About Tokyo Tower and its History
Tokyo Tower (officially called 日本電波塔/Nippon denpato, Japan Radio Tower) is an iconic tower in Minato-Ku, Shiba Park in Tokyo. It is 333m tall and it was the tallest tower in Japan until the construction of Tokyo Skytree (634m tall) in 2010.
Tokyo Tower was built in 1958 as a large broadcasting tower and also as a monument to symbolize a global economic powerhouse.
Since the opening, over 180 million people have visited the tower.
There’s a four floor building under the tower where you can enjoy shopping, eating, and visiting museums. Guests can visit two observation decks. Main Observatory deck is at 150m and the smaller Top deck called Special Observatory reaches 249m. The night view of Tokyo Tower is especially popular with beautiful illuminations.
Interesting Facts about Tokyo Tower
- This Eiffel Tower-like structure is painted white and vivid reddish, international orange (the color which is used to stands out to comply with air safety regulations. Golden Gate Bridge and many big buildings and towers have this color).
- Radio antennas were installed in 1961 for television broadcasting.
- Later upon starting digital television transition, it was found that Tokyo Tower’s height was not enough to cover complete terrestrial digital broadcasting in Tokyo. So the taller tower, Tokyo Skytree was built in 2012. Tokyo Tower broadcasts analog television, digital television, radio and digital radio now.
- Tokyo Tower is made of steel, and most of it was taken from US tanks damaged in the Korean War.
- A small Shinto Shrine is located on the second floor of the Main Observatory to ward off evil spirits and hope for the safety.
- It is estimated that it cost around 30 billion yen to build Tokyo Tower.
- Tokyo Tower weights about 4000t (Eiffel Tower is about 9700t) and Sky Tree is about 41.000t. Sky Tree is made extremely heavy to be able to stand still in case of an earthquake.
- The tower is painted every five years. It takes a year to complete the repainting. It is scheduled to be repainted in 2024.
- There’s the Tokyo Tower Was Museum in the foot town which displays wax figures such as The Beatles imported from London.
- Tokyo Tower’s ligting is occasionally changed. For example, Christmas tree like illumination is set during the season and just a few months ago, it turned blue to honour medical personnel fighting the coronavirus.
- The real estate registration of Tokyo Tower says there are 2 basement floors but there’s only 1 basement floor. This is because the first/ground floor is placed on a slope which is considered as a basement floor on a paper.
Access
Nearest station is 赤羽橋駅 Akabanebashi station
From 新宿/Shinjuku Station
Take Toei Oedo Line for Tochomae to Akabanebashi.
It is about a 5-minute walk from the Akabanebashi Exit.
From 東京/Tokyo Station
Take JR Yamanote Line for Shinagawa to Hamamatsucho/Daimon.
Then take Toei Oedo Line for Roppongi/Tochou-mae and get off at Akabanebashi. It is about a 5-minute walk from the Akabanebashi Exit.
From 成田空港/Narita Airport
Take Skyliner for Keisei Ueno to Nippori.
Then taake JR Yamanote Line for Ueno to Hamamatsucho/Daimon.
Take Toei Oedo Line for Roppongi/Tochou-mae and get off at Akabanebashi. It is about a 5-minute walk from the Akabanebashi Exit.
From 羽田空港/Haneda Airport
Take Tokyo Monorail for Hamamatsucho. Then take Toei Oedo Line for Roppongi/Tochou-mae and get off at Akabanebashi. It is about a 5-minute walk from the Akabanebashi Exit.
Address: 4-2-8 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Hours: 9:00am to 11:00pm (Last entry at 10:30pm)
※Currently due to the coronavirus, business hours are shorten.
Please check the detailed information here: https://www.tokyotower.co.jp/price/en.html
Price:
・To Main Deck
Adult(19 years old and over) 1,200yen
High School (From 16 to 18 years old) 1,000yen
Jr.High, Elementary School (From 7 to 15 years old) 700yen
・To Top Deck Tour
Adult(19 years old and over)
[Online Tickets]2,800yen [Ticket counter]3,000yen
High School (From 16 to 18 years old)
[Online Tickets]2,600yen [Ticket counter]2,800yen
Jr.High, Elementary School (From 7 to 15 years old)
[Online Tickets]1,800yen [Ticket counter]2,000yen
Children (From 4 to 6 years old)
[Online Tickets]1,200yen [Ticket counter]1,400yen
Today’s words and phrases 今日の単語/フレーズ
・Observation deck 展望台
・Iconic 象徴的な
・Broadcasting tower 電波塔
・It is estimated that… 〜と推定されている
・Construction 建設
・Reddish 赤っぽい
Thank you for reading today’s post!
See you next time.
Taka
*I’m a professional composer by the way.
You can listen/download my music below.
