As post-Covid inbound tourism in Japan began to recover, many major destinations saw a prime opportunity to reset and prepare for the increase in visitors.
We at iCJ were honored to be commissioned by Tobu Tower Skytree Co., Ltd. to assist in updating the official website for TOKYO SKYTREE®, which they manage and operate.
The Objective
Standing at 634 meters (2,080 feet), Tokyo Skytree is the tallest tower in the world, but has so much more to offer than its impressive height.
Thus, our task was the challenge of refreshing the website in multiple languages, and contributing a design that entices visitors to explore Tokyo Skytree and the surrounding areas.
The Initiative
Upon reviewing the website, we identified three specific pages that would most effectively connect with travelers to the Tokyo area. Next, we provided design and content initiatives to improve these pages and help achieve this goal.
“Discover Your Excitement” Page
To convey Tokyo Skytree’s unique mix of traditional and modern Japanese culture, we employed existing video assets and built a complementary design around them to tell a visual story of what the Tokyo Skytree area has to offer.
For each highlighted area, there is an accompanying video for tourists to visualize their trip. Each video features a “Learn more” button with expanded information about attractions, along with available goods and experiences.
“Experience Tokyo” Page
Many overseas towers have inviting, engaging websites, and we saw an opportunity to match their effectiveness in Japan. Our focus was on language expression, site structure and purchasing flow. Thus, the motivation behind the refresh was international appeal, while maintaining Japanese aesthetics that are still attractive to domestic tourists.
Oftentimes, travelers are quickly skimming potential sites to help plan their itineraries. Our design philosophy behind the “Experience Tokyo” page is offering comprehensive, easily digestible information on attractions surrounding Tokyo Skytree.
We utilized attractive photos and videos to convey the variety of available experiences both inside and outside the tower, where previous iterations of the website focused more on the Tokyo Skytree tower itself.
“A Night at Tokyo Skytree” Page
Tokyo Skytree has a reputation of beautiful night views. Our goal then was to visualize the many elements that bring the area’s aesthetic to life. Our aim was to achieve this goal in multiple ways:
- Expert commentary – Word-of-mouth testimonial from night view critic extolling the benefits of visiting Tokyo Skytree at night.
- Scrollytelling – A brief scroll-activated visualization at the beginning of the page to illustrate the feeling of standing inside Tokyo Skytree at the very top of the structure.
- Imaginative visuals – This page features a 360-degree simulation of the view from Skytree, and how views change throughout the day.
- Trip guidance – Tips on the most evening-friendly activities and sights to experience after dark.
By placing visitors in a first-hand experience POV, we felt this would increase foot traffic to the Tokyo Skytree area.
The Result
Originally, the idea was to use the Discover Your Excitement page as the landing destination for advertising campaigns. The aim was to encourage travelers interested in the surrounding area to visit Tokyo Skytree.
However, while many overseas towers have well-developed pages that provide basic information about the tower itself, Tokyo Skytree does not have such a page. This was the key issue we identified.
In addition, since evenings tend to be less crowded, we also created a page highlighting the appeal of visiting Tokyo Skytree at night. We supported this effort by providing visitors with more ways to enjoy their experience.
By approaching our solutions from the perspective of overseas and domestic visitors, we could successfully deliver a final product that addressed the client’s needs. Additionally, the new website could launch in a short timeframe, just in time for the booming influx of tourists.
The final website was highly praised by the client. As a result, we continue to enjoy an ongoing relationship as a multilingual website consultant agency.
If you’re looking for an original Japanese website design agency, or would like to localize your current site to target Japan, get in touch with ICJ to see what we can do for you.
Featured image courtesy of TOKYO SKYTREE®
TOKYO SKYTREE® is a service mark /trademark of TOBU RAILWAY CO.,
LTD. and TOBU TOWER SKYTREE Co., Ltd., registered in Japan, United
States of America and other countries.
