Tokyo Sky Tree ticket questions

We plan to visit the Tokyo Sky Tree on 12/24. I just looked at the online tickets site and all the online tickets for that day is gone (I know we can't reserve it without a Japanese credit card anyway). I assume that they still reserve some tickets for same day walk ins? Or does this mean we won't be able to get a same day ticket that day? This is the only day we could visit based on our itinerary and we would love to go up the tower. We plan to arrive before 8am. Does anyone know whether there will be same day tickets sold or should we give up the idea? Thank you!!

I assume that they still reserve some tickets for same day walk ins?

Yes, 10,000 to be exact. The 24th is a national holiday, so it will likely be busy. But if you do not mind waiting a few hours for your time slot (you don't have to wait in a line, but can explore the Solamachi complex - or even other parts of Tokyo, e.g. Asakusa, in the meantime), you should be able to get up the tower.

The 24th of December 2012 will be a substitute holiday (because Emperor's Birthday will fall on the previous Sunday).
It may be busy in and around the tower, but you will not get caught in rush hours on railroad because the day will not be a weekday.
Regular hours of Tokyo Skytree are from 8:00 to 22:00.
: I recommend you would minimize the amount of your luggage in advance.
: Please make sure that you are in a correct queue. Entrances may differ by whether a guest has made reservation or will buy a same-day ticket. When I visited the tower in October, I was guided to use North Entrance to purchase my ticket.
: If many people wait in queues for same-day tickets, coupons may be handed out for each holder to come again during a designated time slot shown in the coupon. This coupon does not guarantee admission.
: Tickets for the upper observatory (around 445 meters high) are available only in the lower observatory (around 345 meters high).

Which station will you get off?
I suppose views of Tokyo Skytree from the outside will be better from around Oshiage Stations than from around Tokyo Skytree Station.
: In Oshiage, Tobu Isesaki Line (partly nicknamed Tobu Skytree Line) and Tokyo Metro subway Hanzomon Line are jointed in one part, while Toei subway Asakusa Line and Keisei Oshiage Line are jointed in another part.
: From the concourse between the two parts, a direct elevator, a chain of escalators and a chain of staircases are available to Exit B3.
: From Exit B3 you can see Tokyo Skytree on your left. Be careful that steps of escalators are narrow. You can also choose wide staircases. Entrances are on the 4th floor.

Good luck!

Omotenashi and Uji--thank you so much for your responses. We will not have luggage with us since we will be in Tokyo for 3 full days and our luggage will be at our hotel room that day. We won't mind waiting for a few hours since we want to shop and eat at Solamachi complex anyway. The plan is to also visit Asakusa afterward and we know we have to be flexible depending on how things go that day. We plan to get off at Tokyo SkyTree station to minimize walking in the morning (we have a child with us),although I am sure we will walk further out to get better views and pictures of the tower when we leave. I could hardly wait! Thank you again for all the useful information!

Omotenashi--I have a question about what "the coupon". Does that mean you come back later at the designated time to purchase the tickets? You said it does not guarantee admission so I assume it is just for time slots to return. Thanks!

Does that mean you come back later at the designated time to purchase the tickets?

Yes.
These coupons may be handed out if many, many people have gathered for same-day tickets.
In that case, instead of waiting in a queue for some hours, basically you can get a coupon, leave the queue, come back during the designated time-slot (of 30 minutes) and try to purchase your ticket again.

I suppose reasons why admission is not guaranteed are, for example, that elevators inside Tokyo Skytree may be delayed or suspended due to strong wind, and that something unexpected might happen, including underestimating crowdedness.

Good luck!

Thank you, Omotenashi! Fingers crossed that we will be able to get in without problems. I am sure my husband will start to get a bit worried if we hang out in Solamachi too long :-)

We plan to arrive before 8am. Does anyone know whether there will be same day tickets sold or should we give up the idea?

We visited Tokyo Sky Tree today.
We were able to buy tickets on the day.
We arrived 4pm and got a `waiting docket` which enabled us to buy tickets between 6-6.30pm
These dockets are 30min interva‚Œ

Hi Liem--thank you for your report. I just hope that we won't have to wait around too long. We still want to be able to hit a couple other areas later that day, but this is definitely our priority!