Minato

The Tokyo Tower is a near-copy of the Eiffel Tower in Paris in terms of its style and shape.

We were curious to see, but we did not visit it. The installation offers a city view, but the day of our visit it was foggy. In addition, the cost, the fact of being 4 people and the fatigue made it easy to decide not to go up there.

The tower was built in 1958 for communication with its broadcast antenna and also with the desire to have the tallest structure in the world by surpassing the Empire State Building in New York (381 meters / 1250ft). Due to a lack of funds and equipment, the goal was not achieved. On the other hand, the steel tower of Tokyo is still 13 meters (42.6ft) higher than the original Paris version and culminates at a height of 333 meters (1092ft) with its 15 floors.

Unlike the Parisian version, the Tokyo Tower is painted in white and international orange, which is highly visible and complies with air safety regulations. Painting the tower takes a year and is a recurring exercise every 5 years.

A third of the steel used in the tower comes from scrap metal from American tanks damaged during the Korean War.

There are two observation levels. The upper level is at 250 meters (820ft) and the main level gives a view of the city at 150 meters (492ft) and is accessible via elevator or by foot. All accesses are paid even on foot with prices varying depending on the level you wish to visit. Count 600 steps to reach the main observatory. The Tokyo Tower is the 3rd highest observatory in the city when you reach the upper level.

At the base of the tower, the first levels offer food and shopping facilities and is known as “foot town”. The Red Tokyo Tower e-sports entertainment complex is spread over 4 floors and provides access to a series of video games and arcades.

Onarimon and Akabanebashi subway stations are within a 5-10 minute walk, while Hamamatsucho and Daimon are within a 15-20 minute walk.

For all my posts on Tokyo, click here.