The , built in 1957, is a TV tower with an observation deck at a height of 90.38 metres. Located on the ground of
Odori Park
is a park located in the heart of Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. means "large street" in Japanese. It stretches east to west through Nishi 1 chōme, Ōdōri to Nishi 12 chōme, Ōdōri ("Nishi" means west, and "chōme" is a block in Japanese), and d ...
, in the northern city of
Sapporo
( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous city ...
,
Hokkaido
is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel.
The la ...
, Japan, the tower is open to tourists. Tourists can view Sapporo and Odori Park.
History
The TV Tower was built in 1957 by
Tachū Naitō
was a Japanese architect, engineer, and professor. He was a father of earthquake-proof design and built many broadcasting and observation towers, including the Tokyo Tower.
Biography
Naitō was born on 12 June 1886, in Minami-Alps, Yamanashi ...
, a Japanese architect who is famous for planning the
Tokyo Tower
is a communications and observation tower in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, built in 1958. At , it is the second- tallest structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and i ...
, with the total construction costs of 170 million yen. Since the transmission facility was established on the Mount Teine, The Sapporo TV Tower has worked as a
repeater
In telecommunications, a repeater is an electronic device that receives a signal and retransmits it. Repeaters are used to extend transmissions so that the signal can cover longer distances or be received on the other side of an obstruction. Some ...
radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
based in Sapporo.
In 1961,
digital clock
A digital clock is a type of clock that displays the time digitally (i.e. in numerals or other symbols), as opposed to an analogue clock.
Digital clocks are often associated with electronic drives, but the "digital" description refers only to ...
s were installed at the height of 65 metres from the ground, which were donated by
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.
formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka. It was founded by Kōnosuke Matsushita in 1918 as a lightbulb s ...
, a Japanese
electronics
The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...
manufacturer. This installation was suggested by the founder of the company Konosuke Matsushita, who thought that these digital clocks would draw a great attention to the Tower. These digital clocks, installed at four sides of the Tower, have been repaired two times: in 1998 and 2006. The interior and exterior of the Sapporo TV Tower were renovated in 2002, and the color of walls at the second and third floors were then changed from pale green to dark green. In the second repair of the digital clocks in 2006, the
light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode (LED) is a semiconductor device that emits light when current flows through it. Electrons in the semiconductor recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. The color of the light (cor ...
was adopted, and the advertisement right below the clocks was changed from the "National" to "Panasonic".
The Sapporo TV Tower commemorated its 50th anniversary in 2007, and some events and discount campaign were held. Recently, a plan of reconstructing a new TV tower of 650 metres high has come up. In the plan, the area of the supposed Tower would be 7800 m², and the height of the observation deck is supposed to be at 500 metres.The plan of the new TV Tower /ref> The height of the new Tower will exceed
Tokyo Skytree
is a broadcasting and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo. It became the tallest structure in Japan in 2010
The ground floor of the Sapporo TV Tower houses an information center and stores. The multipurpose hall and administration office of the Tower are placed on the second floor, and a souvenir shop and restaurant are located on the third floor. The basement connects to the Aurora Town, an underground shopping arcade, and a number of restaurants called the "Tele-chika Gourmet Court" are located.
The official mascot of the Tower is "Tawakkie", and the unofficial character "Terebi-Tōsan" (Television Daddy) is also known.
The lift to the
observation deck
An observation deck, observation platform, or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure, such as a skyscraper or observation tower. Observation decks are sometimes enclosed ...
at 90 metres high is located on the third floor, where visitors are required to buy tickets to continue to the observation deck. From the observation deck, the entire view of the Odori Park, Mount Ōkura, and Maruyama are seen. Having the height of 147.2 metres, the Sapporo TV Tower used to be the most prominent figure in Sapporo, but recently many high-rise buildings have been constructed around the Odori Park, making the Tower less prominent.
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