Yebisu Garden Place Tower has Beautiful Evening Views
In January 2020, I walked around Shinagawa Station. I scouted locations for light trail photography. A few spots looked interesting but nothing stood out. Tired, I thought about going home since I’d been walking for hours. The late afternoon sky darkened but you could tell the sunset would be special. I decided to enjoy the early evening. Yebisu Garden Place Tower, a great Tokyo photo spot, was nearby. I made my way there.
Well, when I got out of the elevator on the observation deck’s 38th floor, clouds had obscured the sun. So I went to the other side to enjoy the southeast windows. They faced the inner city area.
I had made the right decision. Daylight ebbed away. But the lights were coming on. Skytree and Tokyo Tower became glowing pillars. Neon light studded Shibuya and Shinjuku. The city slowly came to life. The view was awesome.
The transition from day to night is special when the conditions are right. Sun glitters off the tops of buildings. The sky becomes purple for a while before fading into black. Building lights go on and the magic starts.
The city is so different at night. I enjoy living here, but I wouldn’t call Tokyo a beautiful city in the traditional sense. During the day, it is a true concrete jungle. But the night is so different. It’s all glitter and gold.
I used the Fujifilm 55-200 for most of these pictures. This lens allowed me to zoom in on specific areas that looked interesting and ignore those that didn’t. The results made me happy.
It wasn’t long after I took these photos that the pandemic happened and changed the city. My photographic habits changed to avoid going out during rush hours. But things are returning to normality. I will start night shoots soon.
And we need new pictures! Some new buildings have gone up, and the Tokyo skyline has evolved. Make no mistake, change is happening. The views are going to be great for cityscape photographers.
What does the future hold for Tokyo Tower? How much life is left in that observatory? Many buildings surround her.
While Yebisu Garden Place Tower isn’t a real observatory, the views from its lounge area are stunning. Put it on your bucket list if you like cityscape or panorama photography. Its top floors also have amazing restaurants. Leave questions and comments below.
Date photos taken: 18 January, 2020
Rohan Gillett
Rohan has lived in Tokyo for 30+ years. He loves photography and plans to capture the entire city.
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External related websites:
- Yebisu Garden Place (official website)