Kyoto Tower
The tallest building in Kyoto is a tower with a viewing platform, located at an altitude of 100 meters. Together with the spire, it rises to 131 meters in height. The weight is 800 tons. It was installed on the roof of a 9-storey three-star hotel. The complex has shops for retail trade.
Construction history
The idea to build the Kyoto Tower appeared in the 60s of the last century. It was originally planned that it would be built for the Olympic Games in 1964. The work started in 1963 and lasted 1 year.
The city post office used to operate on the site of the Kyoto Tower. It is reinforced with high-quality metal frames. The structure consists of steel. The object imitates the shape of a Japanese candle. It was developed by Makoto Tanahashi. He is a doctor of engineering at a local university. The specialist approached the work as responsibly as possible and thought over all possible options so that it would last as long as possible and not lose its original appearance quickly. It can withstand typhoon and earthquake. The building remains stable during wind gusts up to 90 meters per second.
Basic information
In the first year since its opening, 1 million visitors managed to visit the observation deck. However, then the tourist attraction was not very popular. The Japanese explain this by saying that the tower has no useful practical meaning. It does not perform the function of a TV tower. This is just a viewing platform, but this was originally discussed during its construction. However, not all locals believed that the country needed a needle-shaped building. Many considered it inappropriate to invest in the construction of the tower. But this opinion was not taken into account.
On average, about 400 thousand people visit it annually, including tourists who came to get acquainted with the culture of Japan.
Tourist information
The Kyoto Tower is divided into 2 parts. Tickets are sold at the ticket office, which provide access to 9 elevators. They can take you all the way to the top, where the telescopes are installed. It offers views of almost the entire city, which is located on Honshu Island.
There are commercial areas on the ground floor of the complex, and on the ground floor you can go for treatments at the spa. Above the hotel there is a 3-storey restaurant where you can get acquainted with the national cuisine. The ascent to the tower is carried out daily from 9.00 to 21.00. It is important to understand that you can enter the building only before 20.40. If you are at least 1 minute late from the specified time, entry will be strictly prohibited. These are the rules of the visit, no exceptions are made for anyone.
