Sky Tree is said to be one of Tokyo’s landmarks.
It is about twice as tall as Tokyo Tower, which is also located in Tokyo.
Therefore, the view from the observation deck is overwhelmingly scaled and impressive.
Also nearby, across the Sumida River, is Sensoji, the oldest temple in Tokyo.
The area around the Sumida River has a unique atmosphere where Japan’s newest pagodas and oldest temples coexist.
This time we will introduce in detail Tokyo’s landmark Sky Tree and Tokyo’s oldest temple, Sensoji Temple.

①What kind of place is Tokyo’s landmark “Sky Tree”?

Skytree is a radio tower located in Oshiage, Sumida Ward, Tokyo.
The official name is “Tokyo Skytree”.
The name comes from the wish that people would gather near the tree and unite their hearts, hence the name “Sky Tree,” which means “a big tree facing the sky.”
Sky Tree was completed on February 29, 2012.

❶How tall is Sky Tree?

The height of Sky Tree is 634m.
I will explain why the Sky Tree is 634m tall. The place where the Sky Tree is located used to be called “Musashi no kuni”. 634 and Musashi have similar pronunciation in Japanese. So it seems that the height is 634m.
By the way, the height of the Sky Tree project when it was launched was approximately 610m, not 634m.
The current height of 634m was adopted because the project team aimed to make it the world’s tallest free-standing radio tower.

❷What is the current tallest Skytree in the world?

Skytree is currently the world’s tallest radio tower.
However, it is currently the third tallest building in the world.
By the way, the current tallest building in the world is Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates, followed by Merdeka 118 in Indonesia.
Furthermore, Tokyo Skytree was recognized as the world’s number one by Guinness on November 17, 2011, even before it was completed.

❸You can see the planetarium at Sky Tree

You can see the planetarium at Sky Tree.
The official name of the planetarium at Sky Tree is “Konica Minolta Planetarium Tenku.”
The location is on the 7th floor of Tokyo Skytree Town East Yard.
Konica Minolta Planetarium Tenku opened at the same time as Tokyo Skytree Town.
Konica Minolta Planetarium Tenku’s feature is that it is a planetarium for adults.
Therefore, we recommend visiting as a couple.

❹Sumida Aquarium

Sumida Aquarium is an aquarium located in Tokyo Solamachi in Tokyo Skytree Town.
The address is “Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi 5F/6F”.
Tokyo Solamachi is a shopping center belonging to Tokyo Skytree Town.
Sumida Aquarium is an urban indoor aquarium built on the 5th and 6th floors of Tokyo Solamachi.

The feature is based on the concept of moving from an aquarium for “viewing” to an aquarium for “experiencing,” and it is an experiential program that customers can experience for themselves.
Currently, Sumida Aquarium exhibits approximately 10,000 living creatures of approximately 400 species.
Sumida Aquarium is recommended for a family outing.

➁What is Sensoji, the oldest temple in Tokyo?

Sensoji is a temple located in Asakusa, Taito Ward, Tokyo.
Sensoji is pronounced “sensoji.”
It was founded in 628, during the 36th year of Emperor Suiko of the Asuka period, making it the oldest temple in Tokyo.

❶ Sensoji Temple is located across the Sumida River and is close to the Sky Tree.

Sensoji Temple and Sky Tree are located very close to each other across the Sumida River.
You can get there in about 12 to 15 minutes on foot.
It’s just the right distance for a walk.

❷What kind of courses are there to walk from Asakusa to Sky Tree?

To walk from Asakusa to Skytree, there are two routes across the Sumida River:
There is a course that goes through Azumabashi Bridge and a course that goes through Toibashi Bridge.
The two courses will take you to the Sky Tree in approximately the following time.

①Azumabashi course (1100m): About 15 minutes

② Kotoibashi Course (900m): Approximately 12 minutes

There are many things to see from Sensoji Temple to Skytree, so we recommend walking.

❸ Sensoji Temple is famous for its large lanterns

Sensoji Temple is famous for its large lanterns.
The concrete size is 3.9m in height, 3.3m in diameter, and 700kg in weight.
There is a large lantern at the Kaminarimon Gate in front of Sensoji Temple.
Kaminarimon and large lanterns are the symbols of Asakusa.

By the way, the large lanterns are rebuilt every 10 years, starting in 1960, and the last time was in 2020.
It takes 10 craftsmen to make it by pasting together approximately 300 sheets of Japanese paper.

➂Access information to Sky Tree

Here you will find detailed information about access to Sky Tree.
The address of Sky Tree is 1-chome Oshiage, Sumida-ku, Tokyo.

❶ Route from Tokyo Station to Sky Tree by train

Tokyo Station ⇒ JR Yamanote Line (inner loop) ⇒ Kanda ⇒ Tokyo Metro Ginza Line ⇒ Asakusa ⇒ Tobu Isesaki Line Regular ⇒ Sky Tree

Summary

This time, we introduced Tokyo’s landmark Sky Tree and Sensoji, the oldest temple in Tokyo.
Sky Tree is a popular sightseeing spot in Tokyo where you can see the entire cityscape of Tokyo from the observation deck.
Sensoji Temple is the oldest temple in Tokyo with a history of about 1,400 years, and is a tourist spot that is full of good old Japanese tradition and a downtown atmosphere.
Both are sure to captivate visitors.
When you visit Tokyo, we highly recommend visiting the Sky Tree and Sensoji Temple.

▲Sensoji Temple

▲Tokyo Sky Tree