Begin Japanology
Season 5 Episode 33 - Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo Skytree, completed this year, rises 634 meters. The world's tallest broadcasting tower, it's packed with the finest in Japanese engineering. Its steel framework was assembled with millimeter precision from sections lifted to dizzying heights. Special construction methods were needed to cope with the wind. And Japan is an earthquake-prone country, so Skytree has the latest seismic defenses, including one inspired by pagodas. The construction company that built Skytree commissioned an architectural photographer to record the building process. He was the only photographer permitted on the construction site, and the 40,000 photographs he took are an epic chronicle of this once-in-a-lifetime building project. Tokyo Skytree sits in an old-fashioned part of Tokyo with a tradition of small manufacturing enterprises. But now, an entirely new venture is emerging. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, our theme is Tokyo Skytree. This is part of our special Tokyo trilogy.
Episodes in Season 5
Ekiden
28 min
Batteries
28 min
Cafes
28 min
Hot Water Bottles and Pocket Warmers
28 min
Ikebana
28 min
Excavators
28 min
Woods & Forests
28 min
Japanophiles - Dhugal Lindsay
28 min
Japanophiles - Richard Emmert
28 min
Japanophiles - Art Lee
28 min
Japanophiles - Philip Harper
28 min
Kabuki
28 min
Wild Vegetables
28 min
Horses
28 min
Massage Chairs
28 min
Shikoku Pilgrimage
28 min
Regional Fast Food
28 min
Department Stores
28 min
Kimonos
28 min
Aquariums
28 min
Confectionery
28 min
Dolls
28 min
Moss
28 min
High School Baseball
28 min
Planetariums
28 min
Japanophiles - Adam Booth
28 min
Japanophiles - Dave Spector
28 min
Japanophiles - Euan Craig
28 min
Shamisen
28 min
Crested Ibises
28 min
Abalone
28 min
Tokyo Station
28 min
Tokyo Skytree
28 min
Tokyo Bay
28 min
Potatoes, Taros, and Yams
28 min
Name Seals
28 min
Mushrooms
28 min
Vending Machines
28 min
Scissors
28 min
Satsuma Mandarins
28 min
Gift-giving
28 min