Timing is everything at Tokyo Skytree. In daylight the urban sprawl below just looks banal; at night, the city lights gleam with romance, but you can't see to the far horizons. Get there for sunset, though, and if conditions are right, the view can be little short of magical.
The same applies when you pick a place to eat at the city's most popular tourist attraction. At peak meal times there are waits of up to an hour. But arrive early or as the crowds are thinning, and there's every chance you will waltz straight in.
That's definitely the way to do it at Shokkan Solamachi-ten. Dinner service opens from 5 p.m., which at this time of year is right around sunset. While most other visitors are taking in the view as the city lights up for the evening, you can claim pole position right outside the restaurant's front entrance.