Tokyo Skytree Christmas: Lights, Market & Sunset Tips
By Atsushi — host at Bon House in Kanamachi, Katsushika ward. I've run it since 2022 and hosted over 300 guest groups.
Tokyo Skytree Christmas lighting ran from November 6 to December 25 in 2025, switching between three tree and Santa designs about once a minute from 5:30 to 10 PM, and until midnight on December 24 and 25.
Skytree is about 32 minutes from Bon House by train, so it's the winter evening I suggest most often. The lights and the market are free. The deck is the part you pay for, and it only pays off on a clear day. Here's how to plan it.
Tokyo Skytree Christmas at a Glance
| What | When (2025) | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Tower lights | Nov 6–Dec 25, 5:30–10 PM | Free |
| Christmas market | 4F Sky Arena, 11 AM–10 PM | Free entry |
| Tembo Deck (350m) | Book the slot before sunset | From ¥1,800 |
| From Kanamachi | About 32 min | ¥387 IC |
The 2026 dates weren't announced when I last updated this. Skytree Town has held its "Dream Christmas" season from early November to Christmas Day for years, so plan on that window and check the official Tokyo Skytree Town site in late October.
When to Visit Tokyo Skytree at Christmas
Weekday evenings are the sweet spot. The market is busy but moving, and you can get a sunset deck slot a few days ahead.
Weekend evenings are packed. Book deck tickets 1–2 weeks ahead and expect queues at the market huts.
December 23–25 is the most crowded stretch of the season. Christmas Eve in Japan is a date night, and Skytree is a classic date spot. If you go then, the lights stay on until midnight, so a later visit after 8 PM is calmer than the 6 PM rush.
Sunset in Tokyo in December falls around 4:30 PM. That gives you a gap: the sky is dark by about 5 PM, and the Christmas lighting starts at 5:30 PM.
Tokyo Skytree Christmas Lights: Tower and Sky Arena
The Tower Lighting
Most of the year, Skytree switches between its regular designs: "Iki," a pale blue, and "Miyabi," a purple. In the Christmas season it changes to holiday designs. In 2025 there were three, rotating about every minute: "Ornament Tree" in green, "Elegant Tree" in gold and "Santa Claus" in red and white.
You see the tower better from outside than from the plaza at its base, where you're looking straight up. Good angles: - Sumida River Walk, the footbridge from Asakusa, with the tower reflected in the river on still nights - Jikken Bridge over the Kitajukken River, a short walk from Oshiage Station - Azumabashi Bridge, where the tower lines up behind the Asahi Beer buildings
Sky Arena and Solamachi Decorations
The 4th-floor Sky Arena is the open-air deck at the foot of the tower. In 2025 it ran a projection show on a "magical clock" theme that changed every 15 minutes, next to the market. Inside Tokyo Solamachi, the shopping complex below, the corridors fill with trees, wreaths and photo spots. The decorations aren't subtle. Tokyo treats Christmas as a light show, and Skytree goes all in.
Skytree Christmas Market: What It Is and What It Isn't
The Skytree Christmas market sits on the 4th-floor Sky Arena, not at ground level. In 2025 it had 15 European-style wooden huts, its largest number yet, with a "Christmas market in a picture book" theme and decorations imported from Germany. Entry is free; you pay for what you eat and drink.
Food and drink: glühwein, hot chocolate, beer, sausages, roast chicken, pretzels, cheese fondue and lobster bisque were on the 2025 menu. Prices are above food-court level, so set aside a bit more than you'd spend at Solamachi's food court.
The size: 15 huts is small next to a German or Austrian market. Plan for a hot drink, some food and photos, not an hour of browsing.
If Christmas markets are the main reason you're in Tokyo in December, the larger ones in 2025 were the Tokyo Christmas Market at Meiji Jingu Gaien, Roppongi Hills, and Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, about 30 minutes from central Tokyo. Skytree's market is a good add-on to a deck visit, not a trip on its own.
Skytree Observation Deck in Winter: Fuji, Sunset and Tickets
Why Winter Gives the Best Views
Cold, dry air means less haze, and December through February is when Mount Fuji shows up most from Tokyo. In December and January, the city's own records count about 20 Fuji-visible days a month. In summer it's 2 or 3. On a sharp day you can also pick out the Tanzawa mountains to the west.
Bad weather still happens in winter. Check the forecast the morning of your visit, not a week ahead.
Christmas on the Deck
The decks get a Christmas theme too, with decorated photo spots and seasonal displays. In 2025 it was called "Christmas Party in the Sky." It's a nice extra. You're still there for the view.
Skytree Ticket Prices in the Christmas Season
| Ticket (adult) | Online, from |
|---|---|
| Tembo Deck (350m) | ¥1,800 |
| Deck + Galleria (450m) | ¥3,000 |
These are the cheapest-date prices. Skytree prices by date, so December weekends and sunset slots usually cost more. Tickets bought at the 4th-floor counter or ticket machines add a ¥500 fee each, so book online. The 4:00–4:30 PM slots before sunset sell out first. For a full breakdown, see our Tokyo Skytree tickets and timing guide.
How to Get to Tokyo Skytree from Kanamachi
Route (about 32 minutes, ¥387 by IC card): take the JR Joban Line local from Kanamachi toward Ayase. The train runs onto the Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line at Ayase; stay on and get off at Kita-Senju. There, change to the Tobu Skytree Line. Asakusa-bound locals stop at Tokyo Skytree Station, and trains running through to the Hanzomon Line stop at Oshiage. Skytree is connected to both.
Cheaper but slower: Keisei Kanamachi Line to Keisei Takasago, then the Keisei Oshiage Line to Oshiage. It runs less often, so check the timetable.
You need a Suica or PASMO for both. Neither JR East nor Keisei takes contactless bank cards at the gates yet.
Going home: trains back to Kanamachi run until around midnight, but check the last connection at Kita-Senju before you stay for the late lighting on December 24 or 25.
A Typical Skytree Christmas Evening from Kanamachi
Here is how it usually goes for a couple on a clear December weekday. Leave Kanamachi around 3:15 PM, change at Kita-Senju, and you're at Skytree around 3:50 PM. Ride up for a 4:00 PM slot, watch the sun drop at about 4:30 and the city light up below. Come down around 5:30, just as the Christmas lighting starts, and walk out to the Sky Arena for glühwein at the market. Eat at Solamachi Tabe-Terrace, the 3rd-floor food court, and you're back in Kanamachi about 30 minutes after you leave. Two Tembo Deck tickets at the from-price plus four train rides come to about ¥5,150, before food.
The point is the direction: you ride in from the east and you're never crossing the whole city at rush hour. If you want a quiet base in eastern Tokyo for a December trip, check Bon House's rates and open dates before you book a central hotel.
Tokyo Skytree Christmas and Asakusa in One Evening
Skytree and Asakusa are a 20-minute walk apart, across the Sumida River Walk footbridge. Sensoji's buildings are lit from sunset until around 11 PM, so the two pair well after dark.
Option A: Sensoji first - 3:00 PM: Sensoji and Nakamise while the shops are open - 3:40 PM: Walk across the Sumida River toward Skytree - 4:00 PM: Skytree deck for sunset - 5:30 PM: Christmas lighting and the market
Option B: Skytree first - 4:00 PM: Skytree deck for sunset - 5:30 PM: Christmas lighting and the market - 7:00 PM: Walk to Asakusa for dinner - 8:30 PM: Sensoji lit up, with far fewer people than by day
I'd pick Option B. You get both sets of lights, and Sensoji at night is quieter than at any other time. Pick Option A if you want Nakamise's shops open. Our Sensoji and Asakusa guide covers the temple side, and the Asakusa to Ueno walk works for a daytime version.
Is Tokyo Skytree at Christmas Worth the Ticket?
Go if the morning forecast is clear, you're in Tokyo between early November and Christmas Day anyway, and you can be on the deck in the 30 minutes before sunset.
Skip the deck if it's overcast or rainy. Do the free part instead: the lights, the Sky Arena and the market cost nothing, and they look the same under clouds.
Avoid December 23–25 unless you want the crowds that come with Christmas Eve, or go after 8 PM when the lights run late.
The deck is the same deck you'd get in March, with some decorations added. What makes the season is the combination: sunset from 350 meters, then Christmas lights on the ground below. If you're also in Tokyo for New Year, our Tokyo hatsumode guide covers the first shrine visit of the year.
Planning a December trip that keeps Skytree, Asakusa and Ueno close? See Bon House's room, rates and available dates and book directly with us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Tokyo Skytree Christmas market free?
Yes. Entry to the Sky Arena and the market is free, and so is looking at the tower lighting. You only need a ticket to go up to the observation decks.
Is Skytree open on Christmas Day?
Yes. The decks are open on December 24 and 25, and in 2025 the market ran through December 25 with the lights on until midnight both nights. Expect the season's longest lines.
Is Tokyo Skytree still lit up after Christmas?
The Christmas designs end on December 25. After that the tower goes back to its regular lighting. Other Tokyo illuminations, such as Marunouchi's, often run into February.