TOKYO SKYTREE
Tokyo Skytree, the "Sky Tree" of Tokyo, is a broadcasting tower that opened on 29 February 2012. It reaches an impressive height of 634 metres, making it the tallest broadcasting tower in the world and the second-tallest structure on Earth of any kind (after Dubai's Burj Khalifa skyscraper at 828 m). Naturally, it is also the tallest building in Japan and one of Tokyo's main landmarks. The lower section, built from steel tubing, is painted in a white shade called "aijiro" (the traditional white of the sky tree). Elevators run up through the inside of this section, of course, serving the upper floors where the observation decks are located.
Like most buildings in Tokyo, this one is designed to withstand any earthquakes and other natural disasters. The observation decks sit at heights of 350 m and 450 m. "The height of 634 m was chosen because it is easy to remember. The digits 6 (mu in Japanese), 3 (sa) and 4 (shi) together form the name Musashi, the old name of the region where the tower stands."
There are many spots in Tokyo where you can head for a view, and quite a few of them are even free. Tokyo Skytree isn't one of them, but even so you won't pay a fortune here. The bigger problem is that it draws a lot of tourists, so you have to be prepared for a longer wait. It's worth asking whether it even makes sense to come here specifically to enjoy the view over the metropolis. For one thing, 350 m, or even 450 m, is already so high up that it's hard to take truly great photos, and at the best times you'll certainly be treated to a long queue.
Perhaps it's more interesting, then, to explore Tokyo Skytree from the surrounding neighbourhoods and photograph it in the context of the city. Here you'll come across a whole range of wonderful views, especially from the Asakusa district. In places it looks as though a spacecraft has just landed nearby, or as if one is about to blast off. The view across the traditional houses with their tiny shops and restaurants makes for an intriguing contrast, and these spots really do look fantastic in photographs.
But I don't want to put you off visiting the Skytree, so go ahead and give it a try. There aren't many places in the world where you can look out from 450 m up. What's more, Tokyo is so enormous that only from this height do you truly grasp its scale. I have to admit that I only made it to the lower deck, 350 m above the city, and even so the view was staggering. The deck is glazed all the way around, so all at once the night-time city was glowing everywhere around me, and I understood just how vast a city of 38 million people must be. That view literally sent shivers down my spine.
Tip 1: Head to the Skytree first thing in the morning, before it opens. Or better still, come in the evening, just before closing time. Personally, I think the view of the city at night is more striking from up high.
Tip 2: Head into the Asakusa district, where you'll find plenty of streets in which the distant Skytree makes a beautiful backdrop.
Gear: I say this almost everywhere, but a tripod will definitely come in handy here too, both for shooting time-lapses and for long exposures. The observation decks are made for shots like these. And if you want to shoot with a long focal length, it'll be twice as useful. I'd also bring dark clothing, because everywhere here you're forced to shoot through glass, and in a white T-shirt you'll be clearly reflected in everything. Even so, it's hard to avoid reflections from the various lights, so don't make things harder for yourself with light-coloured clothes. A polarising filter will naturally come in useful too, for a more contrasty sky, for slightly cutting through the hazy mist in the distance, and for eliminating some reflections.