Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower: The One That Started It All

Tokyo Tower opened in 1958, two years ahead of schedule and on a budget, to transmit television signals across the Kanto region. At 333 metres it was briefly the tallest structure in the world (it was surpassed almost immediately by the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota). It was modelled loosely on the Eiffel Tower, painted in red and white because aviation regulations required highly visible colouring, and has been a fixture of the Tokyo skyline ever since.

It’s not the tallest structure in Tokyo anymore — Tokyo Skytree at 634 metres took that distinction in 2012 — but the tower retains a genuine appeal that Skytree, for all its height, lacks. The location is better: it sits in the Minato ward, surrounded by temples, embassies, and low-rise residential streets, close enough to the city that you feel embedded in it rather than elevated above it.

The Observation Decks

The Main Deck is at 150 metres and accessible by elevator. On a clear day you can see across a remarkable expanse of Tokyo — the density of the city from this height is striking, the scale genuinely hard to absorb. If Fuji is visible (best chances in winter, early morning, before clouds build) it appears to the west above the suburban sprawl.

The Top Deck is at 250 metres and costs more. The view is better, the crowds are smaller, and on clear days it’s a significant upgrade. Tickets must be booked in advance online, as capacity is limited. The combination ticket for both decks runs around 3,000 yen.

One useful tip: go at night at least once if you’re in Tokyo for multiple days. The city lights are extraordinary from above, and the tower itself is lit up (white in general, gold for the spring and autumn seasons). Evening visits are somewhat less crowded than the middle of the day.

The Surrounding Area

Zojoji Temple sits directly in the tower’s shadow — a large, active Buddhist temple with a main gate from 1605, one of the few structures in the area to survive the wartime bombing. The grounds are open and often have seasonal displays of jizo statues (small guardian figures) decorated by families of children who died young. It’s affecting in a way that’s easy to miss if you’re focused on the tower.

Shiba Park around the temple and tower has good cherry blossoms in late March to early April, with the tower as backdrop. This is one of the more photographed spots in Tokyo during sakura season.

The Roppongi neighbourhood is a 15-minute walk north — worth visiting for the Mori Art Museum and Roppongi Hills complex if you have an evening free.

Getting There

The most convenient stations are Akabanebashi on the Oedo Line (a 5-minute walk to the tower’s front entrance) and Kamiyacho on the Hibiya Line. The walk from either involves passing through the pleasant residential streets of Minato, which is reason enough to go on foot rather than by taxi.