This article is based on a visit made on Wednesday, 23 November 2016.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (東京都庁舎,
Tōkyō-to Chōsha), or "Tocho" (都庁,
Tōchō) for short, is a complex of buildings that serve as the main office for the government of the city and prefecture of Tokyo. Opening in 1991, it replaced the previous city hall, located across town in Yurakucho (its space is now occupied by the Tokyo International Forum). The architect Kenzo Tange, whose works also include the
Yoyogi National Stadium and
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, designed the new building. Its appearance was designed as a cross between a computer chip and a Gothic cathedral.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1, with its two towers extending up from the mid-point, is of interest to tourists for its public observation decks. There is one in each tower, and they have different open times. Both decks stand 202 metres (663 feet) above ground, and best of all, they are completely free to visit. Since this is a working government office, expect to go through a bag check before boarding the elevator up to the deck.
The wide patch of darkness in this picture is Yoyogi Park. When I visited
Meiji Shrine, which is located in the middle of that park, I commented how "the cityscape surrounding the shrine grounds seems to disappear as you walk further in and the sylvanian tranquility engulfs you". Looking at it from above, especially at night when its surroundings are all lit up, adds a new layer of depth to that argument.
This observatory is one of the places in Tokyo from where it is possible to spot Mount Fuji, off to the west. Obviously, in the darkness of this early autumn evening, that's not happening. More visible, however, is the Park Hyatt Hotel, the triple-towered building off to the left. It is one of the more expensive hotels in Tokyo, which in this town is saying something, quite frankly. It is famous as a setting for
Lost In Translation, a 2003 "romantic dramedy" movie starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johanssen. I had seen it for the first time before setting off for this holiday, and I quite liked it.
I had two cameras on me that night: the one in my cell phone, and a separate digital camera. I tried taking long-exposure night shots, such as these, with the latter. It was tough keeping it still long enough to take the picture. As such, most of those shots came out all jumpy and blurry, but this one, with Tokyo Tower glowing like a golden needle, was the best I got out of it.
The observatories also host a cafe and gift shop. Every so often, there are also expositions where local products from different regions of the country are sold. At the time of my visit, there was a "local specialties fair" with products from all 48 prefectures of Japan on sale.
Saitama is the prefecture to the immediate north of Tokyo. Some of its highlights include the urban Saitama City, the historic Kawagoe, and the rural Chichibu. Saitama's tourism board even produced an animated short feature to advertise the prefecture, called "Sightseeing War in Saitama ~Battle of Sakuya~". Its lead character, Sakuya, is portrayed front and centre on this poster.
But Saitama would have to wait, as my next travel aspirations were considerably more local. Join me for a nighttime walk through Shinjuku, next time on Sekai Ichi!
Hours: The North Observatory is open from 9:30 AM to 11:00 PM. The South Observatory is open from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM, or until 11:00 PM when the North Observatory is closed. Entry ends 30 minutes before closing time.
The North Observatory is closed on 2nd and 4th Mondays of every month, and the South Observatory is closed on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month. Both observatories are closed on 29-31 December and 2-3 January.
Costs: Free.
Address: 2-8-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tōkyō-to 〒163-8001
Access: Right next to Tocho-mae Station (Toei Oedo
(E) line), or 10 minutes on foot from Shinjuku Station (JR Yamanote
(JY), Chuo
(JC), Chuo-Sobu
(JB), Saikyo
(JA), Shonan-Shinjuku
(JS), Odakyu Odawara
(OH), Keio
(KO), Tokyo Metro Marunouchi
(M), Toei Shinjuku
(S) and Oedo
(E) lines).
From Tokyo Station, take the JR Chuo (Rapid) line to Shinjuku (JC05, 15 minutes, ¥200).
Directions: From Shinjuku Station (JR New South Exit), turn right out of the gate. Cross the street at the next intersection, turn right, then take the second left. Keep going straight, and the Metropolitan Government Building will be ahead on your right side.
Website:
(English) (Japanese)
