If you want to watch the year's first sunrise from Tokyo Tower on January 1, here is the catch most visitors miss.
The tower does not open for regular visits until 9:00 a.m., and the sun rises over Tokyo at about 6:50 a.m. By the time the regular decks open, the sunrise is long over.
There is one way in. Each year on New Year's Day, Tokyo Tower holds a special predawn event, Hatsuhinokai, and opens the deck before regular hours. A separate Hatsuhinokai ticket is the only way to see the sunrise from inside the tower.
As of November 2026, Tokyo Tower had not announced whether the 2027 Hatsuhinokai would run, what tickets would cost, or when they would go on sale. The details usually appear in December.
Seats are limited and have sold out in past years, so plan to book as soon as the 2027 details go up.
Regular admission or an advance web ticket won't get you onto the deck at sunrise. You need the separate, capacity-limited Hatsuhinokai ticket.
Planning more of your New Year in Tokyo? See our guide to hatsumode and New Year shrine visits.
Regular hours vs. the 6:50 sunrise
Tokyo Tower's regular hours start at 9:00 a.m. (Main Deck 9:00–23:00, last entry 22:30; the Top Deck Tour runs 9:00–22:45). Sunrise in Tokyo on January 1, 2027 is around 6:50 a.m.
Even an advance web ticket only lets you in from 9:00 a.m. Before that, the deck is open to Hatsuhinokai ticket holders only.
Book regular tickets for Tokyo Tower
2027 event: not announced yet
Until then, the best guide is the most recent event, held on January 1, 2026.
Prices, seat types, and the opening time vary from year to year, so confirm the final figures once the 2027 details are out, usually in December.
Hatsuhinokai is a capacity-limited viewing with seated and standing sections, and tickets can sell out before the day.
Sunrise time and where to look
The sun rises around 6:50 a.m. in the east to southeast, out over Tokyo Bay. The southeast side of the deck, which overlooks Odaiba and the Rainbow Bridge, faces the sunrise.
The stated sunrise time assumes a flat horizon. Tall buildings and clouds can push the actual sunrise a little later, and the sky starts to lighten about 30 minutes beforehand.
2026 prices, for reference
In 2026 the deck opened at 5:50 a.m., with tickets split into seat types. The rough tiers:
Seat type (2026 reference) | Approx. |
|---|---|
Top Deck (250m, limited to 26 people) | ¥40,000 |
Main Deck, seated | ¥16,000–18,000 |
Main Deck, standing | from ¥12,000 |
That is well above a regular Main Deck ticket (¥1,500 for an adult), but it includes access before opening hours and a keepsake.
In 2026 the ticket came with a commemorative medal and a lucky bag of Tokyo Tower-exclusive items. After the sunrise, visitors could make their first shrine visit of the year, or hatsumode, at Tower Daijingu, the small shrine inside the tower.
Getting there and what to wear
Nearest stations:
- Akabanebashi Station (Toei Oedo Line), 5 min on foot
- Kamiyacho Station (Hibiya Line), 7 min
- Onarimon Station (Toei Mita Line), 6 min; Shibakoen, 10 min
- Daimon Station (Toei Asakusa Line, exit A6), 10 min
- Hamamatsucho Station (JR and Tokyo Monorail, North Exit), 15 min
Hatsuhinokai starts before dawn, and trains on New Year's morning may run on a different schedule. The day before, check first-train times and any overnight service, or arrange a taxi.
A Tokyo dawn in early January is bitterly cold, so bring gloves and a hand warmer for the wait.
What to confirm once it's announced
Once the 2027 Hatsuhinokai details are posted, usually in December, check these before you buy:
- Whether it runs, and the date (New Year's Day only)
- Opening and viewing times, and last entry
- Price and capacity for each seat type
- The on-sale date and how it is sold (which site; first-come or lottery)
- Any cancellation or time change for weather
The official source is Tokyo Tower's own site and ticket page. If you would rather not pay for the deck, you can skip it and watch the first sunrise from an open spot with a clear eastern horizon, such as along the bay.
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.