Tokyo Skytree Town?

The glass floor on Floor 340, Sorakara Point, Seasonal elevators, Windows over 5 m tall, The lightning rod on the 1st floor.

More Tokyo sights & gardens → · This guide in Japanese

We list events we could confirm on the official page or official Instagram of the venue or organiser. Details can change, tickets sell out and venues close, so check the official page before you go. Distances are straight-line and travel times are rough estimates. Photos show the venue or its surroundings, not the event itself. Titles and descriptions are our own translations from Japanese. This site contains affiliate links (ads).