Japan Hopes The Sky Tree Draws Tourists

The Tokyo Sky Tree is scheduled to be completed today. It is hoped that the Sky Tree will be a tourist draw.

Left, the Sky Tree in December 2010. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

According to iol Travel:

Tokyo - Construction of the Tokyo Sky Tree, the world's tallest self-supporting communications tower, is set to finish on Wednesday February 29, two months late because of the quake and tsunami that struck Japan last March.

Tourist bosses in the country hope the tower will be a big draw for foreign visitors, whose numbers have plummeted in the aftermath of the disaster and the nuclear crisis it sparked.

“The construction was originally scheduled to finish in December 2011 but was delayed due to a shortage of supplies after the disaster,” said a spokeswoman for the operator, adding that the finished structure is sound.

I saw the tower a little over a year ago when I was in Tokyo promoting The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. The Sky Tree was an impressive structure at the time of my visit, even though it had not yet reached its full height.

It'll be interesting to see how much of a tourist draw the Sky Tree will be since it was reported that admission to the tower's observation levels will be around $40.

To read the full article, go here.