TRIP REPORT: From the Tokyo Metropolitan Building Observation Deck – Kevin Get’s a Little Seoul and Tokyo

From the Tokyo Metropolitan Building Observation Deck
TRIP REPORT: Kevin gets a Little Seoul and Tokyo 

Free is a good thing – especially when it comes to observation platforms. Let’s head up in the world and explore the view of Tokyo from the Metropolitan Government Building.

• When Life Gives You Lemons, Get Gin, Tonic and a Knife to cut the Lemons! Make the Lemons rue the day…
• Off to Heathrow T5 and the British Airways Galleries North Lounge
• BA770 London Heathrow to Stockholm Arlanda, EuroTraveller
• A Lazy Day in Stockholm
• Delays and More Delays – Back to Arlanda, Arlanda Terminal 5 and The Aspire Lounges
• CA912 Stockholm Arlanda to Beijing Capital Airport (Business Class)
• A Rushed Beijing transit and CA125 Beijing Capital Airport to Seoul Incheon (Business Class)
• Into South Korea, The A’Rex, The Shilla Stay Gwanghwamun
• Exploring the grounds of Gyeongbokgung Palace
• From the Top of N Seoul Tower
• Back to Seoul Incheon, Air Premia YP735 Seoul to Tokyo (Wide Premium)
• Into Japan and the hustle of Tokyo, APA Hotel Ekimae Asakusa
• Asakusa Nights
• The JR East Railway Museum (Saitama)
• Being the Very Best, Like No One Ever Was – Pokemon Centres in Tokyo
• Farewell to the Unicorn Gundam (The Mobile Suit Unicorn Gundam at DiverCity)
• From the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
• Off the Camera Roll – Tokyo Edition
• Return to Narita International Airport and  Air Premia YP732 Tokyo to Seoul (Wide Premium)
• Back into South Korea and Seoul, and the Hotel ZIYOLK, Seoul Station
• Myeongdong Nights – Off the Camera Roll
• One final journey to Incheon Airport, Asiana Airlines Lounge Terminal 1
• CA710 Seoul Incheon to Beijing Capital Airport (Business Class)
• A More Relaxed Beijing Transit and The Air China Phoenix Lounge
• CA911 Beijing Capital Airport to Stockholm Arlanda (Business Class)
• A Quick Stockholm Arrival and the Forenom Aparthotel, near Stockholm Airport
• Back to Arlanda one more time and KL1214 Stockholm Arlanda to Amsterdam Schiphol (Economy Class)
• A three-hour transit in Amsterdam, KL1045 Amsterdam Schiphol to Birmingham Airport (Economy Class)
• Who needs luggage in a hurry?  The joy of Luggage collection at Birmingham Airport
• Reality stinks. Sometimes making your own is better

There are a bunch of observation viewpoints in Tokyo, with SkyTree and Tokyo Tower being the obvious ones. But at Economy Class and Beyond, we love free.

Thus, we’re off to see the ever-changing night landscape of Tokyo from the Tokyo Metropolitan Building observation deck.

Up there. 

Getting there is easy enough. You have the choice of fighting through Shinjuku Station, Tochomae Station on the Ōedo Line (nearest), or Nishi-Shinjuku Station.

And no, there’s no gold badge or star for navigating the labyrinth that’s Shinjuku Station.

As there’s no entry fee for this observation deck, you just have to pass a bag check and wait in line to get in the elevators. No annoying photo booth, just queue and get in.

I like that.

There are two observation decks, the North and South, with the South tower being the one that’s open late.

Hello Kitty is also there in poster form to help and advise visitors on some Japanese etiquette.

Exiting the deck, there is plenty of space, seating and… everything. Much better than Seoul Tower, and lighting is managed, so reflections, whilst there, are much fewer.

Sadly, Fuji-san was not in the mood to come out and play. My luck is turning into Chris Broad’s on that front. 

SkyTree in the distance 

There’s also a gift store/cafe to go along with the place – but it doesn’t dominate the place.

Although they seem to be out of the Bort Hanko stamps. 

You are here. Somewhere. 

As for the views, it’s always nice seeing a city go from dusk to night, as lights are turned on and Tokyo comes alive.

You’ll enjoy fighting the reflections.

As the sky darkens, the lights start to come on, and there’s that magic moment between dusk and night.

And Tokyo always shows itself so well at night.

As always, there’s a queue to exit the tower, with two lifts going up and down. I can deal with this, with the queue moving. A lot less of a queue than at Seoul Tower, with me in a lift in 5 minutes.

From here, I had other things I needed to do in the darkness and LEDs of a Tokyo evening.

Next:

Time for something raw and very unprocessed – and Off The Camera Roll. 

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