Jan 5, 2013

東京スカイツリー Visiting the Tokyo Sky Tree

昨年末、とうとうスカイツリーに上ってきました。
We finally made it to Tokyo Sky Tree.

東京スカイツリーは自立式電波塔として世界一の高さ634メートル。昨年5月22日の開業以来、大人気です。最初の100日間で、タワーに上がった人は162万人、上まで上がらなかった人も含めれば実に1666万人の人がスカイツリーを訪れたというんですから、本当にすごいですね。

Opened on May 22 last year, this 634-meter-tall structure is the world's tallest free-standing broadcasting tower.
Ever since its opening, it has attracted so many, soooo many visitors.  Within 100 days, 1,620,000 people went up to Tembo Deck, an observatory 350 meters high.   Number rises to 16,660,000 if you include those who just visited the premises, within 100 days, that is! 

634メートルという高さは昔東京一帯が「武蔵」と呼ばれていたことからの語呂合わせ。覚えやすいですね。

 Why is the tower 634 meters tall?  It was an intentional pun.  The number can be pronounced "mu sa shi" in Japanese and "Musashi" is the old name for the Tokyo area.  So, it is very suitable for this Tokyo's new landmark.

スカイツリーには350メートルの天望デッキと450メートルの天望回廊、二つの展望台があります。まずは天望デッキへのチケットを購入して、天望デッキで天望回廊へのチケットを買えるという仕組み。

It has two observatories, 350-meter-high Tembo Deck, and 450-meter-high Tembo Galleria.  You first get a ticket for Tembo Deck and then, at Tembo Deck, you can get a ticket for Tembo Galleria.

当日券購入は長蛇の列だと聞いていたので、迷いましたがインターネットで事前に購入。でもこれだときれいな夜景を見られるか、あるいは雲の中か、もう賭けみたいなものです。

We knew people have to wait in a long line to get tickets, so we got web tickets in advance.  But it means we are leaving it to chance whether we have a gorgeous night view or we just find ourselves in thick clouds.

当日の天気予報は雨。結構ガックリしていましたが、なんと、晴れました!     \(^o^)/

But we were lucky.  Although the forecast said it would rain that night, it was a clear night. \(^o^)/

入口フロアは4階です。

The entrance is on the fourth floor.

近くでみると、迫力があります。
When you come so close to the tower, it IS soaring!

エレベーターを待ちますが、10分くらいで乗れました。

We waited for the elevator, but maybe it was only for 10 minutes. 
  

エレベーターは驚くほど静か。加速度を感じないように計算されているんでしょう、上がっている感じが全くしません。約50秒で天望デッキに到着。

The elevator brought us to Tembo Deck in 50 seconds.  It was surprisingly smooth and quiet.  I didn't feel we were going up at all.

エレベーターのドアが開くと、そこは…

But when the elevator door opened,  I was looking at......

もっと写真が上手ならいいんですけど。
これよりもずっとず~っときれいなんですよ。隅田川、荒川、それぞれの橋、川には屋形船が浮かび、車は流れ、ビルの灯り、家々の灯り、レインボーブリッジは光り、その向こうに黒々と東京湾。よく見えました。

I wish I could have taken better pictures.  It was much more beautiful than these.  I saw the Sumida river, the Arakawa river, bright bridges, boats, cars, lights, lights, lights, and dark Tokyo bay beyond.  

1809年鍬形蕙斎(くわがたけいさい)が描いた「江戸一目図屏風」が展示されています。ちょうどスカイツリーのあたりから江戸を一望したような絵で、スカイツリーからの眺めとびっくりするほど一致しています。
 
They display this folding screen of 1809, "Edo hitome zu byobu" by Kuwagata Keisai. The drawing is surprisingly similar to the view from the Tembo Deck, as if he was standing here on the deck and looking at the city of Edo.   

富士山と江戸城、霞が関 Mt. Fuji, Edo castle and Kasumigaseki

隅田川にかかる橋(現在の吾妻橋)とその向こうに浅草寺 Sumida-river, the bridge and Sensoji temple
絵が正確なので驚きました。江戸時代高いところもなかっただろうに、蕙斎はどうやってこんな絵を描くことができたんでしょうね?

I'm surprised how accurate he was on this drawing.  Was he a bird?

天望回廊も行ってきました。

We went up to the 450-meter-high Tembo Galleria.



やっと行けてとても嬉しかったです。次はぜひ日中の景色を見たいと思います。晴れて富士山まで見える日がいいな。

I'm glad I could go up there.  
Next time, I want to be there in the daytime, hopefully on a sunny day when I can see Mt. Fuji.

スカイツリーショップでかわいいバッグを記念に購入。

At the Skytree Shop, I found this nice and convenient bag.



東京スカイツリー一帯の地図がデザインされています。
迷子のときに便利かも。

It has a map around Tokyo Sky tree.  Isn't this useful?


マスコットもお正月ムードでした。
星の形のあたまをしたソラカラちゃん
おしゃれ大好きな女の子ペンギン、テッペンペン。
下町育ちの生き字引、スコブルブル。
3人もいたんですね。

Their mascots were all in the New Year's mood;
 Sorakara chan with star-shaped hair
Teppen-pen, a penguin girl of today's Tokyo
Sukoburu-buru, a bulldog in old Shitamachi 
Don't we Japanese love mascots?



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8 comments:

Rurousha said...

Wheee! Sky Tree!!!

Did you see me waving at you from this apartment?! :D

I still haven't been up there, but I've been taking photographs of this tower from every possible direction in the last few days. Phew, I've been walking!

One day ...

PS: Kuwagata's print is amazing!

Merry Witch said...

Rurousha,

Yes, I saw you at your apartment window. Did YOU see me waving at YOU? (^_-)-☆

Can we see your photographs of the tower from a lot of different directions? That will be interesting. You are really lucky you can see the tower every day!



Minoru Saito said...

こんばんは。天気予報は雨なのに夜景が良く見えて良かったですね。
 この写真よりご自身の目で見たほうがずっと素晴らしいと聞くと私も行ってみたくなりました。
 最後の写真もとても素敵です。

Dru said...

Sky Tree looks lovely at night. I still haven't been there at night yet. Just observing it from the park near my place.

If you look at the 16 million, I must have counted for at least 3 of those people. It's such a short ride to get there. Love the fact that I can get free bike parking too. ^^

Ru: I wonder if we'll even visit the tower. We live so close that it sometimes becomes "I can go anytime, so maybe next time" sorta thing. That and the crowds just won't die down enough.

Merry Witch said...

Minoruさま
予約で行くと天気がわからないし、当日だと相当並ばないといけないみたいだし、むつかしいところですね。

でも本当にきらきら輝いて夜景がとてもきれいでした。Minoruさまなら、もっと素敵な写真を撮ることができると思いますよ。ぜひ見せていただきたいです。

Merry Witch said...

Dru,
You ride your bike to the tower? Free bike parking? You, like Rurousha, are very, very lucky!

You were there three times in the first 100 days! It's no surprise, though. The premises are so huge, and just one visit this time wasn't certainly enough to make me feel I know the place.

The crowd at Solamachi was too much. Not so bad at the observatories though, in case you feel "I have to be up there, TODAY!!" (^_-)

Rurousha said...

Merry Witch, I've published so many photos of Sky Tree that I'm a bit hesitant to do another post! Maybe I should start another blog devoted exclusively to Sky Tree? ^^

Dru, the crowds scare me, but you're right, it's also a case of "tomorrow is another day".

Heh. It's like unrequited love: I'm yearning from afar ... :D

Merry Witch said...

Rurousha,
We always enjoy your photos of Sky Tree. Sky Tree in Christmas color, Sky Tree with your champagne glass, Sky Tree with temples... (^^) So, don't hesitate to do more post on Sky Tree.

I think the Japanese government should appoint you as a Sky Tree Goodwill Ambassador. \(^o^)/