Japan: Tokyo (Tokyo Skytree) (*)

The Tokyo Skytree is a new television broadcasting and observation tower which offers shops, restaurants and an aquarium for visitors to enjoy. It is the landmark of Tokyo and the centerpiece of the Tokyo Skytree Town in the Sumida City Ward. Located not far from Asakusa, the tower stands at 634 meters (2080 feet) making it the tallest building in Japan and the second tallest structure in the world after Burj Khalifa in Dubai which stands at 829.8 meters (2,722 feet). The tower was completed on February 29, 2012 and its main purpose is to relay complete digital broadcasting signals since the Tokyo Tower which stands at 333 meters (1,093 feet) can no longer do so, being surrounded by numerous high-rise buildings.

Tokyo Skytree Town

The tower project was led by Tobu Railway and six broadcasting companies headed by NHK. Its design was based on three basic concepts:

• Combining fusion of futuristic design and the traditional beauty of Japan
• Servings as a catalyst for the revitalization of the city
• Contributing to disaster prevention

Tokyo Skytree visible from Asakusa

Tokyo Skytree and the Asahi Beer buildings from the Sumida River

The Tokyo Solamachi complex below the Skytree plaza

Skytree from the escalators going up to the plaza

Tokyo Skytree Plaza

The Skytree mascots

Various artistic depictions of the Skytree at the entry plaza

The main ticket counter & Skytree guide

The base of the Skytree is constructed like a tripod which extends to a height of about 350 meters (1,150 feet) from which point the tower’s structure is cylindrical, offering panoramic views of the Sumida River and the city below. There are observation decks at the 350 meter level (1,150 feet) and at the 450 meter level (1,480 feet). The lower level called the Tembo deck has a capacity to hold 2,000 visitors and spans three levels. The top-level features tall windows which offer a 360 degree view of the city. There is a large digital touch panel display which provides information on the various buildings that are visible from the tower. The middle level features a souvenir shop and the Musashi Restaurant which serves Japanese-French fusion cuisine. On the lower level of the Tembo deck, visitors will find a café and a section of glass flooring giving them a direct downward view of the streets below.

The Tembo Deck, very early in the morning

The digital touch panel display

The biobu or screen displaying the area surrounding the Skytree

The cafe

In between the levels of the Tembo deck

From the Tembo deck visitors can board elevators to the Tembo Gallery located at the 450 meter level, which has a capacity to hold 900 visitors. The upper observatory features a spiral, glass-covered skywalk in which visitors ascend the last 5 meters to the highest point at the upper platform.

Tembo Gallery

Glass floor

View from the glass floor

Guide at the Tembo Gallery level

Views from the Skytree

The large white Tokyo Dome visible from the Skytree

The Tokyo Skytree was designed to withstand earthquakes. Its central shaft is made of reinforced concrete and the main internal pillar is attached to the outer tower structure 125 meters (410 feet) above ground. From there until 375 meters (1,230 ft.) the pillar is attached to the tower frame with oil dampers, which act as cushions during an earthquake. According to the designers, the dampers can absorb 50 percent of the energy from an earthquake. We all know how important that can be given that Japan is a country prone to earthquakes.

At night, the Tokyo Skytree is illuminated using LED lights. There are two patterns which are used: Iki ( sky blue) and Miyabi (purple).

Iki color scheme

Miyabi color scheme

As the Skytree’s opening approached, people reportedly waited in line for a full week to get tickets. By the opening, trips up the tower were fully booked for the first two months of operation. The tower opened to the public on May 22, 2012 drawing a crowd of tens of thousands, despite rainy conditions which blocked the view from the tower’s observation deck. Strong winds also forced two elevators to be shut down, leaving some visitors briefly stranded on the observation deck. According to Tobu Railway, 1.6 million people visited the Skytree during its first week of opening.

Shops at the Skytree Town

Tobu Tokyo Skytree Station

Japan: Toyko (Tokyo Tower) (*)

Standing at 1,093 feet, Tokyo Tower is the second tallest artificial structure in Japan. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Tokyo Tower is approximately 43 feet taller and painted white and orange in compliance with air safety regulations.

Tokyo Tower

Rhinestone replica of Tokyo Tower available for purchase at the gift shop

Located in 4-2-8 Shiba-Koen, Minato, Tokyo, the tower serves as a TV and radio broadcast antenna as well as a tourist attraction. Construction on the tower began in June of 1957 and it was officially opened to the public on December 23, 1958. The cost to complete the tower was ¥2.8 billion (US$8.4 million in 1958).

View of Rainbow Bridge from Tokyo Tower

Tokyo from the Special Observation deck of Tokyo Tower

Japan experienced a communications boom in the 1950s with the inception of NHK in 1953 followed by several private broadcasting companies operating in the months following. The government realized that this boom would eventually lead to the construction of transmission towers all over Tokyo, eventually overrunning the city. They proposed constructing one large tower capable of transmitting to the entire region instead. Further, due to the country’s postwar boom in the 1950s, Japan was searching for a monument to symbolize its growth as a global economic powerhouse.

Tokyo from the first observation deck

Tokyo Tower was constructed of steel, a third of which was scrap metal taken from US tanks damaged in the Korean War. When the 90-meter antenna was bolted into place on October 14, 1958, Tokyo Tower was the tallest freestanding tower in the world, taking the title from the Eiffel Tower. Despite being taller than the Eiffel Tower, Tokyo Tower only weighs about 4,000 tons, 3,300 tons less than the Eiffel Tower. While other towers have since surpassed Tokyo Tower’s height, the structure is still the tallest self-supporting steel structure in the world and was the tallest artificial structure in Japan until April 2010, when the new Tokyo Skytree became the tallest building of Japan.

The glass floor at the Tokyo Tower

Below the Tokyo Tower as viewed from the glass floor

Tokyo Skytree as seen from the Tokyo Tower

Foot Town, a four-story building located directly under the tower, houses souvenir shops, restaurants, the Tokyo Tower Aquarium and a gallery. On the structure’s roof one can find an amusement park/ roof garden and a playground for kids. With elevators departing from Foot Town, guests can visit two observation decks. The Main Observatory is located at 150 meters (490 ft.), while the Special Observatory reaches a height of 250 meters (820 ft.). There are guides throughout the attraction to point guests in the right direction and answer any questions.

Floor plan for Foot Town (1st floor)

Foot Town (2nd floor)

Foot Town (3rd floor)

Foot Town (4th floor)

Foot Town (roof level)

Over 150 million people have visited the tower in total since its opening in 1958. Current estimates indicate that Tokyo Tower attracts approximately 3 million visitors per year! It is recommended to combine a visit to Tokyo Tower with a visit to Zojoji Temple, one of Tokyo’s major temples, just next to the tower.

Zojoji Temple as seen from Tokyo Tower

Zojoji Temple can be seen from the Tokyo Tower. Six of the 15 Tokugawa shoguns are buried at the temple cemetary. The graves of Hidetada (and the monument to his wife), Ienobu, and Ietsugu had been designated National Treasures of Japan, but were burned in World War II. At present, parts of two of their graves have the distinction of being Important Cultural Properties of Japan. Additional graves are located in the cemetery behind the Great Hall. Parts of the grounds of the temple are now occupied by a golf practice range and a hotel.

In one particular garden at the cemetery, called the Unborn Children Garden, there are rows of stone statues of children which represent the unborn children of Japan, including miscarried, aborted and stillborn children. Parents can choose a statue in the garden and decorate it with small clothing and toys. Usually the statues are accompanied by a small gift for Jizo, the guardian of unborn children to ensure that they are brought to the afterlife. Occasionally stones are piled by the statue, this is meant to shorten the amount of suffering a child has to go through on the way to the afterlife.