Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower is a large broadcasting tower in the Kanto region of Japan. When it was first completed, Tokyo Tower was the largest freestanding tower in the world. Though it has since lost that designation, the structure remains a local landmark. It commonly draws tourists from across the world.

The tower was initially constructed as a broadcasting point for television and radio. For many years, it was the premier broadcasting point in the Kanto region. In 2012, that role shifted to the taller Tokyo Skytree. Despite this, many television and radio stations still utilize Tokyo Tower for broadcasting.

Tokyo Tower is decorated with a complex network of lights. These lights change color with the time of year and may also shift to special holiday displays. The tower is always painted orange and white to comply with airspace laws.

At the base of the tower, a four-story building houses a variety of entertainment options for tourists. This includes an art gallery, a small amusement park, and numerous other attractions. Visitors can also take an elevator to one of two observation platforms. The first platform, the Main Observatory, is located roughly 150 meters from the ground. The second platform, the Special Observatory, is located roughly 250 meters from the ground.

Background

Japan was badly damaged in World War II. The nation had joined the Axis powers, fighting beside Nazi Germany and Italy. It had launched a surprise attack on the United States, only to be defeated when the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Japan’s mainland. This defeat was a significant blow to the pride of the Japanese people.

As Japan’s economy began to recover after the war, the nation decided to build a new landmark. Television and radio were on the rise, and Japan’s Kanto region found itself in need of a new broadcasting tower. The tower would have to be tall, allowing its signal to reach as far as possible. However, the Japanese government also wanted the structure to be artistic and pleasant to look at. To accomplish this task, the builders hired Japanese architect Tachū Naitō.

Naitō based his design on the iconic Eiffel Tower, located in France. The architect thought that Japan deserved a similar structure, something that evoked the same sense of awe in viewers. However, Naitō also wanted his creation to be larger than the Eiffel Tower. He designed the structure to be 332.9 meters (1,092 feet) tall. At the time of its creation, this made Tokyo Tower the tallest freestanding tower in the world. It took that title from the Eiffel Tower, which was smaller than Tokyo Tower by roughly 13 meters.

The tower opened on Christmas Eve, 1958. Thousands of people took trains and walked for several more miles to see the new structure. They viewed it as a sign of revival for Japan. It showed that the Japanese people would rise again after their defeat, and that they were still equal to Western powers. Additionally, the tower helped bring Japan into another technological era. It allowed Japanese media companies to broadcast television directly into the homes of citizens throughout the Kanto region.

Overview

Tokyo Tower is a massive freestanding tower modeled after France’s Eiffel Tower, located in the Kanto region of Japan. Though Tokyo Tower is taller than the Eiffel Tower, its specialized steel construction allows it to weigh roughly half the weight of the Eiffel Tower. Because of the tower’s immense height, Japanese law requires it to be painted orange and white. This high-visibility paint job is necessary for safety reasons, specifically to ensure it is visible to aircraft. The tower is repainted every five years, a process that requires 28,000 liters of paint.

At the base of Tokyo Tower is FootTown. FootTown is a four-story building that contains many features popular with tourists, such as restaurants, shops, and museums. It also contains a small amusement park, a wax museum, and an art gallery. The Main Observatory, a two-story-tall structure also known as the Main Deck, is located 150 meters from the ground. Many visitors ascend to the Main Observatory to appreciate the view of the surrounding landscape. A second observatory, the Special Observatory, is located roughly 250 meters off the ground. The Special Observatory, also known as the Top Deck, was originally used for antenna maintenance, but in 1967 the platform was opened to the public. Guests purchase tickets to use specialized elevators to ascend to both observatories. On a clear day, visitors can see as far as Mt. Fuji from the Special Observatory.

Tokyo Tower is decorated with several sets of lights. The Landmark Light, the attraction’s traditional light set, is made up of 180 bulbs spread across the entire monument. During the winter, the lights appear orange. During the summer, they appear white. The Diamond Veil is a special set of lights lit only for two hours every Saturday. It comprises 276 lights, each of which can glow as seven different colors. On holidays, the Diamond Veil is sometimes used to make specialized displays that are visible for great distances.

Though Tokyo Tower was once the premier broadcasting tower in Kanto, that role has been taken over by the Tokyo Skytree. The Tokyo Skytree is a 634-meter-tall structure that was completed in 2012. Many broadcasting companies have utilized Tokyo Skytree in addition to, or instead of, Tokyo Tower. This is because numerous skyscrapers have been built throughout Tokyo since Tokyo Tower’s construction, increasing the need for a taller broadcasting point. Several radio stations and television stations still primarily broadcast from Tokyo Tower.

Despite its decline in use as a broadcasting facility, Tokyo Tower remains a popular tourist destination. The tower is located in a major metropolitan area, and is considered a landmark for the region. For this reason, the tower draws more than three million tourists annually, although those numbers have fallen as other free observation points have opened elsewhere in the area. Since its inception, more than 190 million tourists have visited Tokyo Tower.

Bibliography

“Half Century On, Tokyo Tower Still Dazzles as Landmark,” The Japan Times, 2008, www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2008/12/30/reference/half-century-on-tokyo-tower-still-dazzles-as-landmark/. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

“The Tower and the Story,” The Japan Times, 2002, www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2002/03/17/general/the-tower-and-the-story/. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

“Tokyo Tower,” Japan Guide, www.japan-guide.com/e/e3009.html. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

“Tokyo Tower,” JNTO, www.japan.travel/en/spot/1709/. Accessed 30 Sept. 2019.

“Tokyo Tower vs Tokyo Skytree: Which Is Best?” Rakuten Travel, 19 Oct. 2024, travel.rakuten.com/contents/usa/en-us/guide/tokyo-tower-vs-tokyo-skytree/. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.