Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatories

Free! Free! Free views! Yes, I said it! That means you check your patience at the door because you know there will be lines!
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office (TMG) offers free views of Tokyo. There are 2 towers: North and South. At the 45^th floor of each tower is where you’ll find the observatories. I’ll note that the north tower has the better of the 2 views, so go to the south tower first. Then hurry down and wait in line for the north tower. The north tower is also open into the evening, so I bet there are great views of the Tokyo night lights from here.
There is a security check at each point of entry to the elevators, so have your bag ready for inspection.
Supposedly on a clear day you can see Mt. Fuji, we weren’t so lucky, but the views were breathtaking, nonetheless. There were displays all over showing what notable buildings, parks, etc… were in view.
There were also volunteers there to share information, so don’t be shy.
The observatories each have a shop and restaurant.
Also on the first floor is a tourist center, along with another shop.
TMG is a must stop for any visitor to Tokyo! In fact, for any first time visitor, I would suggest to make it your first stop!

Free. Easy to access with Shinjuku station nearby. Entrance in the evening is on the lower level, follow the signs. It is also free. Views are spectacular. There is a gift shop with a lot of random items for sale. Do not forget to your stamp, near the elevator exit.

For the price of admission (FREE) you get the same view that costs $ 28.00 (2800 Yen) at Sky Tree and Tokyo Tower.
Best of all, this attraction is only a ½ mile walk from Shinjuku Plaza.
Because there are so many office workers in this area, expect to find plenty of great lunch places nearby. You won’t go hungry!
We visited BOTH the South Tower and North Tower. The elevators are fast and efficient.
Be sure to come on a clear day.

Super nice observatory deck in Shinjuku, with the biggest advantage of being for free. If the weather is clear and sunny, you will also have the chance to see the shy Mt Fuji! Indeed, the deck allows you a 360 degree panoramic view on Tokyo. A must!

Some of the best panoramic views of Tokyo and it’s free on top of that. The observation decks at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building are a great way to experience the sheer sprawl of greater Tokyo.
It’s pretty easy to get to. There’s a direct walkway from Shinjuku station otherwise it’s just the next stop on the Oedo line. It wasn’t too crowded when I was here and I didn’t have to wait for the elevators much. I was on the 45^th floor in no time enjoying views of the city.
If you’re hungry, it might be worth stopping by the staff cafeteria for some truly local cuisine at very reasonable prices. It’s lunch with a view too. Head to 32^nd floor for the cafeteria.

No tiene LA vista de Tokio pero da como para un puñado de buenas fotos. Si el clima acompaña se puede ver la cima del monte Fuji a lo lejos.
El desayuno tiene sólo 3 opciones, yo comí los waffles y me parecieron excelentes.
También tiene un negocio de souvenirs bastante completo. Ah! Y la entrada es gratis.

I supposed I have been spoilt by the Sky Garden in London which is such an amazing space and brilliant views day or night.
The building is surrounded by scaffolding at the moment, and the signs are not brilliant, you have to pass the wrong way before you see a sign pointing you back!
One good thing is it is free to go up. The lifts take you directly up to the 45^th floor into an open area with bright lights and a tourist shop full of souvenirs waiting to be brought, which at night reflects badly off the windows, so obscures whatever view you are likely to see. Also you only see about 180degrees, the rest is hidden inside the restaurant which unfortunately was completely full when we tried to go in for dinner, we had hoped to be able to get a better view, as it is dimly lit. However after waiting ages to be served at the entrance, was told that there would be at least an hour and a half wait, and we were too hungry to wait, being quite late already.
To be honest, the place could do with some modernisation, as it felt quite out of place for a Japanese venue, being a bit tacky and not of the quality of the city I have so far seen.

amazing panoramic views of the city & it’s FREE!
this place was a bit of a trek from where we were hanging out, but the views were fantastic & totally worth it! i wouldn’t recommend eating there (the food looked MEH) & the souvenirs were totally overpriced, but you get wonderful views, so can’t complain. :)

The Metropolitan Government Building, at 243 meters high, is one of the tallest buildings in Tokyo. Best part is accessing the observatory is totally free. It might be shorter than the Tokyo Tower and Skytree but you will save a lot with a view that is just as good.
There are many free tour guides on the 1^st level whom offer a simple tour in multiple languages. One of the guides said the south tower has the best views. The north tower is great for night views as it opens late.
The north observatory opens from 9:30AM to 11:00PM while the south one opens from 9:30AM to 5:30PM.
Additionally, the towers open almost every day with the exception of the following closings:
South Observatory: First and third Tuesday of every month
North Observatory: Second and fourth Monday of every month

Highly recommend! Great view and FREE.
I came here with my friends after dinner around 10:00pm but I believe the Observation Deck closes at 11:00pm. When you walk into the building, there will be a small security check before they allow you to go up to the deck. Once you get up there, it is very quiet. Window panels surround nearly the entire deck, opening to a beautiful night view of Tokyo. On a good day, you can see Mt. Fuji from the deck. I suggest coming here during the day if you want to really catch a view of the city and landscape. The night time view is equally as beautiful but it’s just obviously so much more visible in the day. Unfortunately for us, we couldn’t really see Mt. Fuji the night we went because 1) it was dark and 2) it was cloudy.
**Most of the people at the observatory deck were young couples. In fact, when I was talking to a man I met at the hostel in which I was staying that I was planning on going to the Tokyo Metropolitan Gov’t Observatory, he said, «Don’t go by yourself. Go with a boy friend. Or better yet, a boyfriend.»
«Why?»
“Because you don’t want to look like a loser. Hell, I just asked a random girl I met outside the building if she wanted to go up with me.“
Right. Well, thanks for the tip.
There’s also a small gift shop in the centre floor of the deck, selling a range of souvenirs, from stickers and keychains to chopsticks and stuffed animals and even socks. My friends and I had a lot of fun. The Observatory is a short walking distance from Shinjuku. Even though we weren’t able to go up to see the city from the Tokyo Sky Tower, we still enjoyed a magnificent view of Tokyo.

A free observatory. It’s kind of like the Skytree in a sense, just free! The views are pretty beautiful, and they have tons of knick knacks you can buy inside.
After like 5 – 10 minutes, you’re pretty much over it already though. But hey, it’s free, nice view, no complaints!

A free place for you to get views of Japan, though it doesn’t cover all of Tokyo, so you’re not getting the same views as you would in the Mori building but still a nice stop to make if you don’t want to spend any money to see the views.
We came here and it was cloudy so we didn’t get to see much either. There’s quite a bit of gift shops for you to peruse though.

This observatory is just okay, definitely not the best. Yes, it’s free, but it’s inside and you do not get a 360-​degree view of the outside. However, it’s nice to be able to see Tokyo from above, and apparently on a clear day you can see Mt. Fuji.
Be sure to peruse the gift shops, as they have some interesting things you could check out, even if you don’t buy anything.

It’s definitely a cool view atop the TMG building. But after seeing way too many observatory decks, it just got old.
Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Sky Tree, Asakusa Tourist Center, Mori Tower, ferris wheels, etc. are some other options.
If you’re in Shinjuku, there are better things to see than to wander into its business district.

My tour group and I were dropped off in the parking garage below and followed the line through security checkpoint. Then we took a large elevator to the 45^th floor for awesome views of the city. And yes, totally free! It was quite cloudy that day, but still beautiful views. There was a cool souvenir shop as well as a café at the observatory. It had some really great odds and ends. I kind of regret not buying some things as I kept thinking I’d see more of it later on in our trip. If you see something you like, buy it! Make sure you use the washroom; it’s clean.

Although it can be a bit of an effort to get here, the views are definitely worth it. Oh and it’s FREE to go up to the observatory!
Government buildings are usually ho-​hum, but Tokyo’s are excellent because they have an observation tower on top which is perfect for tourists and anyone who wants to get a great view of the city. Try to go when the weather is nice of course, but even if it’s a bit cloudy you are still able to see quite far. There are various vendors located in the observatory that are selling some cute items, which are tempting to buy but pretty expensive.

The building was a great (and free!) way to view Tokyo from above. It’s a bit out of the way from the Ginza area where I stayed, but near enough to Harajuku and other fun areas. You have a great 360 view of the city and there is a lounge and café area at the top as well. It’s a huge and spacious room and almost completely windows — a great place to relax as well!
The staff at the building are also part of the city tourist help and are an invaluable resource in providing information about anything. The staff helped me find a tea ceremony and explained different kabuki shows to me. They speak ok english and were incredibly polite.

So you’ve arrived in Tokyo and can’t really get an idea of just how big the city is? Then you must visit here! You get amazing views over Tokyo and it will really take your breath away.
While it was quite a few years ago that I visited, this is one of the most memorable parts of my trip to Japan. I would go back time and time again. There’s a café and shop as well, which sells a huge range of Sylvanian Families figures.