What you can take onto the SHIBUYA SKY roof

Why the roof has its own rules

Most of SHIBUYA SKY is indoors: the 14th-floor entrance, the Sky Gate lift, the Sky Gallery on the 46th floor. The Sky Stage above them is not. It is an open roof with a glass wall around the edge and nothing overhead, and the wind at that height is stronger than anything you feel in the streets.

So the deck limits what can go up. Its stated reason is to prevent things being blown or dropped. That covers the obvious, like a hat lifted off in a gust, and the less obvious, like a selfie stick held out over the glass. The rules apply to everyone, they are checked at the top, and staff will send you back down to the lockers if you arrive with something on the list.

None of this applies to the 46th-floor gallery, where you can carry your bag as normal. The restrictions start where the roof starts.

What you may take onto the roof

The deck's list of what is allowed is short. A smartphone. A camera, as long as it is on a neck strap or small enough to fit in a pocket. Binoculars, on the same condition: on a neck strap or pocket-sized.

Wrist straps are not on the list, so if your camera only has a wrist strap, either fit a neck strap before you go or check with staff. Large cameras with long lenses are fine on a neck strap, but you cannot carry a camera bag up with them, so take spare batteries and cards in your pockets.

If your clothes have no pockets at all, ask at the information desk on the 46th floor. The deck lends a small bag that is allowed on the roof, for exactly this reason.

What has to stay behind

Bags of every kind: handbags, backpacks, tote bags, belt bags and small pouches. Hats of every kind: caps, sun hats, beanies. Tripods, monopods and selfie sticks. Earphones and headphones, including the small wireless kind. Food and drink, chewing gum included. And anything else that could fly away or fall.

The ban on earphones surprises people. They are small, they fall out easily, and the deck would rather not see one drop from the edge. Put them in your bag before you reach the locker.

Hats are the other surprise, especially in summer. The roof has no shade, so in hot weather use sunscreen before you go up, and take sunglasses, which are not on the restricted list.

How the lockers on the 46th floor work

The deck has dedicated lockers on the 46th floor for the things that cannot go onto the roof. They are sized for the restricted items, not for luggage: the deck gives their inside dimensions as 320 mm high, 375 mm wide and 430 mm deep, which takes a day backpack or a handbag and a hat, not a suitcase.

Use them on the way up, after the Sky Gallery and before the escalators to the roof. At sunset, when many people arrive in the same windows, there can be a short wait for lockers, which is one reason to book a window 40 to 60 minutes before the sun goes down.

Because there is no re-entry to the deck, remember to collect everything from the locker before you go down. Once you are back through the exit, you cannot come back up to fetch a forgotten jacket.

Suitcases and large luggage

Suitcases and other large luggage are not allowed into SHIBUYA SKY at all, not even as far as the 46th floor, and the roof lockers are too small for them. The deck asks you to leave them somewhere else before you come.

Shibuya Station has coin lockers, and the deck's own site points visitors to a live map of which ones are free. Big lockers fill early, especially on days when people are moving between hotels, so if you are arriving with luggage, look for one first.

The shibuya-san tourist information and art centre, on the first floor of Shibuya Fukuras near the station, also stores suitcases and large bags, up to its capacity. It offers free Wi-Fi and phone charging too. The Hikarie Conference centre on the 11th floor of Shibuya Hikarie runs a luggage service that has to be booked in advance.

Photography on the roof

Photographs for your own use are welcome everywhere on the deck. Commercial filming, recording and interviews are not allowed without the deck's permission.

Tripods and selfie sticks are allowed indoors on the 46th floor, though staff may stop you when it is crowded. They are never allowed outside, on the 46th-floor terrace or on the roof. For low-light shots at dusk, rest the camera against the glass or the handrail instead.

The glass wall around the roof is tall and clear, and it reflects at night. Press the lens close to it, or use a lens hood or your hand to shade it, to cut out reflections of the lights behind you. Do not climb on anything or lean out over the barrier; staff will stop you, and rightly.

Pushchairs, children and carriers

You can bring a pushchair to SHIBUYA SKY, but only the deck's own loan pushchairs can go onto the roof. Ask at the 46th-floor information desk; they have a limited number. With a pushchair, the helipad area at the top of the roof is off-limits. The deck recommends a baby carrier instead, which goes everywhere.

Carrying children on your shoulders or in your arms is not allowed on the roof, for the obvious reason. Some areas of the deck are kept dim for effect, so hold small hands on the stairs.

Remember that children's tickets are sold only at the 14th-floor counter on the day. Book adult places for anyone 12 and over, and buy the children's tickets when you arrive.

Wheelchairs and mobility aids

Wheelchair users and people on mobility scooters can visit SHIBUYA SKY. There are stairs and escalators on the route between floors, so ask any member of staff and they will take you to the priority lift.

A few parts of the roof cannot be reached by wheelchair. For safety, depending on its shape, staff may ask you to transfer to one of the deck's own wheelchairs before you go out. Crutches and walking sticks are allowed everywhere.

There is an accessible toilet and a baby room on the 46th floor. Guide dogs, hearing dogs and service dogs are welcome throughout. Pets are not.

The other house rules

No food or drink may be brought into SHIBUYA SKY. You can eat and drink only at Paradise Lounge on the 46th floor and, when it is open, at the rooftop bar on the Sky Stage. The whole building is non-smoking.

Radios and transceivers may not be used. Staff and security check bags at the entrance on the 14th floor, so allow a minute for that inside your window.

In sudden bad weather or an emergency, follow the staff's instructions. They close the roof when wind, rain, snow, thunder, smog or heat make it unsafe, and they can refuse entry to anyone they judge to be acting dangerously.

What to wear on the roof

The wind is the main thing to dress for. At 229 metres it is stronger than in the streets, even on a calm day, and the roof has no shelter. Take a layer you can zip or button, even in late spring and early autumn, and especially for a sunset window, when the temperature drops quickly once the sun has gone.

Loose, light skirts and dresses can catch the wind. Scarves should be tied or tucked in; they count as things that could blow away if they are loose. Hats are not allowed at all, so bring sunscreen and sunglasses in summer instead.

The roof has wide steps up to the helipad lawn. Ordinary flat shoes are best. Some indoor areas are kept dim for effect, so be careful on the stairs between floors.

A checklist for the day

Before you leave your hotel: leave the suitcase behind, or plan where to store it near Shibuya Station. Charge your phone; your ticket is a QR code on it, and you will want the camera. Fit a neck strap to your camera if it only has a wrist strap.

On the way: check the roof's status on the deck's website or X account. Head for the 14th floor of Shibuya Scramble Square, by the dedicated lift at street level, and aim to arrive at the start of your window.

At the 14th floor: have your QR code ready and expect a bag check. Children aged 11 and under buy their tickets at the counter here.

On the 46th floor: lock away your bag, hat, earphones, tripod or selfie stick, and any food or drink. Keep your phone and a strapped or pocket-sized camera. Then go up.