33 Tokyo Tower Facts: Know More About Japan's Tallest Tower
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Tokyo is the capital and most populous metropolitan region in Japan.
Since it was built in 1958, Tokyo Tower has been visited by millions of people. It has appeared in numerous Japanese films and is a common sight on school bus excursions and first dates.
Till now, it was the tallest structure, second only to the Tokyo Skytree. The renowned architect, Tach Nait, has claimed to have taken inspiration for this tallest building from the Eiffel Tower. It is roughly a football field shorter than the Empire State Building, which stands at 1454 ft (443 m) tall and cost $8.4 million to build.
Appearance
Standing at 1,092 ft (332.9 m), it was the tallest structure in Tokyo till 2012. Sometimes, specific lighting or images are illuminated to emphasize special events.
Tokyo Tower is located in Shibakoen, Tokyo city. It was purposefully constructed in the heart of Tokyo in order for the TV stations and radio antennae to reach as far as feasible.
Initially, the tower was only illuminated to indicate its outline. The lighting was redesigned in 1989, and the tower now appears to hover in the night sky.
At Tokyo Tower, there are two types of lights: the 'Landmark Light' and the 'Diamond Veil.'
Landmark Light is illuminated by 180 light bulbs. There are two designs in Landmark Light: a 'winter version' and a 'summer version.' The tower lights are turned to a refreshing shade of white during the sweltering summer months of July through September. The tower's lights are turned to a rich and warming orange in the winter.
Every Monday, Diamon Veil transforms into a different color, depending on the month. There are 268 LED lights installed on 17 floors, each of which can be individually programmed to produce an infinite variety of light colors and patterns.
The Tokyo Tower is about 1.86 mi (2.9 km) south of the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station, and only a few feet from Roppongi's famous nightlife and art museums.
The tower's owner, Nippon Television City, gave it a $6.5 million makeover for its 50th birthday in 2008, as well as a new nightly illumination scheme: the Diamond Veil, which features 276 lights in seven colors. It is generally lit up green at night on St. Patrick's Day.
The tower is illuminated at night with 164 light bulbs.
Tokyo Tower adopted an Australian color scheme on Sunday, January 26, 2020, as a sign of support for Australia in the wake of major bushfires that have destroyed thousands of homes and killed thousands of animals.
At a recent event, the Tokyo Tower's 'Tokyo 2016' was screened at the Tokyo Olympics on the 21st.
Construction And Maintenance
On October 14, 1958, the 295.276 ft (90 m) antenna was welded into place, making Tokyo Tower the world's tallest observation tower, surpassing the Eiffel Tower by 29.5 ft (8.99 meters). Here are the facts that will tell you about the work that goes into the construction and maintenance of the tower.
It is made of steel, with a third of it coming from scrap metal salvaged from US tanks damaged during the Korean War.
Despite being taller than the Eiffel Tower, Tokyo Tower weighs just roughly 4409 US ton (4,000 met ton). There is a difference of 3637.6 US ton (3,300 met ton) between the Eiffel Tower and Tokyo Tower.
Because of Japan's postwar economic boom in the 1950s, the country was looking for a monument to commemorate its rise as a global economic superpower.
Originally, Hisakichi Maeda, the founder and president of Nippon Denpat, the tower's owner and operator, intended for the tower to be taller than the Empire State Building. The proposal, however, failed due to a lack of both cash and materials.
To preserve it from rusting, it is painted every five years.
To paint the entire tower, 28,000 gal(127290.52 l) of paint are required.
The two-tone hue is commonly mistaken for red and white, although the two colors are actually 'international orange' and 'white.' Buildings exceeding a particular height are required by aviation legislation to use these colors.
There are a total of 15 floors, consisting of 600 steps, in Tokyo Tower.
Broadcasting And Attraction
Due to the amazing skyscrapers from its observation deck, Tokyo Tower is considered one of the must-visit tourist attractions in Japan.
The tower is a popular tourist attraction in Tokyo, with two observation decks: one at 492 ft (149.9 m) above ground and the other at 819 ft (249.6 m) above ground.
During the day, the skyscrapers and green areas of Tokyo may be seen, as well as Mount Fuji in the distance. There is a lovely view of the city lights after dusk.
Since its inception over 60 years ago, the Tokyo Tower has been visited by an estimated 150 million visitors.
In the Tokyo metropolitan region, it regulates television broadcast signals, FM radio wireless transmission, and traffic information transmission. The meteorological and pollution data are also collected by the tower.
In the year 2000, the Tokyo Tower was mortgaged for $10 billion dollars.
There's also One-Piece Tower, a theme park based on popular manga and anime series.
A four-story building known as FootTown is located at the base of the skyscraper. The Aquarium Gallery, a reception hall, the 400-person-capacity Tower Restaurant, a FamilyMart convenience store, and a souvenir shop are all located on the first floor.
The intriguing Trick Art Museum, located on the final floor of Tokyo Tower, is a fascinating place full of three-dimensional paintings and optical illusions. A small amusement park with numerous small rides and live shows for children is located on the roof of the FootTown building.
The Guinness World Records Museum Tokyo is located on the third level and features life-size figures, photo panels, and artifacts displaying interesting records that have been authenticated by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Other Miscellaneous Facts
Here are some miscellaneous facts to help you learn more about Tokyo Tower.
The total amount of paint utilized for the 23.2 acre (9.3 ha) painting area is 89818.5 gal (40,8323 l), requiring the participation of around 4,200 people.
While several skyscrapers have subsequently surpassed Tokyo Tower's height, it remained Japan's tallest artificial structure until April 2010, when the Tokyo Skytree overtook it.
Nippon is the name of two mascots at the Tower. They're two brothers dressed in blue and red overalls. These two were unveiled in 1998, for the Tower's 40th anniversary.
Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, Cardcaptor Sakura, Please Save My Earth, Magic Knight Rayearth, Detective Conan, Digimon, Death Note, and Sailor Moon are some of the manga and anime that have depicted this observation tower.
It is claimed that it would be able to withstand earthquakes twice as powerful as the 7.9 magnitude Great Kant earthquake of 1923, as well as typhoons with wind speeds of up to 140 mph (225.3 kph).
Traditional Japanese laborers are referred to as 'Toby.' Thousands of Tobys were thus engaged in the construction of the Tokyo Tower. Every day, at least 500 Tobies were employed for it.
FAQs
Q: Why is the Tokyo Tower famous?
A: Tokyo Tower, which was completed in 1958, is a symbol of Tokyo's post-World War II reconstruction. It serves as both a broadcasting tower and a tourist attraction.
Q: What is Tokyo Tower made of?
A: The Tokyo Tower is made up of steel.
Q: Who built the Tokyo Tower?
A: The Tokyo Tower was designed by Tach Nait, a prominent tall building designer in Japan.
Q: Why is Tokyo Tower red?
A: The two-tone hue is commonly mistaken for red and white, although the two colors are actually 'white' and 'international orange.' Buildings exceeding a particular height are required by aviation legislation to use these colors.
Q: When was Tokyo Tower built?
A: The Tokyo Tower, built in 1958 in the Shiba-Koen area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, is a communications and observation deck.
Q: Is Tokyo Tower the biggest tower in the world?
A: Tokyo Tower is the world's largest self-supported steel tower, standing 1092.52 ft (333 m) tall in the heart of Tokyo and 42.6 ft (13 m) higher than the Eiffel Tower.
Q: How many floors does Tokyo Tower have?
A: The Tokyo tower has 15 floors.
Q: What was Tokyo Tower inspired by?
A: Tokyo Tower is a white and red tower inspired by Paris's Eiffel Tower.
Q: How many steps are there to the top of Tokyo Tower?
A: There are 600 steps to the top of Tokyo Tower.
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