15 September 2009

Tokyo Tower


Despite having been to Tokyo several times already, I haven't gone up the Tokyo Tower until this year. So let's have a look at this symbolic tower that represents Tokyo.


We got off from the Akabanebashi station by taking the Toei Oedo Line, and from there we can already see the Tokyo Tower (the first picture) from the exit.



The tower starts to light up as we were approaching it in the Shiba Park (芝公園, Shibakouen). I think this happens around 7pm.


Lots of black cars near the Zojoji Temple at the edge of the Shiba Park.


View of the Tokyo Tower with orange lighting from the ground. Apparently the light changes depending on the season or to a specific event.


Bottom of the Tokyo Tower. Unlike the Eiffel Tower in Paris where there's an open space in the middle we have a building with restaurants and shops there.


A 'floor plan' to show what shops and restaurants are available on the first four floors. The admission fee can also be seen on the right.


Hello Kitty (ita)bus spotted!


A good tip for those planning to go to Tokyo Tower:
Go there on your birthday and you'll be free of admission fee as well as a coupon to have a small birthday cake! That's the case with my sister, and she was one happy girl on that night.





Taking pictures of the city at night on the Main Observatory. As one can see it's getting darker as I took those 4 pictures.

There's another observatory floor much higher up, but one will have to pay a bit more to get up there.


A closer look of the really bright road seen from the previous picture


On each side of the observation floor there's a computer to show you what buildings can be seen from that direction as well as the scene viewed from morning to night.


Touch a building with label and it will show you its height, height comparison with the Tokyo Tower, as well as distance.





More night scenes


There's a small window on the ground for you to look down the Tower. Couldn't take a good shot of the view though due to the intensive lighting







And even more night scenes. This is my first time trying to take night scenes with my compact digital camera.


Tokyo Tower shaped water bottles. I've bought one for myself too~ ^^;


Model scenary of Tokyo in the 50s I think, which is to show how the area around the Tokyo Tower before it was built.




I am a fan of miniatures, and am always fascinated by the details that look as if the atmosphere would be alive.


Apparently baseboard board game comes out roughly the same time as the completion of Tokyo Tower, therefore there's a small display of baseball board games to show how much it is evolved throughout these 50 years.


For dinner we had ramen again. This time with these vending machines (no ramen don't come out straight from the machine ^^;). What happens is that you order what ramen you want with them, and you get an order ticket. The staff will cook them and call the number when it's done. Many fastfood style restaurants in Japan have this system too.



Various ramen for dinner


A light projecting text of Tokyo Tower near the entrance as we left the Tower.




One of the most important tourist attraction, Tokyo Tower is quite a sight to see for oneself. The Main Observatory floor gives a good 360 view of Tokyo, and there's a number of restaurants and facilities on the first 4 floors too, which I haven't mentioned above (there's an aquarium too I think). Oh remember, you get free admission if you go on your birthday~ ^^

Tommy of The Inferno Project also has a nice coverage of his visit to Tokyo Tower too!

For those who want to go to have a good view of Tokyo without having to pay admission fee, the observatory floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku is a good alternative place to go to too.

11 comments:

  1. Tokyo Tower was a ton of fun. My friends and I went at night, and the view of the city was fucking amazing!

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  2. urgh... me and heights don't really mix. I think I left a bit of a stain in my underwear when I went up the Eiffel tower, tho that may have been due to my friends trying to drag me over to the edge...

    Since the resteraunts are only on the first 4 floors I should be OK. Too high and I'd be too scared and I would never EVER look down!!

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  3. WOW - what a view and such an informative location. It was cool that they had the glass floor to look down - love the sign too.

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  4. @ Snark:
    Night scenes are truly brill. Glad to know that you've managed to go up there too!

    @ gundamjehutykai:
    Sorry to hear that you have problems with heights. You can still look at the great view at a distance away from the windows I suppose. There's only one floor window for you to look down so you can easily avoid that. Well, at least there are enough restaurants and facilities to keep you occupied on the first four floors.

    @ Bluedrakon:
    Tokyo Tower is definitely worth going at least once, and in addition to the observatory areas it provides various restaurants as well as other facilities (e.g. aquarium), which we didn't have time to visit. The window floor panel is indeed a nice touch there. ^^

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  5. I love those night scenery shots.They make me all warm and fuzzy inside :P

    So whats the purpose of teh Tokyo Tower?Sending radioSignals?

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  6. Amazing! What a breath-taking view from the top of the tower! Thanks for posting these pictures!!

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  7. Whoa it looked lovely there.

    I hope to go there someday.

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  8. Thanks for the mention, and great pictures. I should've went at night, the night view is gorgeous. ^^

    I'll make sure I go on my birthday next time, though that would mean another rainy season(?). >.>

    Was the side of the observation deck still lit up with Tokyo and 2016 in Olympic colours? And speaking of the observation deck, you can't get clear shots of the glass window on the ground during the day neither. It's all scratched up with a load of dust caught in the steel railings.

    Do check out the glass floor at the CN Tower if you ever come to Toronto. ^^

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  9. @ Blowfish:
    The night scenes sure look dazzling. Was kinda hesistant about how my first attempt at night shots will look like but they seem to look ok.

    Tokyo Tower broadcasts TV and radio signals, analog and digital, although radio antennas were installed a bit later apparently. A newer and taller tower named Tokyo Sky Tree is under planning for greater broadcasting range and frequency as Japan is going all digital in a few years' time as Tokyo Tower's broadcast may not reach wooded areas or high-rise buildings. Nevertheless this would not hinder the Tower's other important function - tourism.

    @ Apt-1B:
    It's quite a sight indeed. I'm glad that you like my pictures!

    @ blood on the mirror:
    It sure is; do put that on your to-go list when you get to go to Tokyo!

    @ Tommy:
    I've always been to Tokyo in rainy seasons for the past few years ^^;

    The bright orange lighting does look like the 2016 Olymic bid, but I am not so sure as I don't know what the normal lighting is like. I doid't notice the large "TOKYO 2016" on the displays either, so that increases the doubt on me.

    I haven't planned to go back to North America in the near future, but should one day I decide to do so I will try and give the CN Tower a visit!

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  10. One of the 'To Go' places when I'm there. It's an iconic place not to be missed.
    If ppl asked me if I've been there whenever I'm in Japan and I said 'no', I betcha they are telling me, I haven't been to Tokyo at all. -_-

    Free cake on ur birthday. lol
    I know what day I'm going there. xD

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  11. @ Optic:
    Then in your eyes this year is the only year I've been to Tokyo ^^;;; Despite being such an iconic place, I'm not sure why we haven't decided to go there until this year.

    Free ticket and cake on birthday - it's more than a deal! XD

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