Tokyo Skytree marks 1st Anniversary last month
Japan marked the 1st Anniversary of Tokyo Skytree on May 22nd, the world’s tallest broadcast tower at 634 meters. Construction of Tokyo Skytree, built with enhanced quake- and wind-resistant features, was completed in February 2012. The tower will be lit in the evening at various times in the year, including Christmas and the “tanabata” star festival in the summer. The tower can light up in 12 different colors. In the last fiscal year, Tokyo Skytree Town attracted more visitors than the Roppongi Hills business and entertainment complex in Tokyo, which had 41 million visitors, and the Tokyo Disney Resort amusement complex in Chiba with 27.5 million visitors.
Sumida Aquarium
Sumida Aquarium is located in the 5-6F of Tokyo Skytree Town Solamachi. This new SUMIDA AQUARIUM boasts one of Japan’s largest indoor, open pool-type tanks, holding approximately 350 tons of water. Watching up-close the behavior of penguins and fur seals nurtured in this large cradle-like tank enables visitors to better appreciate and learn about the lives of these remarkable marine animals.
There is an AQUA LAB for visitors to view behind-the-scenes “backyard” operations in all their entirety at the aquarium, including aquarium keeping facilities & aquarium keepers tending to the needs of various aquatic life.
Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center
Almost for a year that I have not been visiting the famous Asakusa Sensoji Temple, Tokyo & look what I found? A brand new astounding newly opened Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center just situated right accross the temple. It was there from year 2012 adding diversity to the streets of Asakusa with its interesting architectural design. The eight story building offers a counter providing tourist information in multiple languages, free wifi connectivity, a cafe, and an observation deck which provides good views looking onto Asakusa Sensoji Temple and the Nakamise Shopping Street. Without being overdone, the building showcases the best elements of Japanese aesthetics and design, both old and new, while being useful, captivating and thought-provoking.
Kawaguchiko Music Forest
I went to Kawaguchiko Music Forest in Shizuoka. It is a very touristy, artificial, small theme park. It was quite amusing walking into the park, the outside has European styled gardens, a restaurant, tourist shops and a chapel with beautiful views of Mount Fuji across the lake.
They have antique music boxes mechanical organs and many other automatic instruments on display in the museum. The biggest instrument is French “Fairground Organ” made in 1905. It actually take up an entire room and plays music every 30 minutes.
There is also a concert hall where classical musicians come and play from all parts of the world.
This is a photo of the Music Forest Theme Park.
This is AKB48
In December 2005, producer Yasushi Akimoto created the idol group “AKB48”. “AKB” stands for Akihabara, Tokyo. With the concept “Idols you can meet everyday”, AKB48 performs at the exclusive AKB48 Theater in Akihabara almost every day.
AKB48 consists of 3 groups, that is, team A, team K and team B. Teams A and K have 16 members, and team B has 17, reaching a total of 49. This number has officially certified by the Guinness book as the largest for a pop group in the world.
AKB48’s music single CD includes a vote ticket once a year. So the buyer can vote their favorite member per CD. As result, 21 members will be selected and they will perform the next song (the 32nd single CD.) This year the single “Sayonara Crawl” released on May 22, sold 1.763 million copies in its first week, the biggest first-week single CD sales ever.