TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - It is safe to say that your visit to Tokyo, Japan has not been complete yet if you have not experience the city sightseeing from the city's skyscraper observatories. There are three recommended places namely Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Sky Tree, and Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

In my second visit to Japan, I took time to enjoy the Tokyo night view from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, a building for government offices located in Shinjuku. This skycraper is also known as Tokyo Tocho.

This building is really easy to be recognized for its unique and somewhat of a mixture of science-fiction design. For children, this place is also good for playing hide and seek.

The observatory – the location designated to enjoy the city’s scenery—is open starting from 09:30 until 23:00 local time each day. I arrived at 20:30 local time which means I had 2.5 hours to get up there and enjoy the Tokyo night view from high altitude.

Luckily, the queue was not too long that night. I got into the lift from the first floor to the 45th floor. Before entering the lift, there was an officer who organized and checked every visitors. A female officer was also accompany us inside the lift.

Once we arrived, the officer would direct us so that we donot interfere with other visitors who are on their way down. These officers were friendly and swift. One reason why I opted to go to the Tokyo Metropolitan Buildng is because it is free of charge.

In the 45th floor, there was atemboshitu or glass-walled room where we can have 360 degree view of Tokyo scenery from more than 200-meter height.

Looking to the northeast, the Tokyo Sky Tree and Cocoon Tower from Mode Gakuen were seen. On the southeast, the view is the Tokyo Tower. When the day bright enough, we can even see the snowy peak of Mt. Fuji on the west. There are also cafe and souvenir shops inside the temboshitsu.

A different angle of view is offered by Tokyo Sky Tree, the second tallest building after Dubai’s Burj Khalifa. The 634-meter high building offers wider angle.

Tokyo Sky Tree was built in 2008 near the Asakusa regions and had since became the landmark of Tokyo. The construction cost is estimated to reach Rp6.8 trillion.

Unfortunately, the view from Tokyo Sky Tree is not for free. Visitors are charged for entrance ticket fee that can be purchased on the fifth floor for 2,060 yen or around Rp236,000. To enter the Tembo Galeria, additional cost of 1,030 yen or Rp118,000 is applied.

Tokyo Tower is not free but the tickets are offered at lower price. The ticket price here differs according to the height level. To be in the main observation floor, which is on the 150-meter height, the ticket starts from 300 to 800 yen (Rp34,000 to Rp92,000). To reach the special observation spot on the 250-meter height, additional ticket price of 350 to 600 yen (Rp40,000to Rp69,000) is applied.

For me, Tokyo Tower has its particular charm. There are several floors on the top having transparent glass floorings. Looking down through the transparent floor is quiet an adrenalin-pumping experience. We can also enjoy the breeze of Tokyo sky when going up the stair to the central deck on the 200-meter heigth.

IRMAWATI