Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building South Observatory — Attraction in Tokyo

Tokyo metropolitan govt building

When I read that the Tokyo metropolitan government building had a free observatory for everyone I was excited to go and have a look.

The website states the govt intentions: The observatories are places for visitors to deepen their understanding and interest in Tokyo and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government’s (TMG) policies while enjoying an amazing view. While you look over the city, we would like you to think about the many possibilities that await Tokyo in the future.

After all at around 200 metres it must have one of the best views. And it did indeed.

Point to note - there are two towers that offers this viewing experience. North and South

I went directly to the South one as it was the one I saw first with a queue. Not sure why the North one was rather quiet.

While I was queueing I saw tour bus alight tourists for this observatory as well. Note there is a brief bag check.

The windows are not floor to ceiling but a good height for you to have a great view. There are markers on the floor for you to set your feet on too.

If you are clueless about where is where and what is what, there are landmark indications on photos by certain windows.

Glad I went on a day with clear skies which afforded some great views.

The centre of the space is a hollowed out ceiling that sorts of serve as a compass so you know which direction you’re facing.

There’s a cafe and a rather extensive gift shop as well.

When I was there in the afternoon, there were visitors who played on a piano. On a closer look, there was a time limit for each person to play. As the piano was a special one since it was decorated under the supervision of artist Yayoi Kusama.

When it was time to leave there was a long Q that went round the space to board the lift going downs but no worries as it...

How to navigate: find the building, follow the arrows saying Observation. It should be correct if you end up underground/ underpass (can be tricky as you could end up in the south or north building depending on which sign you see, either way is fine). Please refer to photos.

It opens at 9.30am (as of jan 2024), no harm coming early to beat the queue. It’s very orderly and there are many staff managing the crowd. Staff are very friendly.

It’s wheelchairs, pram and luggage friendly but the lift is small it can feel awkward. It takes about a minute to go to the 45th floor. Once there you will see a lot of wide glasses where you can see the entire city and even mt Fuji if it’s a clear day.

Although it’s double glazed, it’s maintained and cleaned regularly, the view from the windows are super clean.

There are plenty of seats, not much walking, suitable for all ages. There’s a piano where you are encouraged to play if you can. Some souvenirs and also a cafe in the middle.

Worth visiting especially if there’s not much queues as you can get in and out within 15mins if you don’t have much...

You should come to this free observatory tower more than Tokyo SkyTree. It is superior to SkyTree for various reasons. It's free compared to the expensive SkyTree. And the atmosphere of the observation room is quiet and very comfortable. And the tone of the free piano played by the visitors will be even more comfortable. The temperature setting of the air conditioning is exquisite. A tired body from the trip will want to rest at this place.

The SkyTree view from the overwhelmingly high position is the only one, but you can see Tokyo's largest Shinjuku nearby.

This is a serious Japanese administrative facility, but you can enjoy sake specially. This is amazing. You can also buy traditional Japanese souvenirs that are attractive to foreign tourists.

Most of the visitors are foreign tourists and they stay there for a long time. This is proof of comfort.

Due to popularity, there is a queue for admission.

There is a barrier-free...