Tallest free-standing tower in the world:

Tokyo’s colourful Tree in the Sky

By Pramod De Silva

It was my first day in Tokyo, with the cherry blossoms just starting to work their magic into the hearts of the Japanese. By the time I had finished lunch (after a long flight from Colombo), there was only a few hours of daylight left to explore this magnificent city.

Poring over a map of Tokyo at the New Otani Hotel, my guide asked me whether I liked climbing towers. A perplexing question, since I am no Spiderman! However, it dawned on me that she was referring to free-standing towers such as the Eiffel in Paris and CN Tower in Toronto where one can actually reach the top by elevator. I replied ‘yes’ without any hesitation.

She excitedly pointed to the map and declared, “We are going to Tokyo Skytree”. An intriguing name, but it fits this magnificent structure to a t(r)ee. The description was even more complex: “The creation of city scenery transcending time - A fusion of traditional Japanese beauty and neo-futuristic design”.

A quick trip on the Tokyo Metro from the hotel brought us to the Sumida area of Tokyo, a trendy place that is especially popular among the youth. One cannot miss the Tokyo Skytree wherever one may go in Sumida and in fact, the surrounding area is sometimes called Skytree Town.

The massive broadcasting, restaurant and observation tower is the tallest structure in Japan. Coincidentally, it reached its full height of 634 metres in March 2011, the very same month in which Japan suffered a massive earthquake and tsunami. In this backdrop, the Skytree signifies the resilience and the determination of the Japanese in the face of adversity.

Musashi Province

My guide told me another interesting fact on why Japanese builders selected 634 metres as the final height. The sound of the number ‘634’, when read in old Japanese numbers, is “mu-sa-shi”, which reminds the Japanese of the Musashi Province of the past that used to cover a large area, including Tokyo, Saitama and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. The area where the Skytree stands now also belonged to the Musashi Province.

Opened to the public exactly an year ago, the Tokyo Skytree has become one of the biggest attractions in Tokyo, if not in the whole of Japan. It is always crowded and foreigners have to jostle with Japanese tour groups and schoolchildren. (The tower is so popular that a raffle system is used to allocate online bookings for its observation decks in the summer months). The tower took four years to build (construction started in 2008) using the latest methods and technologies.

It is now recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s highest free-standing tower, used almost exclusively for Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting of television channels. It can also serve as an emergency broadcasting platform and beacon. (It is also the second highest structure in the world, after the Burj Khalifa in the UAE, which tops out at 830 metres).

Amazing view

If one wants to see how big Tokyo is, the Skytree should be the first port of call. The view from the ‘Tembo Galleria’, 450 metres above ground, is simply amazing: The whole city literally lies beneath your feet. I explored more places of that vast city later on, but the view from the top was spectacular and indelible. On a good (clear weather) day, one can see almost an 80 Km radius. (Those suffering from vertigo will have to be careful – being whisked to the Tembo Galleria through a glass tube feels like walking in the sky.)

The Tokyo Skytree’s ‘floor’ numbering system should also be taken note of. The Tembo Galleria is on ‘floor’ 450, which is really the height of the structure at that point. In terms of actual floors, there are only 32. However, the numbering system does add a bit of magic to the building. Chances are that one may not actually get a ticket to the highly popular Tembo Galleria for which access is limited. Then the next best bet is the Tembo Deck at 350 metres which is no less spectacular.

Covered in huge five metre-high glass for a 360-degree all-round view, the Tembo Deck is also home to one of the city’s finest meeting places – the aptly named Sky Restaurant which serves French-Japanese fusion cuisine. If one’s Dollar (or Yen) does not stretch that much, the simpler Skytree Cafe, also on the same floor, is an option.

Going up the Skytree is a wonderful experience, but all visitors must spend some time appreciating its beauty from ground level. Even the colour scheme used on the Skytree is unique, according to my guide and interpreter.

The Skytree brochure proved her right: “It is an original color based on aijiro, the lightest shade of Japanese traditional indigo blue. The color of the Skytree also replicates the technique of indigo dyers, with a hint of blue added to the white color, giving a delicate pale blue glow, like that of white celadon ware. Colors created by indigo dyers represent the legacy of Japanese traditional craftsmanship as conserved in the downtown area housing the tower.”

Art installation

If one has time to spare, a feature which should be checked out is the huge LCD art installation on the ground floor which depicts a constantly changing cartoonish map of Tokyo, mainly of the areas that can be seen from the top of the tower. There is also an aquarium which in itself is an interesting side attraction.

Unfortunately, I could not view the Skytree at night, but many Tokyo residents I met over the next few days insisted that the Skytree literally comes alive only after darkness falls - with an all-LED lighting scheme that blends the old and the new. There are two lighting styles called Iki and Miyabi which present the tower in a whole new light. Even if one ‘climbs’ the tower in daytime, one should go again at night to admire the lighting design from a distance.

Day or night, getting to the Skytree is a breeze with Tokyo’s excellent public transport system. (The Skytree’s closing time is 10 pm.) The Skytree has a separate station and even a dedicated Skytree metro line. If one wants to go straight from Narita or Haneda airports to the Skytree in the Sumida-Asakusa area, all it takes is less than one hour. Taking a taxi is another alternative.

Even if you ‘have been there and done that’ in Tokyo, a visit to the Skytree is a ‘must’ that will make you feel that you are on top of the world.

(The writer’s trip to Japan was organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)