Towering over the sprawling metropolis at a dizzying height of 2080 feet ( 634 meters ), Tokyo Skytree is the second tallest structure in the world after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, and the best place in Tokyo to get some truly spectacular 360 degree views of the city.

During my travels around Tokyo I’ve often gazed upon the tower from a distance, and despite its impressive appearance I’ve somehow dismissed it as too touristy a spot to visit; but after reading Japanese illustrator Morinaga Yo’s art book on the tower my interest was piqued.

(above) The view of the tower from the ground level; the foreshortening makes it hard to appreciate the lofty height of the structure, but it’s very, very impressive.

(above) A print advertisement for Taisei corporation by Makoto Shinkai’s studio Comix Wave, one of the major construction company that built Skytree. ( below ) An Attack On Titan promotion was going on during my visit; in Tokyo anime is ubiquitous.

I took hundreds of pictures as I traversed between the 2 different viewing decks; there was just so much to see.

(below) A close up of one of the pictures shows just how compacted and dense the structures in Tokyo are. You’ll also notice the near absence of any vegetation; one of the reasons why summer in Tokyo is even hotter than my tropical hometown of Singapore.

(above) A view in the direction of Shinjuku; on the top left you can see (1) the NTT Docomo building, a landmark skyscraper of Shinjuku featured prominently in Makoto Shinkai’s anime The Garden Of Words. (2) Another landmark building, the tokyo metropolitan government building, easily recognized by it’s twin towers – the building is featured in Patlabor 2 : The Movie.

(above) Humans are reduced to the size of tiny dots, seen here in a high school sports compound. ( below ) These buildings remind me of the structures seen in tokusatsu films like Ultraman, just waiting to be turned to rubble by rampaging Kaijus.

If you enjoy vista views of the city just as I do, Tokyo Skytree is an excellent place to spend the afternoon. On a clear day, you can also catch a great view of Mount Fuji beyond the city.