Tokyo by Day (Tokyo Tower )

Japanese love Tokyo Tower. For foreigners, on the other hand, it can be a bit of a puzzle. Although the Tower’s main purpose is to support a radio and television antenna, its deeper purpose was to make a statement about the rise of Japan and its economy during the post-war boom of the 1950’s. It is also, of course, a huge tourist attraction.

The Tower was completed in 1958, in deliberate imitation of the more famous Eiffel Tower. This seems, on the face of it, an odd choice for a structure intended to symbolize Japan’s arrival as a global economic power. There’s really nothing Japanese about Tokyo Tower. In fact, the whole concept is a little bizarre. What is Tokyo Tower? It’s a copy of the Eiffel Tower in the heart of Tokyo, taller than the original by a few meters and painted bright orange and white in keeping with air safety laws. On the ground floor you’ll find (what else?) an aquarium, with 50,000 fish. On the third floor, visitors are treated to a wax museum and a holographic attraction called the “Mysterious Walking Zone.” Want more? On the fourth floor, the Tower houses the Trick Art Gallery, which the official website calls “a gallery where you can enjoy original, funny 3-D trick pictures painted with special paints.” On the same floor, there is an exhibition room devoted to the history and presentation of statistical data. You can begin to see why many foreign visitors to the Tower wander out with a slightly mystified look on their faces. On the other hand, most Japanese I talk to are both fond and proud of the Tower, and that alone may be good enough reason to check it out.

More Info.(Tokyo by Day):
Tokyo Tower
Shinjuku
Shibuya
Odaiba
Akihabara

Matt Mangham

4-2-8 Shiba-koen, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Open Hours:
9:00 - 22:00
Holidays:
None

Refer to the website: http://www.tokyotower.co.jp/english/05_info/index.html