If you plan to get a 360° panoramic view of Kyoto City, then this iconic tower is the place to be. This steel tower is the tallest structure in Kyoto with its observation deck at 100m - not that tall but good enough to view the city. Located just opposite Kyoto Station, it costs ¥900 per entry for adults. We didn't go in as there was quite a queue when we went. So, exterior views were just fine for us.
Look, this place is ‘okay’ if you’ve got 15 minutes to spare but beyond that, I thought it was pretty average. The tower is currently celebrating its 60th birthday and you can tell its age - it’s starting to look a little rough around the edges and would benefit from a lick of paint and a fresh interior to bring it up to the same standard as the Tokyo Sky Garden. For the price, I thought it was reasonable value for money.
April 13th:
I actually did not go inside the tower to visit. Only saw it from the outside and I can only imagine the 360 views of the city. We were just too pressed for time for hotel check-in time. Only saw it from the outside of Kyoto station.
Here are some photos.
Will look into going up the tower on a future trip.
We came here on our last day of our 2 day trip in Kyoto. We stored our luggage’s at the station and walked across to the towers. Can purchase the tickets up at the tower entrance. Got a great views of the city. The binoculars were high end and crystal clear. My kids enjoyed spying on people. Probably can spend 45min here. Friendly staff and a good experience.
It was really cool to see places we had been to in Kyoto from the tower! Kid friendly, lovely staff, we got a free black and white photo for the 60th anniversary, but they also offer a colour photo if you wish to purchase. Something you need to do at least once 🩷
