Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building - the best free view of Tokyo from above

last update: April 30, 2019 The Tokyo Metropolitan Governnment Building, often called Tochō (都庁) in japanese, is a complex of buildings that houses the government of the metropolitan city of Tokyo, and a very popular place among tourists because of the free observation decks on top of the main towers.

Practical info

Admission:: free

Opening hours: North Observatory 9:30-23:00; South Observatory 9:30-17:30 (until 11pm if the other observatory is closed)

Closing days: North Observatory the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month; South Observatory the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month; both observatories on December 29-30-31 and January 2-3

Other useful info: since it is a government building, before being able to take the elevator, security officers must check the content of all the bags and backpacks; on busy days you could find a queue

All the details on the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

Other places of interest

The entire complex is a government building occupied by offices. The only floors that are open to the public, besides the observatories on the 45th floor, are the first two floors. On the first floor you can find the elevators to reach the top floors. When you go down, you will be let out on the second floor. There you will find a large tourist information center (Tourist Information Center) where to find information not only about Tokyo but about all of Japan. Periodically the center opens special areas dedicated to particular prefectures of the country and it is also possible to buy real local products from that prefecture.
Outside the building there is a large square from which you can take spectacular photos of the towers and surrounding buildings, especially in the evening. Scattered throughout the square and around the buildings you will see numerous works of art (38) by both Japanese and foreign artists. List of works of art on the grounds of the TMG.

A bit of history

The construction of the buildings began in October 1988 and ended in December 1990 and was designed by Kenzo Tange, a world-famous architect. The construction of this project, as well as many other major projects, took place during the years of the Japanese financial bubble that would soon have broken out. The entire project cost 1569 billion yen and the building management and maintenance costs the government about 4 billion yen a year (about 33 million dollars).
One of the ideas that inspired Tange in the design of the main tower was to make it look like a huge computer chip, and also to recall European Gothic cathedrals, especially the Parisian cathedral of Notre-Dame.
In addition to the main tower, the entire complex includes two other buildings. The main tower is a 243 meter high skyscraper, for a total of 48 floors; on the 33rd floor the skyscraper is divided into two separate towers. A second lower skyscraper is very similar in design to the nearby skyscraper Shinjuku Park Tower, designed by Tange himself a few years later. The third building houses the assembly hall for government meetings.

View from the observatories of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

The panoramic view covers the entire city of Tokyo. The close-up view on the nearby skyscrapers becomes very spectacular at nightfall.
In the distance it is possible to see the Tokyo Sky Tree (towards East), the Tokyo Tower and the sea (towards South).
On days of excellent visibility it is also possible to see Mount Fuji (towards South-west). The winter months are the best to find good visibility.

Eat at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building canteen

Perhaps not everyone knows that it is possible to have lunch with the many employees of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in one of the two canteens open to everyone, not just to those who work there.

The canteens are self-service. Choose what you want to eat from the menu (there are also many wax samples) and buy the corresponding ticket through automatic vending machines. After that, go to the right counter with the ticket to get your food. Finally, you can sit down. Once finished eating, you will have to return the tray with the dirty dishes and cutlery. However don't worry, on the spot you'll instructions and information in English too.
The menu includes a good choice of the most common Japanese dishes (ramen, soba, tonkatsu, udon, curry) and also something foreign (Italian pasta and Chinese noodles), as well as different sets and even daily specials. Prices for a complete lunch range from 500¥ to 700¥. Further information on the official website.

How to get to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

The building is located about 900 meters west of Shinjuku station. If you come by train and get off at JR Shinjuku station, the best exit is the West exit.
An underground tunnel also connects Shinjuku station directly with the government building, very useful on rainy days.

There is also a subway station just below the building, Tochomae station of the Toei Oedo line.

Guided tours, activities and other things to do

If you are planning a trip to Japan and you want to do something more than just visiting famous places and monuments, we suggest you to use Rakuten Travel Experiences.

How to use Rakuten Travel Experiences

Rakuten Travel is a very useful website to enrich your travel experience, especially if you are going solo or it's your first time in Japan.
Because of the language barrier (and more), in Japan it is very difficult to interact with the locals and to get off the tourist track.
Thanks to Rakuten Travel you can find a lot of interesting and sometimes unique guided tours and activities all over Japan (and not only in Japan), that you would otherwise never be able to enjoy.
But there's more: on Rakuten Travel you can also buy tickets for several famous attractions, events, transportation and other useful services for tourists. Last but not least, you can reserve a table in hundreds of restaurants.

Some examples

• You can buy tickets in advance to visit some very popular attractions and skip the queue at the ticket office, such as the Tokyo Tower, the Tokyo Sky Tree, Tokyo Disneyland or Universal Studios Osaka
• You can book unique and funny tours and activities, like driving around Tokyo or Osaka on a go-kart dressed as Super Mario, or dueling with real Sumo Wrestlers
• You can learn about traditional Japan, for example by joining a tea ceremony in Kyoto or by attending a crash course on Japanese Calligraphy
• You can reserve your table in a lot of cafes and restaurants, for example one of the legendary 3-star Michelin restaurants in Japan, or crazy cafes like a unique Owl Cafe in Tokyo or one of the many and nowadays worldwide famous maid cafes
• ...

Take a look at Rakuten Travel Experiences

You may also be interested in