(Voice actor) Mr.Chris Koprowski

In Shiba Park, Minato ward, Tokyo, the soaring Tokyo Tower is the symbolic presence of sightseeing in Tokyo. The 333-meter high red tower was completed in 1958, with a total construction cost of 30 billion yen and over 219,335 total personnel. It is a popular spot where 3 million people still visit annually. Recently, many tourists from overseas are visiting as well. Also, with the illumination matching the seasons or events, it gives a different atmosphere than usual, keeping people from getting bored. The reason that the Tokyo Tower’s popularity hasn’t declined is its observation room. All of Tokyo can be seen from the main observatory and the special observatory. Not only that, but Chiba, Saitama, and Kanagawa can be seen below, as well as Mount Fuji if one looks to the direction of Yamanashi. Furthermore, there is a place called “Look Down Window,” where the floor is made of reinforced glass. Visitors can enjoy the thrill of seeing straight down through the glass floor. With such surprises awaiting visitors at the top of the climb, it continues to be a popular site. The Tokyo Tower is famous as a tourist attraction, but it wasn’t primarily made for sightseeing. It was originally built as a broadcast tower to transmit television and radio frequencies. Currently the Tokyo Skytree, built in 2012, serves as the broadcast tower, and the Tokyo Tower’s role as a broadcast tower has ended. However, its raison d’etre will always exist. That is because the Tokyo Tower is the symbol of the growth of Japan. That is why it is often depicted in dramas and movies set in the late 1950s to early 1960s. Recently, it was depicted in movies “Always: Sunset on Third Street” and “Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad.” Also, as it is the symbol of Tokyo, it has been knocked over many times in monster movies such as “Godzilla.” Why is the Tokyo Tower considered as the symbol of the Japanese’ growth? That is because the thoughts of the Japanese people who lived during the post-war era are reflected in it.