There’s a new tree set to start growing in Tokyo, all the way up to the sky. It’s called Tokyo Sky Tree, a giant new 610 meter (2003 ft) tall broadcasting tower that, if completed as planned, would be the tallest structure in Japan. The tower will replace Tokyo Tower, a scale replica of the Eiffel Tower built in 1958, as the primary means of beaming television to the 35 million residents of the Greater Tokyo Area. The name was chosen by voters who picked it over such choices as Tokyo Edo Tower, Mirai (Future) Tree, and Rising East Tower. Like many people, I personally liked the originally proposed name of New Tokyo Tower — very sensible and Hobbit-like — but it was unavailable due to trademark issues. In the end, Tokyo Sky Tree does have a kind of pleasingly weird appeal not unlike Tokyo Big Sight, the sprawling convention center where the Comic Market doujinshi convention is held twice a year. One thing you learn early on when traveling around Japan is, the Japanese are fascinated with towers, and there seems to be a large tower in every major city, from the historical Marine Tower in Yokohama to the unique beauty of Kobe Port Tower and many more. There are even “tower otaku” in Japan, people who obsess about visiting every tower they can and collecting the ticket stubs from past years. I’m sure they’ll enjoy making the pilgrimage to Tokyo Sky Tree when construction is completed in 2011.
