On the evening of Feb. 22, an emergency stoppage occurred in an elevator at Tokyo Skytree, one of Japan's most iconic landmarks, leaving approximately 20 people trapped for more than five hours. The tower's operator has announced a full-day closure on Feb. 23 to investigate the cause of the malfunction and inspect other elevators for potential issues.
The incident took place around 8:30 p.m. local time when passengers trapped inside a descending elevator reported that the lift had suddenly plummeted before coming to an emergency stop. According to the Tokyo Fire Department, the elevator halted at a height of approximately 30 meters above ground, with around 15 to 20 people trapped inside.
The operator confirmed that two elevators connecting the 4th floor to the observation deck stopped during operation around 8:15 pm. One of these elevators, carrying 20 passengers, remained stranded until approximately 2:02 am the following morning. No injuries or health complaints were reported among the affected passengers.
The malfunction also stranded more than 1,200 visitors at the observation deck, who were eventually able to descend after elevator services were partially resumed.
In an official statement, the operator apologized for the prolonged confinement and inconvenience caused to passengers and all affected visitors. The company stated it would conduct comprehensive safety inspections of all elevator systems to prevent similar incidents from recurring, necessitating the full-day closure on Feb. 23.
Tokyo Skytree stands 634 meters tall, with observation decks at 350 meters and 450 meters.
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