Tokyo Solamachi is a huge shopping, dining, and entertainment complex at the base of Sky Tree (world’s tallest tower). If you’re in Tokyo, definitely take a trip to Solamachi, if not for the view from Sky Tree’s observation deck, for the shopping.
From fashion, to food, to anime goods, to traditional souvenirs, shops are generally open from 10am-9pm, and restaurants from 11am-11pm.
4F (which is actually level 3 because ground floor is 1F in Japan) in the East Building of the shopping complex in particular is filled with fun and quirky shops covering traditional-modern Japanese souvenirs as well as anime and games (yes there’s a Pokemon Centre and a Ghibli shop). You could easily spend a couple of hours in that area.
You’ll find tasty restaurants on levels 6F and 7F in the East Yard of the building, including wagyu, unagi, katsu, sushi, as well as Chinese and Western food. Pop over to level 3F in the West Yard’s food court to find quicker bites like Gindako takoyaki and Ippudo ramen.
There’s also Workman Girl, a planetarium and aquarium in the complex.
And don’t forget that Sky Tree offers two observation decks.
Getting there
There are two train stations next to Solamachi (Oshiage Station and Sky Tree Station). Conveniently, there’s a direct train line to Narita airport (and large coin lockers) so you can shop on your last day, as well as munch on great food on 6F (my favourite grilled eel restaurant is here too).
While you can catch a train between them, it’s a lovely walk from Asakusa (a popular tourist destination for Tokyo’s “shitamachi” traditional downtown area). With the recent build of Sumida River Walk (bridge), the 20min stroll between Asakusa’s Sensoji Temple and Sky Tree Town is now easy, scenic and shoppy.
Even though I’ve been to Solamachi a dozen times, I still haven’t managed to browse every shop. Considering its size, variety of shops and ease of navigation, it’s probably the only shopping centre you need to go to while in Tokyo, and it’s a 🥈(= worth a detour) on #myrevsitlist.
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