I have talked about the Skytree in Tokyo so now it is time to show a little of what it looks like from up there. It was a very nice day when we visited but there was a certain amount of haze in the air. Seeing Mt Fuji was out of the question but there were still great views of the city itself. We restricted ourselves to the 350m viewing area. You can see an awful lot from that high. If this had been the only thing we were doing that day, I would have paid the extra to go as high as possible but it wasn’t a good plan to use up all of our time on one thing. Besides, when you are trying to get an experience of a city, looking down on it only tells you so much!
There are actually several levels as you walk around the 350m area. The glass is leaning out so you can get quite a view downwards. Combine this with the structure gradually getting wider lower down and you can get an interesting perspective on where you are. Tokyo is a busy city with a combination of old and new buildings to be seen. You can see the parks including the Imperial Palace grounds as well as the many rail lines crossing the city.
There is a lot of water. The big port area is easy to see as are the rivers that cut through everything. I didn’t know much about Tokyo when I got there (still don’t of course but I am slightly more aware) so this was very interesting to me. As with all high places these days, they have provided a place with a glass floor. We had to check this out. It was actually tower glass panels separated by a few feet so it felt a little more detached than some of these places but still pretty cool. After checking out the gift shop which had more Skytree themed items than would seem possible (but not the one I wanted), it was time to head off and see more of Tokyo.
A previous trip across the Tioga Pass had taken me to Olmsted Point and I did post about that here. Nancy hadn’t been before so it was fun showing her the spot for the first time. Like me, she was amazed how many people never left the parking area and discovered the better views after only a short stroll (or what counts as a stroll at that sort of altitude). Even when people are there, you still feel like you have the place to yourself.
Last time I was there, it had been a bit hazy. This time it was a bit clearer which was good. The nice thing about Olmsted Point is that, despite the lengthy road journey from the valley, you are actually very close to the same place and you have a nice perspective on Half Dome. Being there earlier would help from a lighting perspective because things are starting to be a bit backlit but it is still a lovely view.
