Tokyo, a vast metropolis has many free access observatories spread across the city and Bunkyo Civic Center Observation deck is one of those awesome spots. Not only does it boast of awesome views of the city, it is the FREE ACCESS to the observatory which was so helpful in my initial days in Japan when I did not have much money to spend on tourist attractions
The moment you enter the observatory on the 26th floor, you get a grand view of the city. The traffic which seems “busy” from the ground level suddenly feels a calm and slow in its movement.A minute walk from the Tokyo Metro Korakuen Station, the Bunkyo Civic Center has been around for some time, the observatory has become more famous of a spot since 2011 after the Tokyo Skytree made its debut. You need to have a zoom lens to ensure that you are able to capture some stunning views of the Tokyo Skytree. In an iPhone format the below is what you get with no zoom
So what is the most sought after view from the observatory? WITHOUT DOUBT it is the Mount Fuji in the distance on a particularly clear day. With the well lit city Shinjuku area in the foreground, this is one os my most favourite view of the Tokyo metropolis.The observatory views are more beautiful in the evenings and especially after the Skytree light up around 18:00 or 19:00 depending on the season. You can also see the other closely attractions of the Tokyo Dome and the ferris wheel in the premises of the Korakuen.The Skytree views are just out of the world on a zoomed in format. I plan to do a time-lapse video here someday, just someday when its clear and I have loads of time too…The city lights and traffic actions continues endlessly, and the lighting inside the observatory has been arranged so that you do not get reflections of the inside lights on the glass of the observatory! PERFECT for photographers and no distraction viewing.A black and white silhouette of the Mount Fuji for records sake….On the way back you can go around the Tokyo Dome and the nearby entertainment-adventure park where you can get on some crazy rides and insane drops. I do not understand why people pay money to frighten themselves. I am not gonna ever get onto something like that. YIKES. Done with enjoying the evening and having a cup of hot coffee with my wife, we made our way back on the Marunouchi Line back home. Sometimes going by public transport is more fun than always getting into a car…LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST, do not visit in new year holidays. I did once and it was CLOSED. Horrible experience on a cold day in December. Access from Tokyo Metro Korakuen Station. Location is below