View of the Fuji volcano
Just like the Fernsehturm in Berlin, the CN Tower in Toronto and the Menara KL in Kuala Lumpur, the Tokyo Tower doubles as an active communications tower and tourist attraction. Whilst these other towers feature a futuristic concrete space age design, the Tokyo Tower is made with 4,000 tons of steel. To make the structure highly visible to air traffic, it is painted every 5 years using 28,000 litres of paint. The tower is the most recognisable landmark in Tokyo; in the daytime it stands out with its red and white colours and at night it is beautifully illuminated - bright white in summer and warm orange in winter. 3 express elevators depart from the base of the tower, transporting visitors to 2 different viewing platforms at heights of 150 and 250 metres. On a clear day you can see the skyscrapers, temples and city parks of Tokyo, as well as the Bay of Tokyo and even the Fuji volcano in the distance.
The temple of the Tokugawa shoguns
The only obvious drawback of being in the Tokyo Tower is that you don’t get a view of the city with the landmark building itself. For that you must go up another building. So for a great view of the Tokyo Tower, visit the panorama platform on top of the 238-metre-high Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills. A nearby alternative for a beautiful view is from the bar on the top floor of Prince Park Tower Tokyo Hotel in Shiba Park at the foot of the Tokyo Tower. The park is also home to the Zojo-ji, a 14th-century Buddhist temple complex with the mausoleum of the Tokugawa shoguns. The temple and adjoining buildings were rebuilt after the destruction of World War II, but the impressive 21-metre-high red-varnished main gate is a 17th-century original.
