The Tokyo Tower

The Tokyo Tower is a landmark in the district of Minato, Tokyo. The red and white tower resembles the Eiffel Tower in its structure. It is a communications and observation tower and of course a tourist attraction in the area. Built in 1958, the main source of revenue is tourism and antenna leasing. Like all things built for technology, it was affected by advancement in digital TV. At a little over 1,000 feet tall is a bit too short for complete digital broadcasting but still acts as an antenna for other broadcasting venues.

Beneath the tower is a four story building that houses museums, shops, restaurants and of course provides a ride to the top for those wishing a bird's eye view of the area. We ate at the food court and watched an attendant who fascinated kids and adults alike with his sound effects as he entertained and engaged those around him.

Since our family had already been up to the top and Bob and I weren't really interested in looking at the city from the heights, we opted to visit the aquarium that is there. I'm glad we did. The kids were fascinated and so were we.

The aquarium houses lots of unusual fish, many I've never seen before and quite a few I've never seen in an aquarium display. There was a small touch display with a dozen starfish in it and next to that was a tank of what looked like black and gold mollies. The kids were given nets made of paper and the object was to catch as many fish as you could with the net before it dissolved. It was a lesson in patience. The more you chased a fish the faster your net would fall apart. The one who patiently waited for opportunity and gently pulled the fish up with her net caught the most.

Tanks with huge catfish, eels, decorative fish, porcupine fish, turtles, shrimp, seahorses, the list goes on. About 2:30 a feeding time began with two attendants going to various tanks and feeding the fish. There was a lot of explanation--in Japanese, of course, that Bob and I didn't understand but it was fun to watch. Our youngest granddaughter was quite interested and thankfully she speaks Japanese and could understand what they were saying.

And of course there was a koi pond and food pellets to feed them with. All in all for the price, it was a great time.