Tokyo Skytree

About

Tokyo Skytree (東京スカイツリー, Tōkyō Sukaitsurī; [tò̞ó̞.kʲjó̞ó̞ (|) sɯ̥̈.kä́í.t͡sɯ̈́.ɾʲíì, tó̞ó̞.-] ), a.k.a Tokyo Sky Tree, is a broadcasting and observation tower, located in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It has been the tallest tower in Japan since opening in 2012, and reached its full height of 634 metres (2,080 feet) in early 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world, displacing the Canton Tower, and the third tallest structure in the world behind Merdeka 118 (678.9 metres or 2,227 feet) and Burj Khalifa (829.8 m or 2,722 ft).

The tower is the primary television and radio broadcast site for the Kantō region; the older Tokyo Tower no longer gives complete digital terrestrial television broadcasting coverage because it is surrounded by high-rise buildings. Skytree was completed on Leap Day, 29 February 2012, with the tower opening to the public on 22 May 2012. The tower is the centerpiece of a large commercial development funded by Tobu Railway (which owns the complex) and a group of six terrestrial broadcasters headed by NHK. Trains stop at the adjacent Tokyo Skytree Station and nearby Oshiage Station. The complex is seven kilometres (4.3 miles) northeast of Tokyo Station. Sumida Aquarium is in the Tokyo Solamachi complex.