Mu-sa-shi

On the news today they said that the construction of the 東京スカイツリー (Tokyo Sky Tree) reached a height of 634 meters tall at 1:34PM this afternoon.

That means that they are finished building it upwards because it was designed to stand at 634 meters tall.
This height was decided upon for two reasons…first, it is now the world’s tallest free-standing tower, and also in Japanese “6-3-4” can be pronounced as “Mu-sa-shi” which sounds like 「武蔵の国」 (“Musashi“) which is the old name for the area of Tokyo that the towers stands in.

Even though the Tokyo Sky Tree now stands at it’s full height, there is still construction yet to be completed on the tower which isn’t scheduled to be completed until sometime in 2011 December.

The tower is due to open to the public in the spring of 2012.

Last October, they did a test of the tower’s lighting, so we had a preview of what the Tokyo Sky Tree will look like when it’s illuminated every evening.
It’s quite beautiful.
Click here to see the post I wrote with a few photos of the lighting test and a preview of what it’s expected to look like completed and illuminated.

Tokyo Sky Tree is the highest in Japan

I wrote this post last December showing photos I took of the construction so far at that point of the Tokyo Sky Tree tower, which will be the tallest tower in Japan and the second tallest in the world (click here for the post I wrote about the “world’s tallest tower”).

I also wrote this post when the construction of the Tokyo Sky Tree reached 30%.

And this post that I wrote almost two years ago is the first one I wrote about the Tokyo Sky Tree tower.

Well, today the Tokyo Sky Tree reached a height of 338 meters tall. It is now taller than the Tokyo Tower which stands 333 meters tall.

The Tokyo Sky Tree is now 338 meters tall...the tallest structure in Japan.

When it’s completed, the Tokyo Sky Tree will stand 634 meters tall.
There is a reason that this height was chosen…the Tokyo Sky Tree is being built in a “blue collar” area of Tokyo that was called 「武蔵の国」 (“Musashi“).
And the numbers six-three-four (as in 634 meters) can be pronounced “Mu-sa-shi” in Japanese.

I think “Musashi Tower” would have been a better name than “Tokyo Sky Tree” for this tower.

A artist rendition of the Tokyo skyline after the "Tokyo Sky Tree" tower is completed in 2011 December.

World’s Tallest Tower

Until yesterday the Taipei 101 tower was the tallest building in the world. It stands 509 meters (1,670 feet) high.

The "Taipei 101" (509 meters tall)

Next year, the 「東京スカイツリー」 (Tokyo Sky Tree) tower is scheduled to be completed and will stand 634 meters (2,080 feet) tall which would make it the world’s tallest tower.

The "Tokyo Sky Tree" will stand 634 meters high.

Click here to read a post that I wrote about the 「東京スカイツリー」 (Tokyo Sky Tree)…and click here to see another post with some photos I took of the construction of the tower.

But now the 「東京スカイツリー」 (Tokyo Sky Tree) will be the world’s second tallest tower, because the “Burj Khalifa” tower officially opened yesterday (2010 January 4) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The “Burj Khalifa” tower stands at an amazing 828 meters (2,717 feet) tall! Which makes it not only the world’s tallest tower, but it’s the tallest man-made structure in the world!

The "Burj Khalifa" tower stands at 828 meters tall.