Catch the Sunset over Tokyo from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Unless you intend to stay in Tokyo for a long time, the name of the game is prioritise. Turn any corner in Tokyo and you’re gob-smacked with endless possibilities of foreign amusement. It can get distracting. You’ve got to make choices, and maybe build yourself a loose itinerary so there is at least some purpose to the aimless drifting though foreign city streets and subways. And I’d advise adding the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to that itinerary of yours if you wanna cast a birds-eye view over Tokyo, absolutely free.
Many guidebook gospels will tell you to go to the Tokyo Skytree for the best view of Tokyo, but we were let in on a little-known secret: the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is where the party at. You don’t have to blow your wad on a talked-up tourist trap to get a great view of the city. There are two FREE observation decks at the top of these 243 metre tall buildings that tower over the Shinjuku district. On clear days you’re able to see Mount Fuji, the Tokyo Skytree (while you imagine the suckers paying $30AUD and waiting in line all day for the same view), Tokyo Tower, Meiji Shrine and the Tokyo Dome. An added bonus is the North Observatory is open ’til 11pm so you can still see the shimmering lights snake through the city if you’ve spent your daylight hours on the ground.
Keep in mind the best time to visit is around sunset before the inside lights come on and you’re left staring at your own reflection in a window — which might be worth it, depending on your own narcissism, but probably not what you went there for. Also the North Observatory is closed every 2nd and 4th Monday, while the South Observatory is closed every 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month (both are closed over the New Year period).
