The Tokyo Skytree is stepping up efforts to attract foreign visitors ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
According to owner Tobu Tower Skytree, only 15 per cent of visitors came from abroad in fiscal 2015.
“We want more international tourists in the lead up to the games,” said Tobu’s spokesperson Sho Toyoshima. The plan is to make it more accessible for foreigners and at the same time hold more Japanese cultural events onsite.
Earlier this month, Skytree launched Tembo Kabuki, a video collage of Kabuki performances by renowned troupe Heisei Nakamura-Za, displayed daily against the night sky on the tower’s 350m-high round theatre.
October also saw the start of a limited-period behind-the-scenes tour. The idea is to allow visitors to explore areas that are normally inaccessible and gain insights into the world’s tallest tower.
These offerings build on the tower’s Fast Skytree Ticket product, sold only to foreign visitors since February, and which allows immediate admission to the viewing deck.
“We found that many international visitors had missed out on other plans they had made due to their wait for admission or simply gave up and went away. With this ticket, they can now get up the tower smoothly and easily,” explained Toyoshima, adding that more initiatives are to come.
