The best photo spots at SHIBUYA SKY
The corner
The famous one, and the reason a queue exists at all. No glass on the outer edge, the Crossing directly below, and the whole western sky behind it. Brace your elbows on the rail, shoot more frames than you think you need, and let the group behind you have the spot. It is twenty minutes of waiting at sunset and almost nothing late in the evening.
The CLOUD HAMMOCK
Netted hammocks you lie back in, looking straight up. The queue moves slowly, more slowly than anything else on the deck, and the photograph is worth one wait rather than two. Hold the phone with a strap around your wrist. You are lying on your back at 229 metres and there is wind.
Indoors on the 46th
When the rooftop closes for weather, the gallery glass still gives you the city with reflections to fight. Press the lens flat against the glass and shade it with your other hand. It is a salvage operation rather than the shot you came for, which is why the hour you book matters — see the best time to visit. What you can carry up is set out in the bag rules.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take photos at SHIBUYA SKY?
Yes, freely. Phones and cameras on straps are fine on the rooftop; tripods, monopods and selfie sticks are not, and they go in the 46th-floor lockers.
What is the best time of day for photos?
About 30 minutes before sunset, which gives you daylight, the gold and the lights coming on in one visit. Full dark is calmer but much harder on a phone camera.
Is the rooftop corner worth queueing for?
At sunset it is roughly twenty minutes for one frame; late in the evening it is a few. Guides on the evening tours know where to stand and when — see the night and sunset tours.