A Must-Visit in Tokyo: Discovering the Beautiful Reflection of the Skytree at Night

Text and photos byRight Forty-Five Degrees

It was supposed to be a trip to the Tohoku region, but somehow we ended up in Tokyo. The main reasons were: first, we skipped Akita and headed to Nikko to avoid the rain; second, we had bought the JR EAST PASS, and it only took an extra hour to get from Nikko to Tokyo; third, our travel companion wanted to see the Tokyo Skytree, while I wanted to see the Kirin no Tsubasa. So, following my personal travel motto — “go with the flow, act on a whim, and change plans anytime” — we unexpectedly found ourselves in Tokyo. But by the time we arrived, it was already past 6 PM. Since we had to take a Shinkansen after 9 PM to continue our journey to see the Chusonji Temple in Iwate, and had to stay overnight at the Toyoko Inn in Shin-Shirakawa Station, we only had three hours left in Tokyo. Talk about a rush~

Our first stop in Tokyo was the Skytree. My friend said there was a spot nearby where you could capture the reflection of the Skytree in the river. Without any prior research, I had no idea which river it was. So, I just followed online directions and headed straight for the Skytree.

And unfortunately, I got off at the wrong station... The closest station to the Skytree is actually Oshiage Station, but all the information I found told me to go to Asakusa Station. As soon as I got out, I had a bad feeling...

Oh man, after exiting the station and walking onto Azuma Bridge, I saw the Skytree was so far away. With only three hours left, I started to panic and couldn’t help but quicken my pace, wishing I could just fly there.

But still, being in Tokyo felt different. I had been wandering around Tohoku for days and had almost forgotten what a big city was like. Now, back in the bustling capital, it felt like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden — everything felt fresh and new.

While speed-walking along Asakusa Dori, I spotted the familiar sign of Kani Doraku, waving its crab claws to attract visitors, just like in Osaka. Unfortunately, I had absolutely no time to stop for a crab leg feast.

After rushing for about half an hour, I finally reached the base of the Skytree. But this wasn’t the final destination — what we were after was the reflection...

The spot to photograph the reflection is at Jikkengawa Bridge. From Asakusa Dori to Oshiage Station is Kyosai Bridge. Take a slight right turn and continue straight along Asakusa Dori — the first bridge you’ll come across is Nishijikkengawa Bridge, and the second one is Jikkengawa Bridge. This stretch took another ten minutes or so. When I finally reached Jikkengawa Bridge, there was already a photography enthusiast set up with a tripod, capturing the reflection. But the reflection was so vast that you really needed a wide-angle lens to fit it all in. I only managed to capture a small portion of it — I guess I’ll have to come back again (laughs).

After taking the photo, it was around 7 PM. It only took us ten minutes to get to Oshiage Station, and I couldn’t help but mutter the saying, “Better to have no blog than blindly trust one” (laughs). If I had just opened Google Maps to find the Skytree, I would’ve seen that the closest subway station is Oshiage Station... Please don’t make the same mistake (bows).

[Tokyo Asakusa – Jikkengawa Bridge]
5-15-4 Yagicho, Sumida-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-5608-1111
Open Year-Round
Admission: Free
Directions: Exit from Oshiage Station on the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line, walk along the river in the direction opposite to Asakusa for about 10 minutes to reach the location.