Ikebukuro’s Sunshine 60 Building is popular for its interactive observation deck, towering 60 storeys above ground, with stunning city views and plenty of virtual reality activities to enjoy. Now, the building is going one step further, opening up part of its rooftop to small groups of brave visitors who want to take in stunning nighttime views of the Tokyo cityscape without a layer of glass in the way.

From August 1 to September 26, the rooftop will open at 5pm and closes at 9.40pm (except on Sat, Sun & hols from September 4, where it will open from 3pm-7.40pm). Each group is allowed up for 40 minutes, a big improvement from the mere 10 minutes of last year. Whether you’re planning an Instagram photoshoot, a surprise for your partner (a proposal perhaps?), or you simply want to enjoy Tokyo’s sparkling skyline without interruption, this rooftop has one of the best views of Tokyo – and you’ll get it all to yourself.

What’s more, the Sky Circus Sunshine 60 Observatory is also hosting a screaming contest this year, offering a free one-year pass to the observatory deck for those who can scream as loud as 120 decibels, which is equivalent to the volume a jet plane engine.

n top of Sunshine 60 Observatory’s usual admission fee (¥1,200, university and high school students ¥900, junior high and primary school students ¥600), you’ll have to pay an additional ¥4,600 for the rooftop experience. However, that price covers the admission of up to three visitors, so it’s worth bringing a few friends along.

Tickets can be purchased the day of, but we recommend booking in advance so you won’t have to wait around. Reservations are open seven days prior to your visiting day, and can be booked via the website.

When you step onto the rooftop, you can only bring your smartphone and a face mask – the latter is mandatory – so you’ll have to remove accessories, jewellery and watches. All your luggage is stored safely by staff. If you’re visiting with heels or sandals, you’ll be asked to change into lace-up shoes provided by the venue.

For safety reasons, the facility will not grant rooftop entry to:

• children aged 9 or younger
• anyone shorter than 110cm
• anyone who weighs 100kg or more
• anyone who can’t wear a harness
• anyone who is not feeling well, has high blood pressure or heart disease
• pregnant women
• anyone who may need assistance in walking
• anyone under the influence of alcohol
• anyone who hasn’t signed the contract

For more information, check out Sunshine 60 Observatory’s official website (in Japanese only).

Renovated sections of Tokyo Metro Co’s Ginza Station in the capital’s high-end shopping district opened to the public Friday after roughly three years of work, with new features to showcase the luxury and elegance associated with the area.

The station, served by three subway lines, features a new mosaic-like work in the concourse while images of the nearest surrounding buildings are shown on the ceilings near ticket gates, so users can find them without having to go above ground.

The renovation of Ginza Station began in November 2017 and cost about 22 billion yen ($200 million). It is part of a series of station renewals on the Ginza Line, which is the capital’s oldest subway route and has been operating for more than 90 years.

To help travelers find their trains, the tickets gates are lit up in different colors to indicate which line is nearest, with the Ginza Line displayed in yellow, the Marunouchi Line in red and the Hibiya Line in silver.

The mosaic by Tokujin Yoshioka, who created the torch designs for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, is an abstract work that measures roughly 1.6 meters by 3.5 meters and consists of 636 pieces of crystal glass in a hexagonal shape.

“I wanted (the work) to represent a map of the world through the irregular reflections of light. I want to introduce a bright light to the everyday lives of those who view it,” Yoshioka told reporters.

The operator has also installed new elevators and barrier-free toilets to improve the user-friendliness of the busy station.

“We made efforts so the station will be used with affection even 50 years from now,” a Tokyo Metro official said.

The subway operator said it has also recently completed renovations of Nihombashi, Kyobashi, Aoyama-Itchome and Gaienmae stations on the Ginza Line.

Virtual shows, rainy rooftop catwalks and mask fashion. Designers and organizers alike twisted adversity into opportunity at the latest Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo, managing to innovatively host Japan’s much-anticipated fashion event despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Here are some of the week’s highlights and how Japan’s top designers are envisioning the spring and summer of 2021. (We have our fingers crossed that it’s a much more positive scene compared to the pandemic-consumed 2020.)

Creative outdoor runways 

Like its Paris and New York counterparts, Tokyo saw parks and outdoor spaces transform into fashion runways. Models weaved through pathways and foliage in Shinjuku Gyoen’s balmy greenhouse for TAAK’s show, while MIKIO SAKABE announced its 2021 Spring / Summer collection on the rooftop of the newly-opened Miyashita Park in Shibuya.

Despite the rainy weather at the latter, designers Mikio Sakabe and Shueh Jen-Fang’s choice of sheer fabrics, translucent raincoats and practical trainers were up to the task. Instead of soggy models with clothes clinging miserably to skin, the collection’s sweet pastel shades, crisp whites and puffy sleeves and skirts beautifully juxtaposed against the dark grey skies and reflected off the wet sheen of the ground.