Tokyo Tower is 333 metres of orange and white steel, inspired by the Eiffel Tower, built partly from scrapped American tanks, and repainted by hand with 28,000 litres of paint. Here are 13 facts about Tokyo Tower, including how tall it is and whether you can climb it.
Tokyo Tower at a glance
Height: 333 m (1,093 ft)
Opened: 23 December 1958
Designer: Tachū Naitō
Observation decks: the Main Deck at 150 m and the Top Deck at 250 m
Where: Shiba-koen, Minato, central Tokyo
1It was built in just a year and a half.
Construction started in June 1957, and the tower opened to the public on 23 December 1958. It was built to carry television and radio signals for the Kanto region, as Japan’s TV industry boomed after the war.
2Its design was inspired by the Eiffel Tower.
The lattice design is based on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, but at 333 metres Tokyo Tower was built to be taller. Its designer, Tachū Naitō, was known as the “father of earthquake-resistant structures”, and the tower has survived every earthquake since, including the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake, which bent its antenna tip.
3Some of its steel came from American tanks.
About a third of the steel used to build the tower came from scrapped US tanks that had been damaged in the Korean War, a sign of how scarce steel still was in post-war Japan.
4Its colours are a legal requirement.
The orange and white paint isn’t just for looks. Japan’s aviation safety rules require tall structures to be painted in bands of “international orange” and white so pilots can see them.
5Repainting it takes about a year.
Every repaint uses around 28,000 litres of paint, all applied by hand by teams of painters working high above the city. The tower used to be repainted every five years, but a tougher coating applied in 2019 stretched the gap to around seven years.
6It is Japan’s second-tallest structure.
Tokyo Tower was Japan’s tallest structure for more than 50 years until the 634-metre Tokyo Skytree was completed in 2012. Most TV broadcasters moved to the Skytree, but Tokyo Tower still transmits FM radio and acts as a back-up.
7You can climb 660 steps to the Main Deck.
On weekends and public holidays, visitors can take the outdoor staircase instead of the lift, climbing about 660 steps to the Main Deck at 150 metres. Those who make it get a certificate.
8The Top Deck is 250 metres up.
The higher Top Deck, at 250 metres, is reached by a separate lift and is visited on guided tours. On a clear winter’s day, you can see Mount Fuji from both decks.
9It changes colour with the seasons.
The tower’s floodlights, designed by lighting designer Motoko Ishii in 1989, glow a warm orange from October to early July and switch to white in summer. It is also lit in special colours for events and causes.
10It once had a One Piece theme park.
From 2015 to 2020, the tower’s base building housed Tokyo One Piece Tower, an indoor theme park based on the famous manga and anime. It closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the space is now an esports and gaming centre.
11It has its own mascots.
The tower’s mascots are the Noppon brothers, two tower-shaped characters in blue and red dungarees, introduced for its 40th birthday in 1998.
12A Buddhist temple sits beside it.
Next to the tower is Zōjō-ji, a temple founded in the 14th century and the family temple of the Tokugawa shoguns. Its gate and the orange tower behind it make one of Tokyo’s most photographed views.
13It is a favourite target in monster films.
Tokyo Tower has been attacked or toppled in several Godzilla and Mothra films. In Mothra (1961), the giant moth builds her cocoon on it.
FAQs about Tokyo Tower
How tall is Tokyo Tower?
333 metres (1,093 feet), slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower.
Can you go to the top of Tokyo Tower?
Yes. The Main Deck at 150 metres is open daily, and the Top Deck at 250 metres can be visited on guided tours. On weekends you can also climb the stairs to the Main Deck.
Is Tokyo Tower worth visiting?
Yes, especially at night or on a clear day when you can see Mount Fuji. It is usually less crowded and cheaper than the Tokyo Skytree.
Why is Tokyo Tower orange?
Japanese aviation rules require tall structures to be painted in bands of international orange and white so aircraft can see them.
Sources and further reading
Explore more: more facts about Tokyo.
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