I love photographing Tokyo’s beautiful evenings. My rooftop is the perfect place for it. To the east, I can see Shinjuku and further afield. In the west, I can see Kichijoji and Tachikawa. On afternoons when I have nothing to do, I take my camera and tripod up for pictures. That’s what I did for this article.
I love the Tokyo skyline. The Shinjuku area of it is gorgeous. It has been a big part of my life for a long time. Since moving to my apartment in Suginami ward, I have had an uninterrupted view of it from my roof. With such an incredible view, I am lucky it is only a short elevator ride away.
Something is surprising, though. None of Shinjuku’s buildings, or anywhere in Tokyo, are on the World’s Top 50 Tallest list. I knew the city had none in the Top 20, but none in the Top 50? Well, I guess it might come from being in an earthquake zone. Maybe, but there are rumors of some monster buildings going up in the future.
The tallest is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Nishi-Shinjuku. It is 243 meters high. No other skyscraper in the area reaches 240 meters. On the world stage, they aren’t tall. But I can see them from my apartment in Suginami, about seven kilometers away.
Eleven stories up from the roof of my apartment, I get a near-perfect view. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building and Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower are always there. In the background is Tokyo Skytree, and a little to the right is Tokyo Tower with Torch Tokyo nearby. I love looking at them on a beautiful evening. They blow me away every time.
I’m lucky as I only need to take a short elevator ride to enjoy it. It might be nice to have one of the tenth-floor apartments. Then I’d only need to open the window!
I took these images over two days. The shot towards Kichijoji was taken in late May 2022. I took the other photos, of Shinjuku, on June 12. Mount Fuji was problematic, so I gave up trying to capture it. One day it will appear here, though.
And the styles are different too. Some are long exposures, and others are HDRs. They are pretty easy to tell apart, right?
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below.