Jutting out of the city center, you’d be mistaken for thinking that the Tokyo Tower is simply a knock-off of the Eiffel Tower. While its Parisian counterpart was certainly an influence on the communications structure, the Tokyo Tower has its own distinct flair. These days, the recently completed Skytree overshadows the slightly smaller Tokyo Tower. However, if you want a little more history and a little less of a crowd, there are still stunning views of Tokyo’s city-scape from the top of the red and white lattice tower. Best of all, this Tokyo Tower Trek takes you on a walk through the surrounding area and includes a chance to grab some world-class ramen. You can find a map of the tour here.
Fueling your Tokyo Tower Trek
While you can easily walk to Tokyo Tower from either Onarimon or Akabanebashi stations on the Mita or Hibiya subway lines respectively, those up for a more leisurely walk can get off at Tamachi station and walk north. Tamachi might not initially seem like the most exciting spot for sightseeing. It was a former residential area surrounded by rice fields. However, a walk through the Tamachi neighborhood yields a few interesting spots.
In particular, this is the perfect place to grab lunch or dinner ahead of your Tokyo Tower Trek. Ramen and Tsukemen fans will find dozens of options to enjoy.
The flagship store for the popular Mita Seimenjo is a short walk from the station. Similarly, the Azabu Ramen store a little further west is typically full at lunch. If you take a short walk through the backstreets of Tamachi you’ll also find several more ramen stores. You can also find other options, such as soba, curry and Chinese food.
Visiting Keio University
If you find yourself curious about student life in Japan, you can take a quick tour of the Keio University campus. Keio is one of the biggest private universities in the country, and the campus is worth a quick look. It’s probably best not to go directly into any of the buildings. However, a stroll through the west gates reveals a campus that looks like it was transplanted from Europe.
The university was founded as a school of Western Studies in 1858 and remains a great place to get a taste of architecture from that period. Once you’ve got a taste of student life, you can head back out the eastern exit. Then, make your way north along the broad Sakurada-dori Avenue.
Tokyo Tower and Beyond
You’ll have no trouble finding your way to the Tokyo Tower as you head north. However, rather than head straight to the Tokyo Tower, consider taking a quick detour to Shiba Park. The large green space in the middle of the city is a great place to relax. It’s also home to Zojoji temple, the gate of which is the oldest wooden building in Tokyo.
You can make a leisurely loop through the park before circling back and making your way to the Tower.
One of the advantages of the Tokyo Tower is that it is considerably cheaper than the Skytree. It also hosts a number of events, from anime exhibitions to club nights. Regardless of the time of day, the Tower offers stunning views of the city, and is the perfect vantage point to pick out the next destination on your trip.
Unlike the movie version of the Tokyo Tower, you’re not likely to catch sight of Godzilla or his rivals battling it out from the top of the tower. However, you might find the glass floor nearly as intimidating. If that doesn’t seem your speed, consider stopping for a coffee on the observation deck and taking in the sunset.
When you’re done with the Tokyo Tower, you can head back down to the base and make your way over to Onarimon Station. With the view of the city still in your head, you shouldn’t have much of a problem picking out where to go next.
Post by Japan Journeys.
