外国人に英語で東京の人気観光地を案内してみよう！～スカイツリーvs東京タワー編〜

From around the 1950s, Japan entered a period of high economic growth, and TV and radio broadcasting stations were opened one after another in Tokyo.

However, at that time, each broadcasting station had its own radio tower, so there were many radio towers scattered around the city center, so the scenery was bad, and there were various problems.

Therefore, the construction of a comprehensive radio tower was planned to solve all the problems.

Then, in 1958, “Tokyo Tower” opened in Minato Ward.

However, several decades after the opening of Tokyo Tower, many skyscrapers stood close together in the city center, and it was difficult for radio waves to reach the shady spots of the buildings.

There was also an urgent need to be able to comfortably watch broadcasts for mobile devices such as One Seg and multimedia broadcasts.

Therefore, from around 2000, campaigns to attract new tower construction began to be carried out in various parts of the metropolitan area. Then, in 2003, six major TV stations in Tokyo launched a project to build a 600-meter-class radio tower, and the plan for the new tower progressed.

Then, in 2012, “Tokyo Skytree” opened in Sumida Ward.

In addition, “Tokyo Tower” is supposed to be used as a spare radio tower when radio waves cannot be sent from “Tokyo Skytree” due to a disaster or the like.

The height of Tokyo Tower is 333m. When completed in 1958, it was the World’s tallest building.

The founder had a strong desire to build the world’s largest tower, which surpasses the Eiffel Tower if it were to be built.

The design of the tower is also beautiful, similar to the Eiffel Tower.

The color is a two-tone color of reddish-orange called “international orange” and “white”.

This painting is called “Obstacle Markings”, and according to Japanese Aviation Law, it is established that this color must be used for buildings above a certain height.

Tokyo Tower has two observatories, the “Main Deck” at 150m and the “Top Deck” at 250m.

On the Main Deck, there is a shrine called “Tower Daijingu” which is located on the highest spot of the 23 wards of Tokyo.

It is known for its blessings of “academic achievement” and “matchmaking”.

Many students visit the shrine every year to be blessed with the power of the Shinto God enshrined in the highest spot in Tokyo before taking the entrance exam.

There is also a see-through glass floor on the Main Deck called the “Skywalk Window”. If you’re not afraid of heights, try jumping on the glass!

You can enjoy the panoramic view of the big city from the center of Tokyo from the main deck, but the view from the top deck is exceptional. The night view is especially very beautiful.

To get to the Top Deck, you need to join a “Top Deck Tour”.

The tour includes a multilingual voice guide in 13 languages, a drink service, a photo card gift, and warm hospitality from the attendant. 

The top deck is designed with a futuristic atmosphere, using geometric mirrors and LED lighting.

In such a futuristic space, you can enjoy the panoramic view of modern Tokyo while listening to the history of Tokyo and Tokyo Tower with the voice guide.

It is a very fun tour where you can experience the past, present, and future at the same time.

It is recommended to book in advance so that you can join the tour without waiting even on busy days.

The 1st to 5th floors of the lower part of the tower are called “Foot Town”, and there are many restaurants, cafes, and souvenir shops.

And, in April 2022, Japan’s largest esports facility called “RED ° TOKYO TOWER” opened on the 3rd to 5th floors of Foot Town.

Tokyo Tower is lit up every night from sunset to midnight.

The standard illumination is called “landmark light”, and it is designed to shine a direct light on the tower and make the color of the tower stand out beautifully.

And, there is a summer version and a winter version of the standard illumination, the summer version is based on cool white, and the winter version is based on warm orange.

Also, every Monday night, you can enjoy a different illumination called “Infinity Diamond Veil” which is colorful and beautiful using LED lights. And the color of the illumination is designated on a monthly basis.

Tokyo Tower is said to be a sacred place for lovers, and there is a legend that “a couple who saw the moment when the illumination went out at midnight together will get eternal happiness.”

Since Tokyo Tower is located in the center of Tokyo, there are many nearby stations, but even the nearest station to Tokyo Tower is about 10 minutes away on foot.

The walking distance is a little long, but it will be fun to walk while looking up at Tokyo Tower, which is approaching little by little.

Especially, it is about a 15-minute walk from “Daimon Station ” on the Toei Asakusa Line to Tokyo Tower, but we recommend using this station if you have time.

Because there is a historical temple called “Zojoji” near the Station, which was the family temple of the Tokugawa Shogunate in the Edo period. And the scenery combined with the temple and Tokyo Tower is a superb view that is totally instagrammable.

The height of Tokyo Skytree is 634m.

It is currently the tallest self-supporting tower in the world.

It is also the second-highest in the world next to 828m of “Burj Khalifa” in Dubai among all the buildings.

There is a reason why the height of Tokyo Skytree is 634m. That is, the sequence of numbers “634” can also be read as “MU SA SHI” in Japanese, and the entire area including Tokyo and Saitama prefectures was called “Musashi Province” in old Japan. It was decided from that.

The Tokyo Skytree was designed to combine the beauty of traditional Japanese architecture with curved lines and a futuristic design.

The color of the tower is bluish-white, which is the original color called “Skytree White”.

“Tokyo Skytree” has obstruction lights called “high-intensity obstacle lights” and it is lit during the day to ensure safety.

Tokyo Skytree has two observatories, the “TEMBO DECK” at 350m and the “TEMBO GALLERIA” at 450m.

The TEMBO DECK consists of three floors: Floor 350, Floor 345, and Floor 340.

On Floor 350, three high-definition telescopes are installed. And, there is a folding screen called “Edo Ichimokuzu Byoubu” drawn by a painter from the Edo period. The scenery of Edo drawn on the folding screen is very similar to the view from the Tokyo Skytree, so please compare it with your own eyes!

On Floor 345, there is a Tokyo Skytree official shop with limited edition products and a restaurant serving “new Japanese cuisine”.

On Floor 340, There is a 2m x 3m glass floor. You can experience the thrill of standing 340m above the ground.

Tickets to the TEMBO GALLERIA can be purchased at the ticket booth on Floor 350.

The TEMBO GALLERIA has a slope from Floor 445 to Floor 450, and you can walk up to the highest point of 451.2m, which is called “Sorakara Point”.

At the TEMBO GALLERIA, you can feel like you are walking in the sky because the structure is such that the GALLERIA is pushing out from the tower.

From the TEMBO GALLERIA, you can see the entire Kanto Plain on a clear day.

The commercial facility “Tokyo Solamachi” adjacent to Tokyo Skytree has many shops selling food, sweets, souvenirs, crafts, fashion, miscellaneous goods, and so on. There are also many restaurants and cafes in the facility.

Also, in “Tokyo Solamachi”, there are a lot of character shops from Pokemon, Hello Kitty, Disney, and Snoopy to the official shop of “(Weekly Shonen) Jump” where “ONE PIECE” and “Jujutsu Kaisen” are serialized. It’s a great place for people with young children and those who like anime and manga.

In the normal lighting of Tokyo Skytree, three pattern designs, which are based on blue, purple, and orange, are lit alternately every day.

There are also days when special lighting that collaborates with various events is turned on irregularly. Up to now, more than 100 types of lighting designs have been produced.

At Tokyo Skytree, all LED lighting is used for the illuminations, so it is possible to produce an infinite number of beautiful designs with abundant color variations while saving energy and considering the global environment.

The nearest stations to Tokyo Skytree are “Tokyo Skytree Station” on the Tobu Skytree Line and “Oshiage (Skytree Mae) Station” on the Toei Asakusa Line and Hanzomon Line.

“Asakusa Station” is a terminal station on the Tobu Skytree Line and one station to “Tokyo Skytree Station”. And you can use the Toei Asakusa Line from “Asakusa station” as well. So, it might be good to visit Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree on the same day.

In the questionnaire, 60-70% of Japanese answered “Tokyo Tower” to the question “Which is more suitable as a symbol of Tokyo, Tokyo Tower or Tokyo Skytree?”.

Tokyo Tower is not only a symbol of Tokyo but also a symbol of Japan’s postwar reconstruction and high growth period. And it has been an indispensable part of the scenery of Tokyo for more than 60 years. Therefore, many people seem to have a feeling of attachment to the tower.

The retro look of the tower is also popular.

It’s the 10th anniversary of Tokyo Skytree in May 2022, and now it has become an indispensable part of the view of Tokyo along with the Tokyo Tower.

And, Tokyo Skytree, which was built using various cutting-edge technologies, can be said to be a world-class building that represents Japan.