The Tower and the Moon

Growing up in Tokyo, I have always loved the city at night.  My favorite place was the roof of our building.  We were lucky to have a wonderful view of the surrounding area.  I am always surprised to visit one of the city's many observatories and see the ever changing skyline.  My old building is now surrounded by skyscrapers.  When I was growing up, there were only a handful of tall buildings in the whole area.  The latest addition to the skyline is the Tokyo Sky Tree, replacing Tokyo Tower as the city's broadcasting tower.  

My hometown, with Tokyo Sky Tree in the background

As a child, I loved visiting Tokyo Tower for a great view of the city.  These days, my favorite place to see the city is the  Tokyo City View, the observation deck on the 52nd floor of the Mori Building in Roppongi Hills.  Although the admission is 1,500 yen, it can be purchased in advance in local convenience store for 1,200 yen.  You can pay an additional fee to visit the Sky Deck rooftop.  Admission to the City View is included with purchase of a ticket to the Mori Art Museum.  I always watch for exhibitions that I want to see at the museum.  Combining the two attractions is worth the cost of a ticket.

The Tower and the City

The Tower and the Bay

The Tower and the Moon

During my last visit to Tokyo City View, I spent at least an hour watching the sun set by Tokyo Tower. I was shocked to walk around to the other side of the observatory and to see Fuji-san.  The sight is rare, even in the mornings.  I don't think many others expected this either, because the Fuji side of the building was almost empty.  Unfortunately my camera battery was almost dead, and I only got one blurry shot.

Fuji-san and the City

The tragic earthquake and tsunami on March 11, and ongoing problems at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant have resulted in power saving measures that have darkened the Tokyo skyline.  This incredible video shows the slightly darkened, but still vibrant city.