Tokyo Skytree

Tokyo Skytree rises 634 metres over the city's old east side. Guinness certified it as the world's tallest tower in 2011 and it opened to the public in 2012; its height in figures reads as Musashi, the old province name, and its steel lattice changes from a triangular base to a round section at the top. There are two observation levels: the Tembo Deck at 350 metres with its floor-to-ceiling sweep and a glass floor panel, and the Tembo Galleria at 450 metres, a spiralling glass corridor sold as the highest skywalk of its kind. On the clearest winter days Mount Fuji is visible on the horizon beyond the city. At the base, the Solamachi complex handles the aquarium, planetarium and shopping, while the Sumida River neighbourhoods below keep some of Tokyo's older, lower-rise texture.

What's there

• The Tembo Deck - the 350-metre view over the city.
• The Tembo Galleria - the spiral glass corridor at 450 metres.
• Fuji on the horizon - the winter-morning bonus beyond the grid.
• The night city - the lit city after dark.

When to go

December to February mornings give the clearest air and the best Fuji odds; summer haze flattens the view. Sunset slots are the most fought-over - book dated tickets online.

Before you go

The full two-deck ticket is genuinely expensive and haze can halve its value - check the visibility forecast before paying for the Galleria. Weekend queues run long even with timed tickets. Purists argue Shibuya or Roppongi decks give a better skyline because the Skytree itself is in it; the Skytree wins on raw height and the eastward river views.

Nearby

Senso-ji temple in Asakusa, the Sumida River walk and Ryogoku's sumo district.

Key facts