There is really an abundance of beautiful places to go to in Tokyo! There is so much to discover, including remarkable restaurants, lovely parks, and extraordinary buildings.
And speaking of extraordinary buildings, one such building is the Tokyo Metropolitan Building, which is where Mike and I went to after having lunch at Torigen Shinjuku Restaurant.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (also known as Tochō) is a 243-meter tall building that houses 202-meter observation decks where tourists can enjoy a panoramic view of Tokyo.
There are other popular observation decks in Tokyo, such as the Tokyo Sky Tree and Roponggi Hills, but there is an entrance fee to pay to go up these viewing decks. The best thing about the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum, aside from the fact that it is a stunning edifice in itself, is that visitors can delight in the spectacular view of all of Tokyo FOR FREE! (Yay for ‘free’!)
If you are planning a visit to Tochō, check the weather first. As you can see from my photos below, it was very foggy when we went so the view, especially that of the faraway areas, was quite bleary. As a result, the photos didn’t turn out as nicely as they should have.
Surely, you can never get tired of the view of Tokyo from the top but if you want a little break, go down the lobby, get some fresh air, and stroll around the courtyard, which looks like a nice little park.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Address: 2-8-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo 163-8001, Japan
Phone Number: +81 3-5321-1111
Opening Hours:
Hours North Observatory: 9:30 to 23:00
South Observatory: 9:30 to 17:30 (until 23:00 when North Observatory is closed)
Admission end 30 minutes before closing time
Closed on:
North Observatory: 2nd and 4th Monday of each month (next day if national holiday)
South Observatory: 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month (next day if national holiday)
Both observatories: December 29 to January 3 (except January 1)
Admission: Free