Tokyo Tower targets high-end foreign tourists with new luxury tour

The operator of Tokyo Tower will launch luxury small group tours this weekend offering priority access to the observation deck, in a move aimed at attracting high-end foreign tourists. The Tokyo Diamond Tour, priced at 7,000 yen per adult, will be held seven times a day from Saturday, with each session capped at 10 participants. A dedicated guide will accompany each group. Shin Maeda, president of Tokyo Tower Co., said the tour is “the most expensive among all observation decks in Japan.” Tokyo Tower sees around 2.2 million visitors annually, with foreign tourists making up 40 percent of the total. The site on which it stands was once home to a members-only restaurant known as “Koyo-kan,” which hosted famous figures from Japan and abroad. In honor of this history, a special lounge to serve as the meeting point for the tour will have an autumn red motif, reflecting the restaurant’s name, and exhibit photos from the opening of Tokyo Tower. Performers will be stationed at various points on the tour to add entertainment value, while participants can enjoy views from both the main 150-meter high observation deck and the higher deck at 250 meters. The tour includes private elevator use, which means no waiting times. Meanwhile, tickets for individual visits to the main observation deck will increase from 1,200 yen to 1,500 yen per adult from Saturday. © KYODO