Heritage

Tokyo Tower

#5of 10 places to visit in TokyoTokyo, Kanto, Japan

Also known as 東京タワー

Quick answer

Opening hours: Main Deck: 09:00–23:00 daily. Entry: ¥1,500. Allow 1.5 hrs. Best time: Late afternoon into dusk.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: Akonnchiroll / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Opening hours: Main Deck: 09:00–23:00 daily; Last admission 22:30. Top Deck Tour: typically 09:00–22:30, last entry 22:00, subject to weather-related closure.
Entry fee: ¥1,500; Ticket from
Time needed: 1.5 hrs
Best time of day: Late afternoon into dusk
Best months: Mar – Apr, Oct – Nov
Address: 4-2-8 Shibakoen, Minato City, Tokyo 105-0011, Japan

About Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower rises 333 metres above Shiba Park in central Tokyo, painted in International Orange and white in alternating bands required by Japanese aviation law for structures of its height. Completed in 1958, the lattice steel tower is modeled loosely on the Eiffel Tower but stands roughly 13 metres taller, and for over five decades functioned as Tokyo's primary television and radio broadcasting mast before Tokyo Skytree took over that role after 2012. Two public observation levels remain open today: the Main Deck at 150 metres, and the smaller Top Deck at 250 metres, accessible only via a separately ticketed, guided Top Deck Tour that includes a multimedia presentation on the ride up.

Best time of day: Late afternoon into dusk. Roughly 16:30–18:00, to see the city in daylight and watch the tower's own lighting and the surrounding skyline switch on.

Tokyo Tower timings

Opening hours: Main Deck: 09:00–23:00 daily; Last admission 22:30. Top Deck Tour: typically 09:00–22:30, last entry 22:00, subject to weather-related closure.
Closed on: Open every day

Opening hours compiled from tokyotower.co.jp and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Tokyo Tower ticket price

Entry fees for Tokyo Tower
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	¥1,500
Concession (student / senior)	¥750
Children	¥500

Main Deck (150m) adult web ticket from ¥1,500; Top Deck Tour (150m + 250m, guided) from ¥3,300 adult web ticket. High school student, elementary/junior-high, and infant (4+) discounted rates apply. Walk-up counter prices run higher than online prices for every ticket type. As of 2026, verify current pricing at the official site.

Prices compiled from tokyotower.co.jp and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Tokyo Tower

Quiet
Moderate
Very busy

09:00–11:00
Morning OpeningBest time to go
Shortest elevator queues of the day; clearest air quality for long-distance visibility, including occasional Mount Fuji sightings in winter.
Quiet
11:00–15:00
Midday
School groups and day-trippers build steadily; Top Deck Tour slots begin filling for the afternoon.
Moderate
16:30–19:00
Sunset to Dusk
Highest demand window as visitors time arrival for the daylight-to-illumination transition; both decks see their longest queues.
Very busy
20:00–23:00
Night
Crowds thin after 20:30; full night skyline visible with tower's own lighting active, last admission 22:30.
Moderate

History of Tokyo Tower

Postwar Japan's rapid growth in television broadcasting in the mid-1950s created demand for a single tall structure that could transmit signals across the greater Tokyo region, replacing the scattered, lower broadcast towers each station had built independently. Businessman Hisakichi Maeda commissioned the tower through his company, Nippon Television City Corporation, hiring structural engineer Tachu Naito, who had also designed earthquake-resistant structures across Japan, as lead designer.

Construction ran from June 1957 to October 1958, an unusually fast timeline attributed partly to steel repurposed from American tanks damaged in the Korean War, melted down and reused in the tower's frame — a detail frequently cited in tower histories though difficult to verify against precise sourcing records. The tower opened on 23 December 1958 and immediately became the tallest structure in Japan, a title it held until Tokyo Skytree's completion in 2011/2012.

With Skytree assuming primary broadcasting duties after 2012, Tokyo Tower shifted toward its role as a standalone tourist landmark and backup transmission site, while remaining central Tokyo's most recognizable skyline silhouette, particularly as seen from Shiba Park's Zojo-ji Temple grounds at its base.

Rules & etiquette at Tokyo Tower

The Main Deck elevator queue can run 20–40 minutes on weekends and holidays at the ground-floor ticket hall; booking a timed-entry ticket online in advance reduces but does not eliminate this, since elevator capacity is the actual bottleneck rather than ticketing. The separately ticketed Top Deck Tour departs in small guided groups at set intervals rather than on demand, so arrival times are scheduled at booking.

Tripods are restricted on both decks during business hours to keep walkways clear; some restriction eases during designated early-morning or special photography sessions announced periodically by tower management. The glass floor panel section on the Main Deck, similar in concept to Skytree's, is optional to stand on and clearly marked.

Tips for visiting Tokyo Tower

1
Combine a visit with Zojo-ji Temple, a 14th-century Buddhist temple immediately adjacent to the tower's base, whose Sangedatsumon gate (1622, one of the oldest wooden structures in central Tokyo to survive both the 1923 earthquake and 1945 firebombing) makes a striking foreground with the tower behind it — a widely photographed juxtaposition of Edo-era and postwar architecture. Tipping is not practised in Japan and does not apply to tower staff, guides on the Top Deck Tour, or restaurants at the base.
2
The tower's exterior lighting changes seasonally and for special events — a landmark orange-white 'Diamond Veil' pattern most nights, alternating occasionally for seasonal or commemorative illuminations — visible for free from Shiba Park or Roppongi-dori without any ticket. For photographers, Shiba Park's open lawn area southwest of the tower gives an unobstructed ground-level view without paying for either observation deck.

How to reach Tokyo Tower

The red star is Tokyo Tower; the numbered pins are the 7 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

4-2-8 Shibakoen, Minato City, Tokyo 105-0011, JapanDirections in Google Maps

From Haneda Airport (HND)
14 km · 25–35 min
¥600–¥930
From Narita Airport (NRT)
65 km · 75–90 min
¥3,300
From Tokyo Station
5 km · 15–25 min
¥180

Nearest airport

From Haneda Airport (HND)

14 km, approximately 25–35 minutes via Tokyo Monorail and Toei Oedo Line transfer, or direct limousine bus.

Nearest station

From Akabanebashi Station (Toei Oedo Line)

5-minute walk; Kamiyacho Station (Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line) also within 10 minutes.

Tokyo Tower FAQs

How much does it cost to go up Tokyo Tower?

Main Deck (150m) adult tickets start from ¥1,500 booked online. The guided Top Deck Tour, which includes the 250m level, starts from ¥3,300 for adults. Discounted rates apply for high school students, younger children, and seniors; walk-up counter prices are higher than online prices.

What is the difference between Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree?

Tokyo Tower, completed in 1958, stands 333 metres and sits in central Minato City near Zojo-ji Temple. Tokyo Skytree, completed in 2012, stands 634 metres in Sumida City and took over primary broadcasting duties. Many visitors pick one for the view and the other to photograph from a distance.

What are Tokyo Tower's hours?

The Main Deck is open 09:00 to 23:00 daily, with last admission at 22:30. The guided Top Deck Tour generally runs within similar hours with last entry around 22:00, though it can close early in poor weather.

Is Zojo-ji Temple next to Tokyo Tower worth visiting?

Yes, it is free to enter and directly adjacent to the tower's base. Its 1622 Sangedatsumon gate is one of the oldest wooden structures in central Tokyo to have survived both the 1923 earthquake and the 1945 firebombing, and frames a well-known photograph with the tower behind it.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places