Skytree Fever

April 26, 2012

Its been years in the making and now next month the world’s tallest free standing broadcast tower will open its doors to the public. The Tokyo Skytree was built to relay television and radio signals across a broad area. But the structure is also becoming a must see for tourists. And local businesses are coming up with great new ways to get a piece of the action. NHK World’s Rina Nakano shows us a view of Tokyo from the clouds.

The Tokyo Skytree is over 600 meters tall, that’s almost equal to two Eiffel Towers. It stands head and shoulders above a cityscape bristling with sky scrapers.

Your ears will definitely be popping on this minute and a half vertical ride, and at the end of it a 450 meter tall observation deck. Here the public will have access to a never before seen panoramic view of Tokyo.

They’ll see every landmark in the Tokyo metropolis. Even the Tokyo tower which used to hold the title as the tallest, but is now a red dot in the distance. These glass flours are on the lower deck. Its 340 meters off the ground; plenty high to give visitors the sensation of floating in mid air.

Back down on Earth Skytree Fever is in full swing. The sleek tower provided an ultra modern this spring for traditional cherry blossom viewing this spring.

“I’m so glad I got to see this, it invigorates me”

People try to the grandeur of the tower from a variety of angles.

“I can only get half of it even if I lie down, its impossible”

Snapping a photo of yourself with the world’s tallest tower is quite a tricky task, in order to fit in the frame you have to have your camera down on the ground. But one way to avoid that is to use something like this. These mirrors allow for a perfect photo op with the towers reflection.

“People were lying down on the bridge because they just couldn’t get a good shot of the whole thing. That’s why we decided to put these up”

And if climbing up the sky tree or taking pictures aren’t enough how about using your taste buds to appreciate it. Restaurants are using new menu items inspired by the tower. There is this appetizer: The Onion Ring Tree, or a main dish called the Sky Tree Curry.

And check out this dessert: The Tower Waffle.

“The shops in this town used to only attract locals. But I hope the area becomes radiant with the new Skytree tourists”

Mom and pop shops have been busy crafting eye-catching Skytree models for tourists to see. They hope the new structure will boost the local economy.

“The Skytree is going to bring a lot of visitors from around the world. I’m starting to feel the citizens of this town grow anxious to welcome these guests. We are all getting popped”

Neighborhood officials estimate the Tokyo Skytree will bring $1,000,000,000 in annual profits. This city has long been known as a tourist hot spot for its traditional architecture. But now with the opening of the Tokyo Skytree visitors will be able to experience both the old and the new at once.

Rina Nakano NHK World Tokyo

The Tokyo Skytree opens to the public on May 22nd, but presale tickets for the observation decks are already booked through mid June.

SOURCE:
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/movie/feature201204261219.html