Get a Bird’s Eye View of a Sprawling Tokyo

Tokyo Skytree

The biggest and best new attraction to land, or should we say rise, in the Japanese capital is most decidedly not for the faint of heart. Clocking in at an impressive 634m high – almost twice the height of the Eiffel Tower and easily dwarfing Kuala Lumpur’s iconic Petronas Towers – Tokyo Skytree is the tallest building in the city, and the second tallest in the world behind Dubai’s Burj Khalifa.

The ‘Skytree white’ tower glows against the sky, and the two alternating lighting designs, ‘Iki’ and ‘Miyabi’, represent the essence of down-to-earth Kokoroiki people and the aesthetic sense respectively.

Principally constructed as a broadcasting hub, the needle-shaped structure is also the best place to get a 360˚ bird’s eye view of Tokyo’s sprawling metropolis.

There are two glass-enclosed observation levels - the 350m-high Tembo Deck, home to contemporary French-Japanese fusion diner Musashi Sky Restaurant, plus café and souvenir store, and the 450m-high Tembo Galleria, with views that reportedly reach as far as Mt. Fuji on a clear day.

The tower is the centrepiece of Tokyo Skytree Town, a shopping and entertainment complex located its base. There are more than 300 specialty stores and restaurants, plus green spaces, a planetarium and the Sumida Aquarium, so make sure you book ahead for this dizzying trip to the top of the town.