Asia
Japan
Tokyo
TV tower
Tōkyō Sukaitsurī
Name:Tokyo Skytree
Start of construction:2008
Completion:2012
Client:Tobu Railway & television and broadcasting companies
Architect:Nikken Sekkei
Height:634 meters
Ground area of Tokyo Skytree Town:36,844 m²
Number of visitors:approx. 4.5 million visitors per year

14 Fascinating Facts About Tokyo Skytree

  1. Location: Tokyo Skytree stands in Sumida Ward in northeastern Tokyo, more precisely in the lively district of Oshiage. From here, visitors can look out over the Sumida River and many surrounding neighborhoods, including Asakusa, one of Tokyo’s most traditional districts and home to Sensō-ji, the city’s oldest Buddhist temple.
  2. Significance: Today, Tokyo Skytree is one of Tokyo’s most important landmarks and, for many visitors, an essential highlight of any trip to the Japanese capital. At 634 meters, it is the tallest broadcasting tower in the world and also the tallest structure in Japan. Each year, it attracts around 4.5 million visitors, making it one of the city’s major tourist attractions.
  3. Previous Structures: The site of today’s Tokyo Skytree was once a freight yard operated by Tobu Railway. Freight trains arrived there, goods were stored, and some cargo was transferred onto boats. From there, the goods could be transported onward via the Kitajukken Canal, the Sumida River, and other waterways. After freight operations ended, the area was redeveloped, eventually giving rise to Tokyo Skytree Town.
  4. Planning: Tokyo Skytree was developed in response to the need for a taller and more powerful transmission tower for digital broadcasting in Tokyo. From 2003 onward, Japanese television broadcasters began developing the idea for a new tower that would not only meet technical requirements but also become a modern landmark for the eastern part of the city. What began as an infrastructure project ultimately grew into a large urban district with observation decks, a shopping center, offices, an aquarium, a planetarium, and other visitor facilities.
  5. Construction History: Construction began on July 14, 2008, and the tower was completed on February 29, 2012. The narrow site, the soft ground, and the demanding requirements for earthquake and wind protection made the project especially challenging. Construction was originally planned to cost around €480 million, but the completed tower ultimately cost about €600 million.
  6. Opening: On May 22, 2012, the official opening day, around 220,000 people flocked to the new tower complex despite the rain. This enormous turnout was considered exceptional for a new opening in Japan and was reported across the country.
  7. Earthquake Protection: Tokyo Skytree draws on a traditional construction principle used in Japanese wooden pagodas, where a central core pillar was intended to improve earthquake resistance. Inside the tower is a reinforced concrete core about 375 meters high, which can sway in a controlled way during an earthquake and absorb the movements of the outer tower framework. This modern damping system had already proved its worth during the severe Tōhoku earthquake on March 11, 2011, when Tokyo Skytree was still under construction, suffered no structural damage, and work was able to resume after just a few days.
  8. Wind Resistance: Tokyo Skytree was designed to withstand not only earthquakes but also extreme wind loads. During the planning process, even the strongest gusts, with speeds of up to 110 meters per second, were taken into account. For a tower in Tokyo, this is especially important because Japan is regularly affected by typhoons and severe storms.
  9. Architecture: The tower was designed by Nikken Sekkei and combines modern engineering with traditional Japanese design ideas. At ground level, the tower starts with a triangular floor plan, which gradually transforms into a round, cylindrical shape as it rises. The exterior structure is not simply white, but finished in a specially developed color called Skytree White. This slightly bluish shade of white is inspired by traditional aijiro, a very pale indigo tone. As a result, the tower can appear cool, bright, or almost silvery depending on the weather, daylight, and illumination.
  10. Observation Decks: Tokyo Skytree has two major observation areas: the Tembo Deck at around 350 meters and the Tembo Galleria at around 450 meters. On the Tembo Deck, there is also a glass floor at about 340 meters, through which visitors can look straight down beneath their feet onto the city below. This makes the tower’s enormous height especially impressive. In the Tembo Galleria, a glass-enclosed, gently rising walkway spirals through the tower, almost creating the feeling of slowly walking through the sky above Tokyo. In strong winds, the elevators, and therefore access to the observation decks, may be temporarily stopped or restricted.
  11. Lighting Concept: At night, Tokyo Skytree appears in three official lighting concepts: Iki, Miyabi, and Nobori. Iki bathes the tower in cool blue and evokes the waterscape of the Sumida River, while Miyabi uses elegant violet tones to reflect the refinement of traditional Japanese aesthetics. Nobori uses warm gold and orange tones, giving the tower a particularly festive and dynamic appearance.
  12. Disaster Preparedness: Tokyo Skytree is also part of local disaster preparedness. At a height of 260 meters, two cameras operated by the Sumida Ward administration monitor almost the entire district. In addition, emergency supplies and large water reserves are kept within the complex for use in the event of a disaster.
  13. Origin of the Name: The name Tokyo Skytree emerged from a public selection process and was chosen through a nationwide vote. In April and May 2008, people were able to choose from six proposed names, with Tokyo Skytree ultimately receiving around 33,000 of approximately 110,000 votes. The name symbolically describes the tower as a giant tree growing into the sky and bringing together people from Tokyo, Japan, and all over the world.
  14. 6-3-4 Code: The height of Tokyo Skytree was deliberately chosen because the number 6-3-4 can be read in Japanese as “Mu sa shi.” This refers to the historic province of Musashi, which also included the area of present-day Tokyo.
  • Sensō-ji-Tempel in Asakusa mit dem Skytree im Hintergrund in Tokio
  • Tokyo Skytree in Tokio bei Nacht
  • Luftaufnahme des Tokyo Skytree im Bezirk Sumida in Tokio, Japan
  • Luftaufnahme von Tokio in Japan mit Aussicht vom Skytree aus