Eric S.
Yelp
SUCH GREAT HEIGHTS
Japan's 7th tallest building has a tremendous observation deck that's free and open to the public.
On our first full day of sightseeing in Tokyo, we headed straight for the Metropolitan Government Building in the Shinjuku district. It was a fairly clear day when we visited on 7/19/19, and though we didn't catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji, we still snapped some pretty solid photos.
This massive, multipurpose complex was constructed at a cost of ¥157B (roughly USD$1 billion) and has been the headquarters for the city's elected officials since 1990. It stands at 799ft in height and has the appearance of a gigantic microchip (something the designer, Kenzo Tange, intended for) with touches of Gothic architecture.
Comprised of three main structures, Building No.1 has observation platforms at 663ft in both the north and south towers, which are open between 9:30am-11pm on alternating days. You'll board a ridiculously quiet and comfortably smooth passenger elevator in the lobby that will quickly whisk you up to floor #45.
Once atop the observation deck, you'll enjoy panoramic views of the sweeping metropolis. There's a gift shop and small cafe up here, which is nice. We ate a snack and sent a postcard before descending back to ground level. Bathrooms were clean and easily accessible.
If you're feeling bold -- and I must preface this by saying you must ALSO have *talent* -- you can play the grand piano in the middle of the observation deck's large atrium. I'm convinced there were some pros planted in the audience; a few folks casually strolled up to the bench and played a majestic concerto seemingly out of thin air.
Security was much lighter than I expected, especially for such an important government building. Hell, there are probably places in Chicago where you'll get wanded before going into a Chili's.
* TL;DR *
As many others have stated, you can't beat the fact that the observation deck is 100% free. I'd be remiss not to mention the numerous shops and businesses in the lobby (where you may or may not run into an adorable costumed character). Staff were friendly at nearly every turn and the building itself is quite imposing.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is a sparkling hybrid of tasteful design & robust engineering. I'd definitely encourage visitors to prioritize stopping here over the Tokyo Tower or Tokyo Skytree (neither of which are free, and both of which have insanely long waits).