Tokyo Tower and Zojoji Temple

What it is: The 333 m broadcasting and observation tower, opened in 1958, with a Main Deck at 150 m and a Top Deck at 250 m.
Getting there: Akabanebashi Station (Oedo Line) is 5 minutes' walk, Onarimon (Mita Line) 6 minutes, and JR Hamamatsucho about 15 minutes.
Hours: Main Deck 9:00–23:00 (last entry 22:30). Top Deck Tours 9:00–22:45 (last tour 22:15).
Admission: Main Deck ¥1,500 for adults. Top Deck Tour ¥3,300 online or ¥3,500 at the counter.
Tip: On weekends and holidays you can climb the outdoor stairs to the Main Deck from 9:00 to 16:00, weather permitting.

Tokyo Tower stands 333 m tall in Shiba Park, and since it opened in 1958 it has been one of the best known sights in the city. Right at its feet is Zojoji (増上寺), the family temple of the Tokugawa shoguns, so the view of an old temple roof with the red and white tower rising behind it is one of the classic Tokyo pictures.

Late in the afternoon the tower lights turn on, and the orange glow is easy to catch in all kinds of places, even in the back window of a parked car.

The large red Sangedatsumon gate of Zojoji temple with pine trees — Sangedatsumon, the main gate of Zojoji, dates from 1622 and is a National Important Cultural Property.

Zojoji temple's main hall with Tokyo Tower rising behind it — The main hall of Zojoji with the tower right behind it.

Steps up to the main hall of Zojoji with the red frame of Tokyo Tower at the corner — The steps up to the main hall, with the tower peeking out at the corner.

Tokyo Tower lit orange among the city buildings at dusk, seen from high above — From Roppongi Hills after dark, the tower glows over the city.

Zojoji and the tower are a few minutes' walk apart, so they are easy to see together. For the view from above, the Roppongi Hills observation deck looks straight across to the tower, and there are visiting notes, hours and the stamp on the Tokyo Tower place page.

I took most of these photos in February 2009, the last one in January 2011, and only got round to posting them in 2026.

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