SKYTREE GALLERY — Local services in Tokyo

If you have limited time in Tokyo, this should be on your top list of places to go to. It allows you to see all of the city from up above, and you can peruse as quickly or slowly as you want. For ease of getting through the queue, order your tickets ahead of time on the app, lines can get long during busy season and you’ll end up waiting in lines just to buy tickets, and then queueing to go to the elevator. We waited about 45 minutes to get to the elevator, but the wait was worth being able to go to both tempo deck and tempo galleria.

Staff was super helpful and pointed people in the right direction when we got lost. There were even photo ops they had stationed on both decks that were free with options to purchase larger sized prints, at a very decent price. I was worried you had a window of time on the decks, as the ticket seemed to indicate this, but we arrived 25 minutes after our window and were still allowed through and weren’t turned away or told to leave after 30 minutes. The area surrounding also has plenty of food and shopping options, you could spend an entire day here.

We were able to see most of the iconic landmarks in Tokyo that we wanted to see, sure we didn’t see them up close but if you have limited time (only 2 days total for us) this is a great way to be able to see a lot and also just experience how vast Tokyo really is. Great price too, would definitely recommend the bundle package and purchasing...

Skytree – A Lighthouse of the Heart

The Skytree rises like a lighthouse, not just of steel and concrete, but of light and orientation. For those who feel lost, adrift in the currents of the city, this is where they find themselves again. A beacon in motion, a fixed point in the endless flow of time.

But it is more than just a landmark. It is a conductor. A vast, silent conductor absorbing the city's symphony—the murmur of the streets, the rush of traffic, the soft click of cameras—trying to weave them into a harmony that does not exist, yet is always sought.

And just beyond? Beyond the monument, beyond the sharp edges of modernity? There, life unfolds in its truest form. The streets grow smaller, more intricate. The steps slow down, the voices soften. A quiet contrast to the towering ambition above.

Now, the cherry blossoms arrive. A single tree, visited by many, surrounded, captured by a thousand phones, a thousand gazes. A fleeting symbol of beauty, of modernity’s own awareness: Everything is brief, everything is bloom, everything fades.

And then? Then it is over. The petals fall, the cameras lower, and the Skytree remains—watchful, silent—a lighthouse that offers no answers,...

Unfortunately, my visit to Tokyo SkyTree during the evening hours was quite disappointing. The excessively bright lights positioned behind visitors create overwhelming reflections on the glass panels, making it almost impossible to take proper photographs of the view. For such a renowned landmark, this design flaw significantly detracts from the overall experience.

Moreover, the staff’s attitude was unprofessional and surprisingly rude. It was clear that they were stressed by the overwhelming number of tourists, but such behavior is unacceptable in a setting that relies heavily on tourism. Japan’s growing embrace of mass tourism requires a shift in mindset—openness, tolerance, and professionalism are essential. For some staff members, if they are unable to adapt to this new reality, they should perhaps consider a different line of work.

SkyTree has great potential, but its current execution falls far short of expectations. I hope they take these issues seriously to improve the experience for...