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Sky Garden has amazing views of Yokohama
Sky Garden sits atop Yokohama Landmark Tower. It’s about a forty-minute train ride from Shibuya. While that might be a little far for some, it is worth going for the unique views. The sunset and night views are amazing. And it is probably the most photographer-friendly observatory in Japan!
The observatory is atop the Yokohama Landmark Tower skyscraper on the sixty-ninth floor. At 296.3 meters, it is the second-tallest building and the fourth-tallest structure in Japan. Getting to the top is no problem, thanks to some high-speed elevators. After the doors close, they’ll open again in about forty seconds.
The views from the windows are stunning. Whether it be morning, noon, or night I would find it hard to believe anyone could complain about the sights. There is so much to see. Even without a camera, you won’t be bored.
And the best thing about it is that it is highly photographer-friendly! If you want to use lens hoods or tripods, that is okay. I will give some advice, though. The windows to observe Mount Fuji aren’t ideally placed, as the mountain is off to one side. At sunset, lots of people congregate there for obvious reasons. If you place a tripod at those windows, you are going to annoy a lot of people. Please be aware of that.
The other great thing is that the staff pull blinds from the corners after sunset in some areas. They don’t go across the entire floor, but just enough to block the shop’s lights. I was very impressed as it helps cut down window reflections in photographs. They aren’t 100% effective, but they are helpful. Hopefully, the person who thought of this got a commendation badge!
The observation deck is great as it is very spacious and has big, wide windows. They would be so much better if they were angled out to allow getting shots directly below easier. It’s a small thing but not a deal-breaker.
If there are any negatives for photographers, it is on the Mount Fuji side. That is where you’ll find the Sky Cafe and its seats where customers can enjoy a drink or a light meal. These offer superb views but need to be reserved (the Japanese website for that is here). As the chairs take up most of the space along the windows, anyone with a tripod will have to squeeze into a corner, which isn’t ideal, but it’s workable.
What can you photograph from Sky Garden?
- all of Yokohama
- the museum ship, Hikawa Maru
- Yamashita Park
- tall ship Nippon Maru
- Tokyo Skytree
- Mount Fuji is visible on clear days.
Are tripods/monopods allowed?
Yes
Sky Garden details
See the observatory’s location and opening hours on the official website.
Wrapping up
The views from Yokohama Landmark Tower’s Sky Garden are amazing, and no matter what direction you face, there will be something worthy of a picture. And as cameras are very welcome there, photographers should put this observatory on their bucket list. Make sure you get a picture of Mount Fuji, that view is incredible.
For more observatory articles, look at: