Compilation: Viewpoints of Tokyo

This compilation lists some places which promise to provide a nice city view. The ratings are my personal opinion and were adjusted to give an order on which places i felt were better than others.

Bunkyo City Hall – Sky deck ( free )

Bunkyo-ku, Kasuga 1-16-21, Bunkyo Civic Center Bldg 25F.

• closes at 20:30
• view only to the northern direction
• has a Piano free to be used

It was quite, almost empty and provided a nice view – 9/10.

Ginza 6 – rooftop (free)

Chuo-ku , Ginza 6-10-1 , Ginza Six 13.F

• closes at 23:00
• open rooftop
• garden area
• 360° view

Ginza 6 is actually a quite expensive shopping mall however it also offers a freely accessible rooftop area. This area is unexpectedly big and green. From here you can see the passing people on the Ginza main street however you won’t be able to get a city view since every building is as tall as the Ginza 6 mall. Although not quite a city view spot I still think this is a very beautiful place within the busy downtown – 8/10

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building – Observation Deck (free)

Shinjuku-ku, Nishishinjuku 2-8-1, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building 45. F

• closes at 23:00
• 2 towers both have an observation deck ( at the time of visit 1 was under construction)
• Cafe and Bar but limited space to sit down
• 360° view
• a lot of space and angle to have a look over the city
• possible to see Mt. Fuji with clear weather
• famous spot means many viewers, but it’s not too crowded

Unfortunately it was too cloudy that day. I can imagine it provides a very good overview – 9.5/10

Roppongi Hills Mori Tower – Tokyo City View Indoor Observation Deck( 1800 Yen )

Minato-ku, Roppongi 6-10-1, Tokyo City View (52F, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower)

• closes at 22:00
• indoor observation deck
• coupled with seasonal exhibition

At the time we visited “The Science Behind Pixar” exhibition was displayed. It closes at 22:00 and you are free to stay here until 23:00. Since we only arrived at 22:30 we could only take a look around the observation deck. It is spacious and offers a good 360° View – 8/10.

Note: There seems to be a open sky deck observation platform as well, admission fee would be 500 Yen.

Seibu Ikebukuro – rooftop garden (free)

Toshima-ku, Minamiikebukuro 1-28-1, Seibu Ikebukuro 9.F

• closes at 21:00
• a lot of bars / one huge barbecue restaurant
• enclosed by fences
• huge area

The rooftop is enclosed by fences and not very high so you will have troubles to get a good view in general. The area is huge and serves mainly as a eating out place. Several bars and even barbecuing is possible. Although i went there on a weekday there were still many people present. An excellent place to go have dinner but not so good for having a city view – 4/10.

 

Meguro Sky Garden – rooftop garden (free)

Meguro-ku, Ohashi 1-9-2 , Tokyo 153-0044, Japan

• a little bit hidden
• more of a garden with limited city view
• cozy benches

This Sky garden is a little bit more hidden. It is attached to the neighbouring building and you could reach the top floor with an elevator. Alternatively you can just walk up. The garden area starts from a lower level and you essentially walk along the greenery. Unfortunately i got a bad day when i came to visit this place. There are a lot of benches to sit on in private making it a good final destination for a date. As far as city view capabilities it is not that good and i would rate it based on this criteria with a 3/10 however i really appreciated the garden which raises the score to 6/10.

 

Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center – open  (free)

Taito-ku, Kaminarimon 2-18-9 , Tokyo, 5. F

• closes at 20:00
• centrally located
• quite small, open facade facing towards the North-East

While its not the perfect spot it is easily accessible if you are around the area anyway and doesn’t demand a big detour. It is not really high up but you can still feel like an observer watching over people passing by the streets 4/10.

Tower Hall Funabori – observation deck (free)

Edogawa-Shi,Funabori 4-1-1 , Tokyo, 13th floor

• closes at 21:00
• 360° view
• on the east end of Tokyo

The observation deck of this tower is somewhat of a secret place since it is a little bit further away from the downtown area, however this also gives you the opportunity of a superb view on Tokyo’s skyline. The Sky Tree is immediately visible if you face west and if you look carefully you can even spot the Tokyo Tower as well. The Tower Hall Funabori is located near the Funabori station and the observation deck can be accessed by getting to the 12th floor to change to a special elevator which carries you directly to the 13.th floor at 115 m. 8/10