Asakusa - The Rough Guide to Tokyo - page 70

Popular though it is as a tourist attraction, the tower divides opinion. Sited close to
Asakusa, one of Tokyo's most proudly traditional areas, attempts were made to give
the Skytree an appropriate feel - note the Japanese design motifs in the lobby and lifts.
Yet some of it comes across as rather forced - it's hard, after all, to paint ancient
tradition over something shaped like a gigantic hypodermic needle. Though the shape
isn't terribly pleasing, it's now part and parcel of the Tokyo skyline.
Triangular at the base, its pale-blue, latticed sides gently morph towards a circular
shape before hitting the lower observation deck; the second deck is another 100m up,
with the super-skinny transmitting antenna protruding another 184m beyond.

5

The observation decks
Daily 8am-10pm • 350m deck ¥2000, or ¥2500 booked online with time assigned (currently in Japanese only); 450m deck ¥1000 extra,
no advance purchase possible
On sunny days and weekends, prepare for mammoth queues - first for the tickets,
then for the lifts, and then for the return trip. The wait, however, is just about
worthwhile, and there's a certain tingly excitement to be had in watching the
numbers on the lift panel getting higher and higher - even the lower deck is marked
as “Floor 350”. The views from here are, predictably, fantastic: giant touch-screen
displays show precisely what you're looking at, and also let you see how your view
would appear at night (or by day, if you're visiting in the evening). Mount Fuji is, in
theory, within visible range, but the unfortunate reality is that mist often blocks the
view even in sunny weather, and it's usually only visible a couple of times per month.
hose who choose to head on to the upper deck (note: more queuing involved) will
see more or less the same thing, although its space-age interior design is rather lovely
- the inclined walkway wraps around the building, giving you the impression that
you're climbing to the top.
There's a pricey restaurant on the upper deck, and a cheaper café on the lower one,
though there's far more choice on the 30th and 31st floors of the adjacent Solamachi
building, from where you can actually see the tower.

Sumida aquarium
͢Έͩਫ଒ؗ , Sumida suizokukan • 5F & 6F Tokyo Solamachi West Yard • Daily 9am-9pm • ¥2000 • T 03 5619 1821, W sumida
-aquarium.com
Every major tower in Tokyo seems to have an aquarium attached, and the Skytree is no
exception. It's a pretty good one, though, with a 350,000-litre tank (the largest in
Japan) at its centre; clever design of the glass walls mean that you can see the whole
tank from almost any angle. Most make a beeline for the seals and penguins, but the
jellyfish display is certainly worth tracking down too.

Minolta planetarium
ίχΧϛϊϧλϓϥωλϦ΢Ϝ • 7F Tokyo Solamachi East Yard • Hourly shows daily 10am-9pm • ¥1300 • T 03 5610 3043
Part planetarium, part 4D cinema, here the delights of the cosmos are relayed, for
the sake of superfluous technology, in glorious smell-o-vision. Science has yet to
capture the true scent of the stars, and though it's probably fair to assume that Finnish
forests and Asian aromatherapy oils might be a bit wide of the mark, it's a fun
experience nonetheless.