Just one year after the tremendous 2011 earthquake in Japan, the world’s new tallest tower was officially opened to the public on May 22 in Tokyo. Called the Tokyo Skytree, this tower is also the second tallest structure in the world, right after the famous Burj Khalifa. It took its makers four years to complete, it faced a huge earthquake, it cost some $440 million to make, and it now proudly stands 2,080 feet (634 meters) tall in Sumida, Tokyo.
Enthusiastic crowds gathered around the tower at its opening event, some people even wearing cardboard Skytree costumes. An number of 8,000 persons were chosen from a lottery pool to visit the tower using the building’s high-tech, high-speed elevators. Unfortunately, the views from the top of the structure were much less impressive than most visitors had expected, because the opening day was a rainy and cloudy one.
Nevertheless, the Japanese enjoyed this important event to the fullest, because it was a statement of their resilience and incredible power of recovery after tragedy. With two observation decks (one at 350 meters and the other at 450 meters above the ground), this new structure will attract millions of tourists in the area, thus bringing millions of dollars into the Japanese economy.
