Tokyo Skytree was temporarily closed for safety inspections on Monday and Tuesday after an elevator malfunction left 20 people stranded.
According to the tower’s operator, Tobu Tower Skytree Co., the elevator — named Winter — suddenly stopped at around 8:15 p.m. on Sunday, approximately 30 meters above street level. The 20 passengers inside — including two children — were trapped for nearly six hours before being safely rescued. No serious injuries were reported. An unoccupied elevator called Autumn also stopped.
The Tokyo Skytree Elevator Rescue
During the rescue operation, emergency crews aligned the Autumn elevator with the Winter unit. The emergency side doors of both were then opened, and a stainless steel panel — about 120 centimeters long and 20 to 40 centimeters wide — was placed between them, creating a temporary bridge. Passengers were guided across one by one. All 20 people were freed at around 2 a.m.
“The cause of the elevator malfunction is currently under investigation,” the company said in a statement. “We are conducting a comprehensive inspection of all elevators and further reinforcing our maintenance and safety management systems.”
At one stage, all four of Tokyo Skytree’s elevators were out of service, leaving approximately 1,200 visitors temporarily unable to descend from the observation deck. Once elevator operations resumed, guests were allowed to leave in sequence.
About Tokyo Skytree
A broadcasting and observation tower in Sumida City, Tokyo Skytree was completed in 2012. At 634 meters, it is the tallest tower in the world and the tallest structure in Japan. At the time of its opening, it was the second tallest structure globally, behind the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It has since been surpassed in second place by Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tokyo Skytree elevators also stopped in 2015 and 2017, however, those incidents were resolved within 30 minutes.
