The Free Observatories of the Tokyo Government Building

Every observation deck in Tokyo charges admission. There is one exception, and it is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building: the 45th floor of Main Building No. 1, 202 metres above the ground, free to enter. And there are two of them.

It is free because this is not an attraction. It is a government building, and the official guidance describes the decks as a place to enjoy the view while deepening one’s understanding of Tokyo and of how the city is run. In other words, the city opens it to residents and travellers alike.

North or South?

Both decks are on the 45th floor. They face different directions and keep different hours.

North Observatory

• Entry: 9:30–17:00 (the deck itself closes at 17:30; until 22:00 on days when the south deck is closed)
• Closed: the 2nd and 4th Monday of each month (the next weekday if that falls on a holiday)
• Inside: CAFE&SHOP SOCOCOCO

South Observatory

• Entry: 9:30–21:30 (the deck closes at 22:00)
• Closed: the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month (the next weekday if that falls on a holiday)
• Inside: GIFT SHOP TOKYO Mikke!
• This is the one with the public piano

For the night view, go to the south deck. The north one shuts in the late afternoon. Conversely, on the Tuesdays when the south deck is closed, the north deck stays open until 22:00.

Both are closed over the New Year period (29–31 December, 2–3 January) and on building inspection days.

Before You Go

• There is a bag check at the entrance
• You will queue. The official guidance says the wait is typically 20 to 30 minutes, varying with weather and time of day
• No advance booking is possible, and group reservations are not accepted
• Photography with a tripod is asked to be refrained from
• The decks can close at short notice in bad weather. Same-day information is posted on the official X account, @tocho_tenbou
• Take the dedicated observatory lifts on the 1st floor of Main Building No. 1. On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays the 2nd-floor entrance is closed, so go round to the main entrance on the 1st floor

What You Can See

• Northeast: Tokyo Skytree
• Southeast: Shinjuku Gyoen and Meiji Jingu
• Southwest: Shinjuku Park Tower, Tokyo Opera City
• West: Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is most often visible between December and February, when the air is cold and clear — that is the official wording. If you visit in summer and see nothing to the west, that is normal.

The display panels carry QR codes. Scanning one opens TOKYO SKY GUIDE, the view guide provided by the city, on your own phone — no app to install, 32 landmarks explained, in your own language.

The Piano on the South Deck

The south deck has a piano that anyone may play, during set hours:

• 10:00–12:00
• 14:00–16:00
• 19:00–21:00

If someone is playing, it is worth stopping to listen. There is one rule about photography. The official guidance asks visitors not to post photographs or video showing a performer on social media without that person’s permission, and performers who prefer not to be filmed can tell a member of staff. Worth knowing before you upload.

Shops on the 45th Floor — and One on the 1st

CAFE&SHOP SOCOCOCO on the north deck serves drinks and light food. Its official hours are 9:30–17:30, extended to 22:00 on days the south deck is closed.

The board on site showed 9:30–22:00 when this photograph was taken, which does not match the hours on the official page. Please check on the day rather than relying on either.

For souvenirs, the more interesting shop may be TOKYO GIFTS 62, inside the Tokyo Tourist Information Center on the 1st floor. The “62” is the number of municipalities that make up Tokyo — not only the 23 central wards, but the cities and towns of the Tama area and the Izu and Ogasawara islands as well. The shelves hold something from each.

What most people picture as a “Tokyo souvenir” and what is actually made in Tokyo are two rather different things. This is the shelf where you can see the difference.

There Is a Free Guided Tour

Volunteer guides show visitors around the building in English, Chinese and Korean. The tour takes about 40 minutes and covers the Tourist Information Center, the Metropolitan Assembly building and an observatory.

• Monday to Friday, 10:00–15:00 (excluding holidays and the New Year period)
• Last reception 14:20
• Meet at the Tokyo Tourist Information Center, Tokyo Metropolitan Government main office (Shinjuku)
• No advance booking. Sign up on the day at the starting point

After Dark, the Building Becomes the Screen

Once night falls, the east wall of Main Building No. 1 turns into an enormous screen. The show is called TOKYO Night & Light, it is run by the city, and it is also free.

• Screenings begin at 19:00, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30, 21:00 and 21:30
• Every day, except in severe weather
• Watch from Tomin Hiroba (the Citizens’ Plaza) at the foot of the building

The projection holds a Guinness World Record for the largest architectural projection-mapped display (permanent), at 13,904.956 square metres.

The programme changes. In August 2026, when these photographs were taken, a Pokémon Trading Card Game collaboration was being advertised. Check the official site for what is showing now.

One thing worth knowing: during each screening, the official website plays the same soundtrack you would hear on the plaza. You can stand anywhere with a view of the building, open the page on your phone, and watch it with sound.

Some screenings draw a crowd. For event nights the organisers ask visitors not to reserve a spot before the show begins, and the plaza is also a thoroughfare — please stand where you are not blocking the way.

Planning the Day

It all happens in one building.

1. Midday: lunch in the staff canteen on the 32nd floor (weekdays only — details here)
2. Afternoon: the observatories on the 45th floor
3. Early evening: souvenirs at TOKYO GIFTS 62 on the 1st floor
4. From 19:00: the projection mapping on Tomin Hiroba

In summer the days are long, so watching the sunset from the south deck and then coming down to the plaza makes a neat sequence.

Practical Information

• Name: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatories (45th floor, Main Building No. 1; 202 metres)
• Admission: Free
• North deck: entry 9:30–17:00, closed 2nd and 4th Mondays
• South deck: entry 9:30–21:30, closed 1st and 3rd Tuesdays
• Projection mapping: every 30 minutes from 19:00 to 21:30, free, at Tomin Hiroba
• Address: 2-8-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
• Nearest station: Tochomae (Toei Oedo Line), directly connected; about 10 minutes on foot from the west exit of JR Shinjuku Station
• Enquiries: observatory information line 03-5320-7890 (weekdays 10:00–17:00, Japanese only)
• Official: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Bureau of Finance / TOKYO Night & Light

Getting There

Walking On Into the Night

The last screening finishes at around 22:00, and Shinjuku is only beginning. If you would rather see the city after dark with someone who knows it, there is now a private night walk built around exactly this pair of places.

It leaves from Tochomae Station, Exit A7 — the station the observatories are attached to — and gives about an hour and a quarter to the Metropolitan Government Building and another hour and a quarter to Kabukichō. Departures run from 18:00 to 20:00, ending between 20:30 and 22:30, with an English-speaking guide and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Two honest notes. The observatories are free and so is the projection mapping — a tour buys you a guide and Kabukichō after dark, not access to anything you would otherwise have to pay for. And this is a new listing with no reviews yet, at US$106.45 for a private group, so it is a considered purchase rather than an impulse one.

Building It at Home

The building Kenzo Tange designed splits into two towers partway up — a shape that is hard to appreciate from the deck itself, and much clearer when you look up at it from the plaza. There is a paper model kit of exactly that shape.

There is more about it in the paper model article.

Note: Opening hours, closing days and screening times may change. Please check the official site before your visit.

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