Tokyo Tower vs. Tokyo Skytree: A Comparative Guide to Tokyo's Icons
Contents of Tokyo Tower vs. Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo is a beautiful city of contrasts where traditional Japanese culture seamlessly blends with modern design and technology. This megacity offers a wide range of sights from ancient to ultra-modern. So, if you are in Tokyo, visiting an observatory is a must to have a look at this beautiful city of contrasts from above. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world home to 40.8 million people and it gives a truly majestic view. Not to mention that on clear days you might see Mt. Fuji too. There are many observatories in the Japanese capital, but two truly stand out – Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree. With so much to see and do in Japan, people often struggle to fit both into their itinerary or wonder which one to visit.
This post aims to provide a useful guide to people visiting Tokyo and make it easier to choose between the two observatories. The guide compares Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree from multiple aspects including history, views, visitor experience, price, and accessibility. At the end of the post, there is a summary of the pros and cons of Tokyo Tower vs. Tokyo Skytree.
Historical Background
Tokyo Skytree is the world’s tallest tower completed in 2012 and it is a truly modern observatory surrounded by a bigger entertainment and shopping complex. In contrast, Tokyo Tower was built in the mid-20th century and has an unbeatable retro charm.
Tokyo Tower
- Date of completion: 1958
- Purpose: Broadcast tower built by the Japanese brodcasting company NHK.
- Significance: Tokyo Tower symbolizes Japan’s economic emergence after WWII. It was the tallest free-standing tower in the world when it was built.
- Design inspiration: Eiffel Tower in Paris.
- Height: 333 meters / 1,029 feet
Tokyo Skytree
- Date of completion: 2012
- Purpose: Broadcast tower, observation, and entertainment. Tokyo Skytree is part of the Tokyo Solamachi entertainment & shopping complex.
- Significance: Skytree symbolizes modern Japan and the country’s continuous technological advancement.
- Design inspiration: Traditional Japanese architecture and futuristic elements.
- Height: 634 meters / 2080 feet. Tokyo Skytree is the world’s tallest tower.
Observation Decks & Views
Overall Tokyo Skytree offers better views, as the observation decks are higher up and there is a better chance of seeing Mt. Fuji. However, the Top Deck of Tokyo Tower also provides great view.
Tokyo Tower
- Main Deck: 150 meters
- Top Deck: 250 meters
- Views: Tokyo and potentially Mount Fuji on clear days
Tokyo Skytree
- Tembo Deck: 350 meters
- Tembo Galleria: 450 meters, including a spiralling skywalk
- Views: Tokyo, Kanto region, and Mount Fuji on clear days
Visitor Experience & Amenities
In terms of entertainment and shopping Tokyo Skytree offers more as it is surrounded by the Tokyo Solamchi shopping complex. In addition, it is more family-friendly compared to Tokyo Tower as there are more kids friendly entertinment options. However, Tokyo Tower has its unique entertainment options including a VR gaming center and a KPOP-themed shop. Furthermore, you can climb up to Tokyo Tower using open-air stairs (600 steps), which is not an option at the Skytree.
Both Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree offer package deals and complementary experiences, however Tokyo Skytree has a wider variety of these. Check the Tickets section of this guide for more info on experiences and ctivities bundled with the observatory tickets.
Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower’s FootTown provides plenty of food, shopping, and entertainment options including:
- K-POP Plaza (1F)
- RED VR gaming centre (3F)
- Ninja Pro Shop ninja-themed restaurant (2F)
- VR Bungee Jumping
RED Gaming Centre has recently introduced robot fight experience, where you can fight with your friends while sitting in giant robots, which sounds so much fun! They also have various seasonal events and collabs with animes. On top of all this, Tokyo Tower has a Tourist Information Center, Coin Lockers, Nursing Room, and a convenience store.
Nearby sights:
- Shiba Park
- Zojo-ji temple
- teamLab Borderless: MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM
Tip: Legend says that couples who see the Tokyo Tower lighting getting turned off together are going to be happy. Usually lighting goes off around 12 AM and you can see couples gazing at the tower in the nearby Shiba Park. Tokyo Tower has many different types of lighting, they do special lighting once a month. Check the lighting schedule here to spot special light shows.
Tokyo Skytree
The Tokyo Solamachi complex surrounding Tokyo Skytree offers a wide range of sights and shopping options. The shopping options are much better compared to Tokyo Tower FootTown. Tokyo Solamachi has shops, cafes and restaurants on more than 10 floors including high-quality souvenir shops. It also has nursing rooms and coin lockers. On top of the shops and restaurants, there are other sights including:
- Sumida Aquarium – 4F West Yard
- Japanese Postal Museum – 9F East Yard Block 11
- Konica Minolta Planetarium – 7F East Yard Block 9 e
Nearby sights:
- Asakusa Senso-ji
- Ushijima Shrine
Accessibility & Location
Although both towers are easily accessible by public transport, Tokyo Tower is definitely easier to fit into shorter Tokyo itineraries as it is more central. Tokyo Skytree falls further away from other main sights, which makes it less accessible for people who only spend a few days in the city.
Tokyo Tower
- Address: 4-chōme-2-8 Shibakōen, Minato City, Tokyo 105-0011, Japan
- Access by Public Transport:
- Metropolitan Subway Oedo Line / Akabanebashi Station / Akabanebashi Gate / 5-minute walk
- Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line / Kamiyacho Station / Exit No.1 / 7-minute walk
- Metropolitan Subway Mita Line / Onarimon Station / Exit No. A1 / 6-minute walk
- Metropolitan Subway Mita Line / Shibakoen Station / Exit No. A4 / 10-minute walk
- Metropolitan Subway Asakusa Line / Daimon Station / Exit A6 / 10-minute walk
- JR / Hamamatsucho Station / North Exit / 15-minute walk
- Opening Hours
- General: 9:00-22:30, Last admission 22:00
- Top Deck Tour: 9:00-22:15, Last Tour 21:30-21:45
Tokyo Tower is easy to combine with other sights as it is next to Ginza and Roppongi and close to the Imperial Palace, Shinjuku, and Shibuya.
Tokyo Skytree
- Address: 1 Chome-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida City, Tokyo 131-0045, Japan
- Access by Public Transport:
- Keisei Line, Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line or Toei Asakusa Line / Oshiage Station (SKYTREE) / 7-minute walk
- Tokyo Metro Ginza Line / Askusa Station / 15-minute walk
- Tobu Skytree Line / Tokyo Skytree Station / 1-minute walk
- Opening Hours: 10:00 to 22:00 (from 9:00 on Sunday and national holidays), Last admission at 21:00
1-Day Plan with Tokyo Skytree included
- Start your day at Tokyo Skytree to avoid crowds, then visit the Sumida Aquarium or the Planetarium and spend time with shopping in the Tokyo Solamachi Complex.
- Head over to Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park (30 mins journey by public transport). You can visit the National Museum or just spend time in the beautiful Ueno Park.
- Then, walk to Asakusa (30 mins walk) later in the afternoon and check out the shopping street and Tokyo’s most important temple, Senso-ji.
- Go to the 8th-floor observatory of the nearby Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center, which gives you beautiful views of Senso-ji and the Skytree for free. It is open until 8 PM.
Tickets
Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree observatory tickets roughly cost the same, so price should not be a key factor, when you choose between the two towers. However, if you wanted to get the cheapest option possible, only visit the Main Deck of Tokyo Tower, which costs 1,200 yen per adult.
Both Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree offer combo tickets bundled with nearby sights and experiences, which can be great way to save money. You can also save a few hundred yen by buying your tickets online in advance at both places.
Tokyo Tower
Top Deck Tour (250m)
You can save 200 yen on each ticket if you buy it in advance online.
- Adults
- 2,800 yen (Online Advance ticket）
- 3,000 yen (Same-Day ticket)
- High School Students
- 2,600 yen (Online Advance ticket）
- 2,800 yen (Same-Day ticket)
- Elementary & Middle School Students
- 1,800 yen (Online Advance ticket）
- 2,000 yen (Same-Day ticket)
- Children (older than 4, but not in school)
- 1,200 yen (Online Advance ticket）
- 1,400 yen (Same-Day ticket)
Main Deck (150m)
- Adults
- 1,200 yen
- High School Students
- 1,000 yen
- Elementary & Middle School Students
- 700 yen
- Children (older than 4, but not in school)
- 500 yen
Set Tickets
These are great if you plan to visit the sights in the set or want to spend more time in the area as these give considerable discounts on the tickets combined. However, keep in mind that these combo tickets only give access to the Main Deck, not the Top Deck. Click on the links for set ticket prices.
- Tokyo Tower Main Deck & teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM Combo Tickets
- Tokyo Tower Main Deck & RED° TOKYO TOWER
- Tokyo Tower Main Deck Admission Ticket & SKY HOP BUS Ticket
- Tokyo Tower Main Deck & VR Bungee Jumping
- Tea Ceremony on Tokyo Tower Main Deck
There is a 20% cancellation fee if you cancel your tickets 2 days before and a 100% cancellation fee if you cancel them less than 2 days before. Set tickets cannot be canceled at all. So if you are unsure about your schedule I recommend buying the ticket on the spot.
Tokyo Skytree
Online Advance Tickets give you a 400 yen saving and can be booked from 30 days before arrival until 23:59 the night before. Buy them here.
Tembo Deck (350m)
- Adults (Age 18+)
- 1,800 yen (Online Advance ticket)
- 2,100 yen (Same-Day ticket)
- Youth (Age 12-17)
1,400 yen (Online Advance ticket)
- 1,800 yen (Same-Day ticket)
Child (Age 6-11)
850 yen (Online Advance ticket)
- 1,250 yen (Same-Day ticket)
Combo: Tembo Galleria (450m) & Tembo Deck (350m)
- Adults (Age 18+)
- 2,700 yen (Online Advance ticket)
- 3,100 yen (Same-Day ticket)
- Youth (Age 12-17)
2,150 yen (Online Advance ticket)
- 2,550 yen (Same-Day ticket)
Child (Age 6-11)
1,300 yen (Online Advance ticket)
- 1,700 yen (Same-Day ticket)
Set Tickets
Set Tickets are great at Tokyo Skytree to experience more in a short time & get good discounts on nearby activities. There are more options compared to Tokyo Tower including more conventional tourist activities such as kimono rental and unique experiences such as glass carving and tile breaking. Click on the links for ticket prices and more information. Furthermore, Tokyo Skytree set tickets give access to Combo Ticket options not only single deck experience such as at Tokyo Tower.
- Tokyo Skytree Combo Ticket + Konica Minolta Planetarium
- Tokyo Skytree Combo Ticket + Sumida Aquarium
- Tokyo Skytree Combo Ticket + SMALL WORLDS Miniature Museum
- Tokyo Skytree Combo Ticket + teamLab Planets TOKYO DMM (Toyosu, Tokyo)
- Tokyo Skytree combo Ticket + Tile-Breaking Experience
- Tokyo Skytree combo Ticket + Traditional Glass Carving
- Tokyo Skytree Combo Ticket + Matcha Experience & Traditional Sweet-Making
- Tokyo Skytree Combo Ticket + 1-day kimono rental
Pros & Cons
Okay, lots of info so far, let’s see the summary of the pros and cons of Tokyo Tower vs. Tokyo Skytree. Overall, both are great, however, they have very different vibes and offer different complementary activities.
Tokyo Tower
Pros
- Retro vibe, pop cultural, and historical significance
- Central location, easier to access, and fits into a shorter itinerary
- Tokyo Tower Main Deck is the cheapest observatory ticket option
- Shorter in height compared to Skytree, smaller chance of seeing Mt. Fuji
- Older facilities and fewer options in terms of shopping, food and complimentary activities
Tokyo Skytree
Pros
- Modern, futuristic vibe
- Taller compared to Tokyo Tower and has better views with a higher chance of seeing Mt. Fuji
- Newer facilities and more shopping and restaurant options
- More complementary activities available on the spot
- Less central location, which makes it more difficult to fit into shorter itineraries
- No historical and pop-cultural significance
Summary
To conclude the Tokyo Tower vs. Tokyo Skytree debate, both of these observatories are great and well-worth a visit if you are in Tokyo, however one or the other could be a better fit for certain individual circumstances.
- If you travel with kids Tokyo Skytree might be a better option as there are many family-friendly things to do around there such as the Planetarium and the Aquarium.
- If you spend less than 4 days in Tokyo and struggle to fit sights into your itinerary Tokyo Tower is a much better choice as it is easier to access.
- If you want to visit any of the two towers for the least money possible, the Tokyo Tower Main Deck ticket is the cheapest.
- If you want to go as high as possible for the best views, Tokyo Skytree should be your pick.
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