Shibuya Sky – Futuristic Outdoor Observatory

A futuristic observatory on top of the Shibuya Scramble Square skyscraper, Shibuya Sky offers bird’s-eye views of Tokyo in a stunning setting.

There is something magical about taking in the sights of a city from high up in the air—the unobstructed panoramic view, the bird’s eye perspective, and the thrill of spotting an unusual building. In Tokyo, you can do this at Shibuya Sky, the newest observatory and one of the popular attractions for visitors in Shibuya.

My family had the opportunity to stop by this futuristic observatory during our visit and had a fun experience marveling at the incredible cityscape of Tokyo.

Where is Shibuya Sky

Opened in 2019, Shibuya Sky is located right above the Shibuya JR Station at the top of the world-famous Shibuya Scramble Square. The observation decks are located on the 46th floor and the rooftop of the building. You can buy tickets for Shibuya Sky at the ticket booth or online.

The entry and ticket booth for Shibuya Sky is on the 14th floor of Shibuya Scramble Square building. We highly recommend getting tickets online since the entry is based on date and time (offered in 20 min increments). When we arrived for our entry, all the tickets within 1 hour were already sold out.

When it was our entry time, we headed towards the futuristic neon frame elevator and were quickly whisked up to the 45th floor. From the 45th floor, visitors take an escalator to the 46th floor – The Sky Gallery.

Views from Shibuya Sky

Before visiting, you might want to decide if you want to see the day or nighttime views from Shibuya Sky as they are drastically different. Since we’ve previously seen Tokyo during the daytime from Tokyo City View, we thought it would be interesting to see the city at night from high above.

After exiting the 46th floor, visitors can leave the indoor space and take an escalator to the rooftop. From the escalator, you can see the scramble and the center of Shibuya right below.

The rooftop (Sky Stage) is enclosed by tall glass barriers and visitors are free to walk around and see the views from all sides of the building. The best spots for photos usually have a line of people waiting their turn for a memorable snapshot. Even though we’ve seen it many times, it’s still a thrill to take in the views of the colorfully lit Tokyo.

Besides the viewing galleries, a portion of the roof is dedicated to the crossing lights display where beams of lights merge and crisis cross to form shapes. It was mesmerizing to look at.

The Roof Shibuya Sky Bar

The only restricted part of the roof from the general public is The Roof Shibuya Sky Bar. A beverage purchase is required for entry and the age has to be 20 and over. The bar area has some couches and stools for seating, allowing visitors to relax and enjoy the view.

Our Thoughts on Shibuya Sky

Our family had a great time at Shibuya Sky even though our kids were too young to enter The Roof bar. The Sky Stage is very spacious with plenty of room for visitors to roam around. And the nighttime view of Tokyo is one of the most splendid metro views in the world.

One thing to note: Most of the barrier glass is much taller than a person’s height. The exception is the Sky Edge where Visitors have the option to have their photo taken (for a fee). The Sky Edge glass is shorter than a typical adult’s height allowing unobstructed views.

Plan on spending 30 – 45 min at Shibuya Sky. After the rooftop observatory, visitors walk through the Sky Gallery on the 46th on their way down to the 14th floor.

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