SHIBUYA SKY (Shibuya Scramble Square)
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: You said you'd tell me about the observation deck at Shibuya Scramble Square, didn't you?
K: Yes, I did. I went there in the daytime so I still haven't taken night shots but it was really nice up there.
C: Oh, this looks like a very special experience. Where's the exact location?
K: It's right next to the JR Shibuya station.
https://www.suncalc.org/#/35.6584,139.7019,18/2020.03.20/12:00/1/3
K: You can take the elevator from the ground level to the 14th floor where the ticket office is located.
C: Can I buy a ticket online in advance?
K: I was going to recommend that because it's cheaper.
C: That's good to know.
K: Here is the ticket information.
https://www.shibuya-scramble-square.com/sky/ticket/en/
C: Oh? Do I need to pick the date and the time?
K: Yes. The admission time will be shown like 14:00-14:20, 14:20-14:40, 14:40-15:00...
C: Does it mean I can be there for only 20 minutes!??
K: No, no, no. Once you enter the area, you can stay as much as you want. I mean until the closing time.
C: Oh, OK. Phew...
K: Buying the online ticket is a bit complicated because you need to create an account on a ticket sales site called "Webket."
C: Can't I buy a ticket as a "visitor" not as a "member"?
K: I didn't see such an option. Well, if you buy a ticket at the counter, you don't need to create an account.
C: Hmm...
K: Anyway, once you go through the ticket gate, take the elevator to the 45th floor, then take the escalator...
K: Then you'll come to the 46th floor. To go up to the rooftop, you need to leave most of your stuff here as you are only allowed to bring your camera with a neck strap and your phone.
C: Just like Roppongi Hills, right?
K: Right. Your 100-yen coin will be returned.
C: That’s good to hear!
K: Now, this is the outdoor area on the 46th floor. The corner is facing the famous intersection.
C: You said you didn't like this position much, didn't you?
K: Yes. First of all, I needed to wait a lot to get to the position and I was annoyed by the reflection as I didn't have anything to cover my camera like a lens skirt.
C: I assume I would feel the pressure that I have to give up the spot for the next person.
K: Exactly. Anyway, let me show you around the rooftop.
K: Ta-da!
C: Wow!! This is cool!!
K: If you have some distance from the glass, you may get a reflection like this.
C: This is interesting, isn't it?
K: I think so. You could take some surreal shots.
C: I'll try that. Are there any spots where the glass walls are lower?
K: Yes. For example, there are some spots like this.
C: Oh, I see. The walls are lower because the 46th floor is wider than the rooftop, right?
K: Yes. Only around the northwest corner though.
C: Do you think I can secretly attach a mini pod here?
K: I don't think so because a security guard warned me when my camera lens went over the glass wall only by an inch.
C: No way...
K: So basically, you cannot do much up here, but you can really enjoy the view and it feels great on a sunny day!
C: What can I see from here?
K: The green area is Yoyogi Park and you can see Shinjuku behind it.
K: This is Yoyogi National Stadium build in 1964.
C: Was this build for the previous Olympic games?
K: Yes. This stadium will be used at the 2020 Olympics, too. It will host handball competitions.
C: Can I see the new stadium?
K: Yes. This is the New National Stadium opened on November 30, 2019.
C: Cool! Can I see the Tokyo Tower?
K: Yes, but the glass wall on the Tokyo Tower side is high.
C: Oh, you mean I need to take photos through the glass?
K: Right. Anyway, this is the view.
C: Hmm... The buildings at the bottom of the frame may be a bit too distracting.
K: That's exactly what I thought. So it would be nicer to place the horizon at 1/3 from the bottom and capture colorful clouds in the sky.
C: That should work!
K: By the way, I tried to find the place to shoot Tokyo Tower without glass, but it looked like this.
C: What are those lines?
K: The top edge of the glass wall. There are also these lights between you and the wall.
C: Hmm... now I see that this isn't a very good spot for night views.
K: But the 46th seems more ideal for a night-view shooting. You're allowed to use a tripod here and the lights are dim.
K: If you look at the floor map. I added two stars on it. You can shoot the Tokyo Tower from the area with the red star and you can shoot the Shibuya Crossing from the blue star.
C: Looks like a nice angle!
C: Sounds exciting! Is there any place to have a seat and enjoy tea or coffee?
K: There is this cafe called "Paradise Lounge."
C: How much is a beer?
K: Tokyo Craft is 890 yen which is about 8 USD and there are some places to sit down.
C: This is helpful.
K: There are gift shops, too. One is on the 46th floor and the other on the 45th.
C: Cute!! I love this bag with sushi at the Crossing!
K: They do have a lot of attractive stuff so you need to be careful. LOL
C: Yeah, I should.
K: By the way, there are these signs on the 46th floor so they help you find things.
C: Oh? Can I see Mt. Fuji from Tokyo?
K: On a clear day, yes.
C: Cat - traveler/photographer
K: Kumi - guide/photographer
* * * * * * * * *
C: You said you'd tell me about the observation deck at Shibuya Scramble Square, didn't you?
K: Yes, I did. I went there in the daytime so I still haven't taken night shots but it was really nice up there.
C: Oh, this looks like a very special experience. Where's the exact location?
K: It's right next to the JR Shibuya station.
https://www.suncalc.org/#/35.6584,139.7019,18/2020.03.20/12:00/1/3
K: You can take the elevator from the ground level to the 14th floor where the ticket office is located.
C: Can I buy a ticket online in advance?
K: I was going to recommend that because it's cheaper.
C: That's good to know.
K: Here is the ticket information.
https://www.shibuya-scramble-square.com/sky/ticket/en/
C: Oh? Do I need to pick the date and the time?
K: Yes. The admission time will be shown like 14:00-14:20, 14:20-14:40, 14:40-15:00...
C: Does it mean I can be there for only 20 minutes!??
K: No, no, no. Once you enter the area, you can stay as much as you want. I mean until the closing time.
C: Oh, OK. Phew...
K: Buying the online ticket is a bit complicated because you need to create an account on a ticket sales site called "Webket."
C: Can't I buy a ticket as a "visitor" not as a "member"?
K: I didn't see such an option. Well, if you buy a ticket at the counter, you don't need to create an account.
C: Hmm...
K: Anyway, once you go through the ticket gate, take the elevator to the 45th floor, then take the escalator...
K: Then you'll come to the 46th floor. To go up to the rooftop, you need to leave most of your stuff here as you are only allowed to bring your camera with a neck strap and your phone.
C: Just like Roppongi Hills, right?
K: Right. Your 100-yen coin will be returned.
C: That’s good to hear!
K: Now, this is the outdoor area on the 46th floor. The corner is facing the famous intersection.
C: You said you didn't like this position much, didn't you?
K: Yes. First of all, I needed to wait a lot to get to the position and I was annoyed by the reflection as I didn't have anything to cover my camera like a lens skirt.
C: I assume I would feel the pressure that I have to give up the spot for the next person.
K: Exactly. Anyway, let me show you around the rooftop.
K: Ta-da!
K: If you have some distance from the glass, you may get a reflection like this.
C: This is interesting, isn't it?
K: I think so. You could take some surreal shots.
C: I'll try that. Are there any spots where the glass walls are lower?
K: Yes. For example, there are some spots like this.
C: Oh, I see. The walls are lower because the 46th floor is wider than the rooftop, right?
K: Yes. Only around the northwest corner though.
C: Do you think I can secretly attach a mini pod here?
K: I don't think so because a security guard warned me when my camera lens went over the glass wall only by an inch.
C: No way...
K: So basically, you cannot do much up here, but you can really enjoy the view and it feels great on a sunny day!
K: The green area is Yoyogi Park and you can see Shinjuku behind it.
K: This is Yoyogi National Stadium build in 1964.
C: Was this build for the previous Olympic games?
K: Yes. This stadium will be used at the 2020 Olympics, too. It will host handball competitions.
C: Can I see the new stadium?
K: Yes. This is the New National Stadium opened on November 30, 2019.
C: Cool! Can I see the Tokyo Tower?
K: Yes, but the glass wall on the Tokyo Tower side is high.
K: Right. Anyway, this is the view.
C: Hmm... The buildings at the bottom of the frame may be a bit too distracting.
K: That's exactly what I thought. So it would be nicer to place the horizon at 1/3 from the bottom and capture colorful clouds in the sky.
C: That should work!
K: By the way, I tried to find the place to shoot Tokyo Tower without glass, but it looked like this.
C: What are those lines?
K: The top edge of the glass wall. There are also these lights between you and the wall.
C: Hmm... now I see that this isn't a very good spot for night views.
K: But the 46th seems more ideal for a night-view shooting. You're allowed to use a tripod here and the lights are dim.
K: If you look at the floor map. I added two stars on it. You can shoot the Tokyo Tower from the area with the red star and you can shoot the Shibuya Crossing from the blue star.
K: This one is from the blue star.
C: Looks like a nice angle!
K: See? Also, if I have a chance to shoot night views from this observation deck, I'll try long exposure with this angle. The car lights should look amazing.
K: There is this cafe called "Paradise Lounge."
C: How much is a beer?
K: Tokyo Craft is 890 yen which is about 8 USD and there are some places to sit down.
C: This is helpful.
K: There are gift shops, too. One is on the 46th floor and the other on the 45th.
C: Cute!! I love this bag with sushi at the Crossing!
K: They do have a lot of attractive stuff so you need to be careful. LOL
C: Yeah, I should.
K: By the way, there are these signs on the 46th floor so they help you find things.
C: Oh? Can I see Mt. Fuji from Tokyo?
K: On a clear day, yes.
