According to the operator, the elevator connecting the ground area to the 350m-high observation deck unexpectedly stopped at a height of about 30 meters at 8:15 PM. The elevator was carrying 20 people at the time, including two children. Fortunately, no injuries or health impacts were reported.
Skytree Tower—a famous tourist spot—was temporarily closed on February 23, 2026, for safety checks and to determine the cause of the incident. The company announced it would refund admission fees for visitors who had pre-booked for that day.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department and the operator stated that the facility has four elevators named after the seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The two elevators involved in the incident were the "autumn" and "winter" ones.
At that time, the "autumn" elevator was unoccupied, but the "winter" elevator was carrying 20 passengers, including 2 children.
The rescue plan involved accessing from an adjacent elevator cabin. Authorities lowered the "autumn" elevator cabin from the observation deck to the same level as the stranded "winter" elevator cabin, using stainless steel plates to connect the side emergency doors and create a safe passage.
Firefighters then assisted the passengers in crossing the approximately 1.5-meter gap to the neighboring cabin. The entire rescue operation was completed around 2 AM the following day.
During the incident response, the remaining two elevators, "spring" and "summer," were also temporarily halted for technical inspection, leaving about 1,200 tourists temporarily stranded at the observation deck area. By 11 PM that same day, all visitors had been safely brought down to ground level.
Ambulances were mobilized to the Skytree tower in Tokyo, Japan, after an incident left 20 people trapped in an elevator on the evening of February 22, 2026.
The operator stated that each elevator in the structure is equipped with an emergency supply kit containing drinking water, blankets, flashlights, and a portable toilet. Similar incidents occurred in 2015 and 2017, but were resolved within 30 minutes.
"We sincerely apologize for the prolonged entrapment and the psychological distress caused to those involved," the Skytree operating company shared in a statement.
The Tokyo Skytree broadcasting tower stands at 634 meters, currently holding the record as the world's tallest tower. It is a tourist spot for viewing Tokyo, with its observation deck located at a height of 350 meters.
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