Three Places better than the Tokyo Skytree
At ¥3000/person to take an elevator up to the first observation dock, and an additional ¥980 to take a second to see the “best view in Tokyo”, I was skeptical, to say the least. They don’t even have stairs to climb as an alternative. It smelled like a tourist trap to me!And as it would turn out, there are much better options than to pay that absorbent fee. So, without further ado, here are the Top 3 reasons why you should skip the Skytree altogether:
#1 Shinjuku Tokyo Government Tower (45th floor)
At least one of the 2 government buildings are open everyday, and they both have observation decks on the 45th floor. Not only are you not required to enter and leave at a designated time, but you can enjoy the skyline during the day or night time for free! They also have a tasty cafe in the North Tower. I am not sure if there is a restaurant in the South Tower, but the food smelled delicious. From the North tower, it honestly seems like the Metropolitan Government buildings are taller than the SkyTree, anyway.
#2 Asakusa Tourist Center Observation Deck and Cafe (8th floor)
This observation deck overlooks the sky tree- and that giant sweet-potato looking statue, as well as the Asakusa Temple below. You can relax with a beer ¥600 and watch the madness below. The observation deck is settled neatly between the sky tower and the gold nugget statue, the shrine, and a theme park (which seems to be scary due to house close the thrill rides are to nearby houses). One of the best features of this lookout is its actual building: when you are finished, you can wander downstairs and the staff can help you plan your next adventure around Tokyo. They even have information about events and festivals currently happening that you should take advantage of.
I took a little walk after visiting the Asakusa shrine to the SkyTree. It only took about an hour to walk through town, and it’s pretty easy to spot….haha!
#3 Tokyo Rooftop Restaurants
While not free, you can get a great meal and see a fantastic view of the city at approximately the same price as the Tokyo SkyTree. My favorite restaurant is the Metropolitan Hotel Cuisines Est. This restaurant is located on the 25th floor. Their lunch course is the same price as the ticket to the Skytree. The view is gorgeous day or night, and the menu is on point.
Here is a link to a website that catalogs all of the rooftop restaurants in the area, separated by city.
Don’t forget to subscribe to my blog to follow me as I nomad across the world! Put your email in below:
