Friday, April 22, 2011

Sky High


This is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building, which we call Tocho (都庁) in Japanese. 

Formerly located near Tokyo Station, Tocho was moved to Shinjuku in 1991 because the former building was too old. At that time, it was the tallest building in Tokyo.

They have an observatory on the top floor, which is a popular tourist spot, and you'll see a fantastic view of Tokyo. Plus it's free. Unfortunately, I took these photos about a week after the March 11 earthquake and the observatory was closed. But I hear it opened again this month, so if any of you visit Shinjuku, this is a great place to go!


Enjoy looking at more beautiful skies all around the world here.

13 comments:

  1. Nice composition for 1st photo.

    I used to work at 21st floor of
    the building near here.
    It must be fearful if I was still
    working there on Mar 11...

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  2. Fantastic capture!

    Greetings from Italy

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  3. Great prespective to a nice colored sky here.

    Have a great weekend!

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  4. I'm very glad the observatory has reopened. You have a wonderful blog.

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  5. Any chance you can go up there for us?

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  6. Sorry, decrepit old farts like me are always doing stuff like the next sentence, aren’t they? I remember when it looked like this.

    It looks like you are using a fisheye lens in the top photo but you aren’t, are you? Great capture, that.

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  7. love the perspective on the first image...both are beautiful!

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  8. How incredible a building ! Thank you for sharing. Impressive, impressive.

    Please have a good weekend ahead.

    daily athens

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  9. Thank you for all your comments! I hope everyone has a lovely weekend :-D

    Coosbay, the skyscrapers in Shinjuku were really swaying after the strong earthquakes...I have a friend who had to scramble down 50 flights of stairs!

    Karl, thank you for visiting! Hope you'll be back :-D

    Michael, thanks. I had to really crouch down to fit it in the camera ;D

    MaryAnn, me, too! Thank you for dropping by :-D

    VP, I'm hoping to go by when the sun is out longer so I can go after work! ;D

    Tall Gary, no fish eye...but I wish I had that effect! ;D

    Laura, thank you so much :-D

    Robert, I sometimes refer to it as the Gothom city bldg! ;D

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  10. cool wide-vision!

    I missed your photo.
    happy to find your work in this new setting!

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  11. I see you are sharing clear blue skies with me... good! Your top image is uniquely fabulous. Does your camera have a panorama function... for taking that second shot?

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  12. yes, we were planning to visit there the last time, but ugh! the time. :(

    but just curious though, almost the same view as the tokyo tower perhaps?

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  13. What a great perspective shot!

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Thank you so much! Love it when you comment! xx