Today I decided to head out to Tokyo Tower. This is another place that I've been to before many years ago. I have a memory of it being in a rather busy place with lots of traffic. I also recall that near the base of the tower was a park and some temples that were extremely peaceful - all traffic noise would disappear the deeper into the park you go. So, I got on the Yamanote Line once again and made my way to Hamamatsucho Station.
It's a bit of jaunt from the station to the tower site but a nice walk. I knew that I was getting closer as there was a discernable increase in the number of foreign tourists. Rounding a corner I came into view of Tokyo Tower. It was built back in 1957, twelve years after the end of WWII. The tower project (modelled somewhat after France's Eiffel Tower) was not only a practical development in terms of being a transmission tower but was also symbolic of Japan's reconstruction in the years following the war. In 1957, Tokyo Tower would have been one of the tallest structures in the city (something that is obvioulsy no longer the case).
Although I had been here before, it's amazing how flawed one's memory is. It's probably been around fifteen or sixteen years since I was last here and it was almost like visiting it for the first time. My memories of it were no longer accurate. As such, I decided to go into the visitor centre and pay the fee to go up the tower to the observation decks. I also decided, in the interest of getting some more exercise that I would walk up the 600 stairs to the first deck. It would be challenging but not impossible.
I neglected to take into account my fear of heights though! The stairwell up to the first observation deck is basically open air (although surrounded by a railing and cage) but totally safe. My irrational fear of heights was in full effect the higher that I went. It's an odd sensation scaling the stairs because you are afforded full views down onto the city while looking through the tower's girders. This give a strange sensation of waking through the girders of a very tall building. My anxiety increased and my knees started to buckle a bit. I had to put my phone away and refrain from taking pictures. I definitely would make a terrible skyscraper construction worker! I kept going though (my only thought being that freezing on this stairwell would be an exceptionally bad idea) and made my way up to the first observation deck.
At the first deck there are some great 360 degree views of the surrounding city. I was able to get some shots, including one of the newer Tokyo Skytree tower off in the distance.
There was further to go to the upper observation deck. There was no walking option up to this level, only very cramped elevators - not for the claustrophobic. The views at the top were a tad bit better and the effect of the mirrored walls and pillars was interesting.
All in, a very nice day exploring Tokyo Tower and getting the pants scared off of me while almost having a heart attack climbing all of those stairs...
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