The Shibuya Scramble Square building opened in November 2019 in the busy area around Tokyo's Shibuya Station.

Reproduced with permission from 紗未 Sami (@szuuxlo)

On its rooftop, "SHIBUYA SKY" offers a 360-degree view of Shibuya from 229 meters above the city. Not only does it offer an excellent birds-eye view of the famous Shibuya scramble crossing but it also affords breathtaking views of the entire city. Naturally, it's a popular tourist spot.

Reproduced with permission from 紗未 Sami (@szuuxlo)

While taking normal pictures of the cityscape is more than enough reason to visit, you can also follow the example of Japanese Twitter user and photography buff 紗未 Sami (@szuuxlo) and take some more artistic photos if you intentionally incorporate the protective glass which reflects the image of the visitors. The key is to know what time of day to do it.

As Sami demonstrates, this is what you can achieve when you take photos at sunset when the reflected silhouette of the visitors is most visible and the effect is most striking:

Reproduced with permission from 紗未 Sami (@szuuxlo)

Sami also photographed people's silhouettes without using the reflections on the glass. As you can see, this can also create a striking effect:

Reproduced with permission from 紗未 Sami (@szuuxlo)


Visiting Shibuya Sky

Access

You have direct access to the Shibuya Scramble Square building from Shibuya Station.

  • JR Line: From the JR Central or JR South ticket gates, proceed in the direction of the East Exit.
  • Tokyu-Toyoko Line: Turn right after passing through the Shibuya Hikarie 1 ticket gate.
  • Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line: Turn left after passing through the Shibuya Hikarie 2 ticket gate.
  • Tokyu Denentoshi and Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Lines: Turn left after passing through the Miyamasuzaka Central ticket gate.
  • Tokyo Metro Ginza Line and Keio Inokashira Lines: Pass through the ticket gate and proceed in the direction of Shibuya Hikarie.

Hours

Shibuya Sky is open from 10:00 AM to 10:30 PM with final admission at 21:20 PM.

Tickets

As for tickets, it's recommended to purchase them online in advance since you never know when things get too crowded and spots are unavailable if you try to buy a ticket the same day.

Advance tickets cost 1,800 JPY for adults over 18, 1,400 JPY for junior and high school students, 900 JPY for elementary school students, and 500 JPY for infants from 3-5. Admission is free under 3. Same-day tickets cost 2,000 JPY, 1,600 JPY, 1,000 JPY and 600 JPY respectively for the same categories. Persons with disabilities get a 50% discount. Payment can be made by cash, credit card, e-money, or QR code.

Other information

The rooftop may be closed without notice due to sudden changes in the weather or natural disasters. Neither food and drink nor large luggage can be brought on to the desktop deck.


By - grape Japan editorial staff.