TOKYO CITY VIEW and Sky Deck (Roppongi Hills)
Hi Travelers, this is Kumi. I'm now planning to publish a Kindle book on Tokyo photo locations. In this book, a traveler/photographer, Cat, asks questions to a guide/photographer, Kumi.
C: Cat - traveler/photographer
K: Kumi - guide/photographer
* * * * * * * * *
C: So, you like Roppongi Hills the best, right?
K: Yes. Its distance to Tokyo Tower is perfect. I was thrilled to take this photo.
C: I bet. Oh, I see Tokyo Skytree in the distance!
K: If you give up Tokyo Skytree, you could place Tokyo Tower on the left and capture the car lights like this.
C: Oh, I like this one, too! How's the shooting condition?
K: Before talking about the shooting condition, let me give you the basic information about Roppongi Hills. There are two different observation decks. TOKYO CITY VIEW and Sky Deck.
K: TOKYO CITY VIEW is an indoor area. It's 1,800 yen to go up there.
K: Sky Deck is the rooftop deck around the heliport. I took the first and the second photos from here.
K: You can go up there if you have a ticket to TOKYO CITY VIEW, Mori Art Museum, or Mori Arts Center Gallery, but you still have to pay an extra 500 yen.
C: Is it easy to buy a ticket on the spot or will there be a long waiting line?
K: It really depends but I went there three times during weekday right before sunset and I didn't need to wait at all. However, you could buy the ticket to TOKYO CITY VIEW, Mori Art Museum, or Mori Arts Center Gallery in advance at a convenience store such as Lawson, Seven Eleven, etc. You can find the information if you click on this link and scroll all the way down to Advance Tickets.
https://art-view.roppongihills.com/en/info/index.html#tickets
K: As for going up to the Sky Deck, you can pay 500 yen on the spot.
C: That's good to know. What time does it open and close?
K: Here is what the website says:
-- Tokyo City View --
Weekdays and Holidays
10:00-23:00 (Last Admission: 22:30)
Fridays, Saturdays, Days before holidays
10:00-25:00 (Last Admission: 24:00)
-- Sky Deck --
Monday - Sunday
11:00-20:00 (Last Admission: 19:30)
C: What does 25:00 mean?
K: It means 1am.
C: So 25:00 on Friday night means 1am on Saturday?
K: Exactly. They sometimes extend opening hours for special occasions like the Christmas season, so you should check out the website.
https://art-view.roppongihills.com/en/info/index.html
C: OK.
K: Now, let me tell you about the shooting condition. At TOKYO CITY VIEW, some directions may not be good for shooting as the flat area outside could disrupt the view.
C: Oh, I see.
K: So you should walk around and find some good spots.
K: The Tokyo Tower side is nice because there is nothing outside and you can look down.
C: Can I use a tripod?
K: Yes, you can use a tripod on this floor. I'd recommend bringing a lens hood, too.
C: OK. How about the rooftop?
K: All you could bring up is your phone and your camera. You should leave the rest of your stuff in the coin locker. If you have big bags, there is a counter where you can leave them. Also, if you don't have a 100 yen coin, they'll help you break a note. Your coin will be returned when you open the locker, so you can come back here any time to pick up an extra battery or an SD card.
C: Hahaha. You do know photographers. LOL
K: Once you're ready, take the elevator to the rooftop.
C: This must be exciting.
K: It is!
K: Once you come up here, you're asked to walk only on the wooden deck.
K: This is the Tokyo Tower side.
K: Bringing in a tripod is prohibited but you could put on your camera here and there.
K: This is my favorite position.
K: This is the other side. You could see Mt Fuji on a clear day.
C: How's the night view of this direction?
K: You can capture the glowing street stretching to Shibuya in the west and skyscrapers in Shinjuku in the northwest.
K: This is the location.
https://www.suncalc.org/#/35.6605,139.7292,15/2020.03.20/12:00/1/3
C: What are the blue lights at the bottom?
K: That's the edge of Roppongi Hills. Here is the day view of the Tokyo Tower side so actually, you really need to work on composition or trim the bottom later.
C: Hmm...
K: Therefore, some people may prefer to shoot from the indoor deck on the 52nd floor.
C: Can I go down to the 52nd floor and come up here again?
K: Yes, you can go up and down as many times as you want. However, if you go down from the 52nd floor to the ticket floor, you cannot come up again, so be careful.
C: Are there any cafes or restaurants?
K: You can enjoy some food and drinks at Cafe THE SUN, Restaurant THE MOON, or THE MOON Lounge.
https://art-view.roppongihills.com/en/cafe-restaurant/
C: I might spend hours here.
C: Cat - traveler/photographer
K: Kumi - guide/photographer
* * * * * * * * *
C: So, you like Roppongi Hills the best, right?
K: Yes. Its distance to Tokyo Tower is perfect. I was thrilled to take this photo.
C: I bet. Oh, I see Tokyo Skytree in the distance!
K: If you give up Tokyo Skytree, you could place Tokyo Tower on the left and capture the car lights like this.
C: Oh, I like this one, too! How's the shooting condition?
K: Before talking about the shooting condition, let me give you the basic information about Roppongi Hills. There are two different observation decks. TOKYO CITY VIEW and Sky Deck.
K: TOKYO CITY VIEW is an indoor area. It's 1,800 yen to go up there.
K: Sky Deck is the rooftop deck around the heliport. I took the first and the second photos from here.
K: You can go up there if you have a ticket to TOKYO CITY VIEW, Mori Art Museum, or Mori Arts Center Gallery, but you still have to pay an extra 500 yen.
K: It really depends but I went there three times during weekday right before sunset and I didn't need to wait at all. However, you could buy the ticket to TOKYO CITY VIEW, Mori Art Museum, or Mori Arts Center Gallery in advance at a convenience store such as Lawson, Seven Eleven, etc. You can find the information if you click on this link and scroll all the way down to Advance Tickets.
https://art-view.roppongihills.com/en/info/index.html#tickets
K: As for going up to the Sky Deck, you can pay 500 yen on the spot.
C: That's good to know. What time does it open and close?
K: Here is what the website says:
-- Tokyo City View --
Weekdays and Holidays
10:00-23:00 (Last Admission: 22:30)
Fridays, Saturdays, Days before holidays
10:00-25:00 (Last Admission: 24:00)
-- Sky Deck --
Monday - Sunday
11:00-20:00 (Last Admission: 19:30)
C: What does 25:00 mean?
K: It means 1am.
C: So 25:00 on Friday night means 1am on Saturday?
K: Exactly. They sometimes extend opening hours for special occasions like the Christmas season, so you should check out the website.
https://art-view.roppongihills.com/en/info/index.html
C: OK.
K: Now, let me tell you about the shooting condition. At TOKYO CITY VIEW, some directions may not be good for shooting as the flat area outside could disrupt the view.
C: Oh, I see.
K: So you should walk around and find some good spots.
K: The Tokyo Tower side is nice because there is nothing outside and you can look down.
C: Can I use a tripod?
K: Yes, you can use a tripod on this floor. I'd recommend bringing a lens hood, too.
C: OK. How about the rooftop?
K: All you could bring up is your phone and your camera. You should leave the rest of your stuff in the coin locker. If you have big bags, there is a counter where you can leave them. Also, if you don't have a 100 yen coin, they'll help you break a note. Your coin will be returned when you open the locker, so you can come back here any time to pick up an extra battery or an SD card.
C: Hahaha. You do know photographers. LOL
K: Once you're ready, take the elevator to the rooftop.
C: This must be exciting.
K: It is!
K: Once you come up here, you're asked to walk only on the wooden deck.
K: This is the Tokyo Tower side.
K: Bringing in a tripod is prohibited but you could put on your camera here and there.
K: This is my favorite position.
K: This is the other side. You could see Mt Fuji on a clear day.
C: How's the night view of this direction?
K: You can capture the glowing street stretching to Shibuya in the west and skyscrapers in Shinjuku in the northwest.
K: This is the location.
https://www.suncalc.org/#/35.6605,139.7292,15/2020.03.20/12:00/1/3
C: What are the blue lights at the bottom?
K: That's the edge of Roppongi Hills. Here is the day view of the Tokyo Tower side so actually, you really need to work on composition or trim the bottom later.
C: Hmm...
K: Therefore, some people may prefer to shoot from the indoor deck on the 52nd floor.
C: Can I go down to the 52nd floor and come up here again?
K: Yes, you can go up and down as many times as you want. However, if you go down from the 52nd floor to the ticket floor, you cannot come up again, so be careful.
C: Are there any cafes or restaurants?
K: You can enjoy some food and drinks at Cafe THE SUN, Restaurant THE MOON, or THE MOON Lounge.
https://art-view.roppongihills.com/en/cafe-restaurant/
C: I might spend hours here.
