Tokyo Tower’s Name Change

After 60 years of operation, Tokyo Tower in Japan is renovating its observation decks. The iconic tower that stands in Japan’s capital will also rename its observatories, and add a special tour. This is the first time in the tower’s history the names have been changed.

The tower will be remade into a hands-on attraction that will guide visitors through Tokyo’s landscape and history. The Special Observatory (at 260 meters) will be renamed Top Deck and the Main Observatory (at 150 meters) will become the Main Deck.

To shorten wait times, the structure also introduces an advance reservation system. Visitors can now register for a tour and gain access to an audio guide system available in 13 languages.

Participants will ride a new, glass-paneled elevator to the Top Deck with views of Tokyo. They’ll then be enveloped in geometric mirrors and LED lights that give a sense of what the future will hold for the city. Only 100–160 people will be allowed on each tour.

The tower is one of the city’s most noticeable buildings. It opened in December 1958 and is operated by the Tokyo-based Nippon Television City Corporation. It stands at 330 meters.

The majority of the tower’s renovations were to its interior, with the new look unveiled March 3. It was last renovated in 2002.