GROUP 7

TOKYO TOWER
HISTORY
 Though officially called "Nippon
Denpatō" ("Japan Radio Tower"), Tokyo
's iconic landmark is much more
commonly known as "Tokyo Tower".
 It was built in 1958 to cater to the
growing demand for transmission
towers from television stations in
Tokyo during Japan's post-war boom.
 The structure is an Eiffel Tower-
inspired lattice tower
 CONSTRUCTION
 Japan needed a large broadcasting tower in Kantō
after NHK began television broadcasting in 1953.
 The government believed transmission towers would
overrun Tokyo, so a single tower was proposed.
 Hisakichi Maeda, founder and president of Nippon
Denpatō, initially planned a tower taller than the
Empire State Building, but faced financial and material
challenges
 Tachū Naitō, a renowned Japanese tall building
designer, designed a tower inspired by the Eiffel Tower
in Paris. With engineering firm Nikken Sekkei Ltd., it
can withstand earthquakes and typhoons.
 Takenaka Corporation began construction on the tower
in June 1957, with at least 400 workmen working each
day.
 Made of steel, with a third coming from scrap metal recovered
from wrecked US tanks during the Korean War.
 October 14, 1958 - 90 meter long antenna was bolted into
position.
 Tokyo Tower only weighs about 4,000 tons, 3,300 less than
the Eiffel Tower.
 It remained the tallest artificial structure in Japan until April
2010, when it was surpassed by the Tokyo Skytree.
DESIGN FEATURES OF TOKYO TOWER

 Located in Shibakoen in the central ward of Minato at 333 meters tall.

 Communications tower and Observation tower.

Two observation decks:

 Tokyo Tower's lower observation deck is called the Main Deck. At a height
of 150 meters from ground level
 The Tokyo Tower's higher deck, called the Top Deck, is a much smaller
circular viewing space. At 250 meters, the third-highest observation deck
in Tokyo, behind the two observatories at Tokyo Skytree.
WHY TOKYO TOWER IS ORANGE?

 To comply with air safety laws, Tokyo Tower is painted white and a fetching
shade of bright orange, officially known as "International Orange”.
 Every five years, the tower is given a fresh coat of paint, which takes a
whole year to complete.
 July to September, the Tokyo Tower's lights are set to a cooling shade of
white.
 In the cold of winter, the tower's lights are changed to a deep and warming
orange.
BROADCASTING

 Tokyo Tower is a member of the World Federation of Great

Towers.
 The structure was intended for broadcasting television, but
radio antennas were installed in 1961 because it could
accommodate them.
 In July 2011 all television broadcasting was changed to solely
digital.
MEDIA REPRESENTATION OF TOKYO
TOWER
TokyoTower is often used in anime and
manga such as Doraemon, Detective
Conan, and Sailor Moon,.
GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT
THE TOKYO TOWER
 TYPE: Communications tower and Observation tower
 LOCATION: 4-2-8 Shiba-koen, Minato, Tokyo 105-0011
 CONSTRUCTED STARTED: June 1957; 66 years ago
 COMPLETED: 1958; 66 years ago

Height
 Architectural: 333 m (1,093 ft)
 Antenna spire: 332.9 m (1,092 ft)
 Top floor: 249.6 m (819 ft)
 Observatory: 249.6 m (819 ft)
Technical details
 Floor count: 16+
 Lifts/elevators: 4

Design and construction

 Architect(s): Tachū Naitō
 Structural engineer: Nikken Sekkei Ltd.
 Main contractor: Takenaka Corporation