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Tokyo Tower visitors are urged to take the stairs to reach the main observation deck

The tower’s elevators will be prioritised for the elderly, disabled, and a special tour up to the top deck

Kaila Imada
Written by
Kaila Imada
Associate Editor, Time Out Tokyo
Tokyo Tower at night
Photo: Timo Volz/Unsplash
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After the state of emergency was lifted earlier this week, Tokyo has slowly begun reopening, starting with the national art museums, shops and department stores. Popular attractions will soon resume business, including Tokyo Tower, albeit with some restrictions in place.

Tokyo Tower has been closed since April 8, but is set to reopen on Thursday, May 28 with shorter business hours and new safety measures in place. To avoid the typically crowded elevators, tower management highly recommends visitors walk up to the main deck using the outdoor staircase. Elderly people and those with disabilities can use the elevators, albeit with a limit of five people per ride.

The climb to the 150m-high main deck consists of 600 steps and gets you halfway up the tower in roughly 15 minutes. People who have trekked up to the main observation deck will allowed to use the elevators to descend back down.

There will also be three elevators reserved for the ‘Top Deck Special Elevator Tour’, which takes visitors all the way up to the tower’s 250m-high top deck. Arrangements for both the special elevator tour and the walk up to the main observation deck will be in place from today (May 28) until June 14.

Tokyo Tower's shortened opening hours are now from 9am to 9pm daily, with last entry at 8.30pm. The open-air walk up to the main deck closes at 8pm, with the last entry at 7.30pm. Do note that the stairway may be closed depending on weather conditions. 

If you’re planning on visiting, other new safety measures include wearing a face mask during your visit, a temperature check upon arrival, disinfecting your hands with sanitiser, and social distancing using the placed markers. See the full list of changes here.

Read our guide on how to go out safely in Tokyo.

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