History Main / TokyoTower

The Japanese built a rough copy of the EiffelTower in UsefulNotes/{{Tokyo}} in the 1950s as a tourist attraction and for TV and radio broadcasting. It's clearly visible from most of town, and is a frequent destination for {{class trip}}s from local schools. (It is also sometimes referred to as "Touto Tower".)

* The web comic ''OkashinaOkashi'' ("Strange Candy") does a major LampshadeHanging of this in its opening episodes by doing an EveryoneMeetsEveryone where six different groups from six different alternate universes all get sucked into an interdimensional vortex from their own universe's version of Tokyo Tower.

* It also makes an appearance in the ''{{Transformers}}: Robot Masters'' web cartoon: Optimus Primal climbs to the top and fights off Smokesniper and Gigant Bomb in a clear {{homage}} to ''Film/KingKong1933''.

* The web comic ''OkashinaOkashi'' ("Strange Candy") does a major LampshadeHanging of this in its opening episodes by doing an EveryoneMeetsEveryone where six different groups from six different alternate universes all get sucked into an interdimensional vortex from their own universe's version of TokyoTower.

* It also makes an appearance in the ''{{Transformers}}: Robot Masters'' web cartoon: Optimus Primal climbs to the top and fights off Smokesniper and Gigant Bomb in a clear {{homage}} to ''Film/KingKong''.

* ''DestroyAllHumans 2'' does NOT have the Tokyo Tower. Just the Takoshima Tower. Guess what it resembles....

* After an earthquake in ''Anime/{{Tokyo Magnitude 8}}'' the Tokyo Tower falls a few episodes in.

* ''Film/K20LegendOfTheMask'' is set an [[AlternateHistory alternate 1949], yet the shots of the Japanese capital city of Teito include a rusting Tokyo Tower. Presumably the Tower was built earlier since Japan never participated in UsefulNotes/{{WWII}}.

* ''Film/K20LegendOfTheMask'' is set an [[AlternateHistory alternate 1949], yet the shots of the Japanese capital city of Teito include a rusting Tokyo Tower. Presumably the Tower was built earlier since Japan never participated in UsefulNotes/{{WWII}}.

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* Tokyo's city hall is a distinctive building with two tall square-ish towers, each of which has an observation deck on top. In a pinch, it can function as a substitute TokyoTower.
** This happens in ''Manga/AngelSanctuary''.
** ...and ''Manga/KodomoNoOmocha''.
** It was the center of operations in ''Manga/BlueSeed''.
** As well as for the Hypnos [[TheMenInBlack Men in Black]] organization in ''Anime/DigimonTamers''.
** Creator/{{CLAMP}}'s fond of using it in this way, as they do in both ''Manga/{{X1999}}'' (the Dragons of Earth are headquartered beneath it) and ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' (it serves as a foil to Tokyo Tower in a world where there are only two intact structures left).
** Its ruins play a small role in ''Manga/SilentMobius'' as the resting place of Grospoliner, Katsumi's sword.
** It was nearly attacked by EI-02, the first [[{{Robeast}} Zonder Robo]] in ''Anime/GaoGaiGar''.
*** For that matter, nearly ''any'' tall observation tower in Japan will do, if Tokyo Tower is booked up for another emergency.
** It was seen in a ruined state in ''Anime/CodeGeass''.

** The [[AlternateContinuity various versions]] of ''Manga{{X1999}}'' are fond of having the climactic battle there. (In TheMovie, even more {{Anvilicious}}ly, the magical shield Kamui generates there is a glowing golden sphere which visually evokes Japan's identity as the land of the Rising Sun.)

** Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu are sucked away to Cephiro from TokyoTower at the start of ''MagicKnightRayearth''. Their schools were holding student trips there on exactly the same day. [[spoiler: Once the first part brings a DownerEnding, the girls are brought back there to square one. At the beginning of part 2 (at least in the anime), the three go to the Tower on their own to speak about their experiences... and are brought back to Cephiro to help deal with the choosing of a new Pillar.]]

** The [[AlternateContinuity various versions]] of ''[[{{X1999}} X/1999]]'' are fond of having the climactic battle there. (In TheMovie, even more {{Anvilicious}}ly, the magical shield Kamui generates there is a glowing golden sphere which visually evokes Japan's identity as the land of the Rising Sun.)

** Creator/{{CLAMP}}'s fond of using it in this way, as they do in both ''Manga/{{X1999}}'' (the Dragons of Earth are headquartered beneath it) and ''TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' (it serves as a foil to Tokyo Tower in a world where there are only two intact structures left).

* It also makes several appearances and makes a serious plot point as a fictional {{Expy}} called "Angel Tower" in TokyoGodfathers.
* The tower is the site of yet another deadly battle in the first ''TenchiMuyo'' movie.

* The tower is the key to accessing deadly doomsday weapons on the moon base in ''PleaseSaveMyEarth''.
* In ''{{Eyeshield 21}}'', the Deimon Devil Bats rent out the tower for the afternoon as part of Hiruma's "Tower of Hell" test, where potential recruits for the team must carry ice up the stairs to the upper observatory on a hot day.
* In the anime ''MahouTsukaiNiTaisetsuNaKoto'' (''Someday's Dreamers''), the Tokyo Tower is 'bent' by a girl's magical powers. This was in a desperate attempt to impress someone, so she couldn't muster the power to fix it. Fortunately, her tutor apparently can, as the tower appears intact in subsequent episodes.

** This happens in ''AngelSanctuary''.
** ...and ''KodomoNoOmocha''.
** It was the center of operations in ''BlueSeed''.

** Creator/{{CLAMP}}'s fond of using it in this way, as they do in both ''[[{{X1999}} X/1999]]'' (the Dragons of Earth are headquartered beneath it) and ''TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' (it serves as a foil to Tokyo Tower in a world where there are only two intact structures left).
** Its ruins play a small role in ''SilentMoebius'' as the resting place of Grospoliner, Katsumi's sword.
** It was nearly attacked by EI-02, the first [[{{Robeast}} Zonder Robo]] in ''GaoGaiGar''.
*** For that matter, nearly ''any'' tall observation tower in Japan will do, if TokyoTower is booked up for another emergency.
** It was the nest of the Devil Gundam in ''GGundam''.
** And it was seen in a ruined state in ''Anime/CodeGeass''.

** Speaking of GoshoAoyama, the BigBad of {{Yaiba}} blew up Tokyo tower as evidence of his power.
* The first Mew Aqua battle in ''TokyoMewMew'' takes place on Tokyo Tower.
* The titular character of the anime ''SamuraiDeeperKyo'' manages to actually [[spoiler: impale the main villain on a collapsing Tokyo Tower.]] Doubly impressive since the series takes place in 1603.

* In ''GaoGaiGar'', big bad Pasder set up shop underneath it shortly after crashing on Earth. He later used it to assimilate every computer in Tokyo (apparently) into his battle form.
* In ''DetroitMetalCity'', DMC's fans overanalyze something Krauser says at the end of a concert, thinking it means to gather at the Tokyo Tower and chant his name. Negichi, as Krauser, goes to the Tower to make them stop. However, it ends with him ''raping'' the Tower. Naturally, the fans love it.
* The TokyoTower is seen in both the {{anime}} and live action {{film}} versions of ''Manga/DeathNote''.
* Lampshaded in ''KeroroGunsou'' - the Nishizawa Radio Tower may look nothing like the Tokyo Tower, but does all the things the Tokyo tower would in other anime, etc. One time Giroro gets warped into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, where he finds a derelict Nishizawa radio tower in ruins. [[spoiler:Turns out the tower was merely obsoleted and abandoned along with the surrounding land, and there's three other towers not far away that have also undergone this.]]

* The Tokyo Tower was seen in ''GGundam'' being destroyed by Domon Kasshu to root out the Devil Gundam's minions, or rather the mind-controlled Shuffle Alliance members.
* The tower is also featurd in the HananoKoLunlun Japan OAV. Togenishia and Yabooki are seen hanging out there alongside some highschool kids.

* The ''CowboyBebop'' movie has the final battle with Vincent take place on top of what appears to be similar to the Tokyo Tower, although the movie is set on Mars.

* On the cover of the ComicBook/BlakeAndMortimer album ''Professor Sató's Three Formulae - volume 1'', Tokyo Tower is really prominently seen (as seen [[http://www.bedetheque.com/BD-Blake-et-Mortimer-Historique-Tome-10-Les-3-formules-du-professeur-Sato-32441.html here]]). Funny enough, apart from one panel where it is seen broadcasting a TV signal, and one panel where it's a vague outline in the background, it doesn't appear whatsoever in the story itself.

* The tower is heavily damaged in a fight between ''Manga/SailorMoon'' and friends and one of the members of the third season's QuirkyMinibossSquad.

* The setting of ''MakaiToshiSaGa'' consists of four "worlds" connected by a huge tower, one of which (the "World of Ruins") resembles a devastated Tokyo cityscape, with the tower represented on the world map by a likeness of the Tokyo Tower. (So, the Tokyo Tower actually does "mark an inter-universal nexus" in this game.)

** Tokyo tower (partially destroyed during the war) became a museum in Anime/CodeGeass.

Apparently, they built the thing out of ImportedAlienPhlebotinum, because it's also a major WeirdnessMagnet. If the BigBad or TheDragon are going to attack, they'll attack the tower at the precise moment that the protagonists are visiting it. If the OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent and her friends are going to be [[TrappedInAnotherWorld sucked into another dimension]], it'll happen while they're visiting Tokyo Tower. {{Kaiju}} and {{Robeast}}s seem to [[MonumentalDamage knock it over or blow it up]] on a regular basis. The government might secretly [[WeaponizedLandmark turn it into a superweapon.]] In fact, ''[[http://www.tapanime.com/fandomfun/humor/animeguide.php Livin' and Lovin' In The Anime Universe: A Basic Guide]]'' warns, "Try to stay away from Tokyo Tower. It appears to mark an inter-universal nexus."

It appears that the reason for its ubiquity is a combination of two powerful story compulsions: the need that spy characters (like JamesBond) have [[MonumentalBattle to fight on]] [[EiffelTowerEffect the Eiffel Tower]] every time they visit Paris, and the fact that TokyoIsTheCenterOfTheUniverse.

The Japanese built a rough copy of the EiffelTower in Tokyo in the 1950s as a tourist attraction and for TV and radio broadcasting. It's clearly visible from most of town, and is a frequent destination for {{class trip}}s from local schools. (It is also sometimes referred to as "Touto Tower".)

Apparently, they built the thing out of ImportedAlienPhlebotinum, because it's also a major WeirdnessMagnet. If the BigBad or TheDragon are going to attack, they'll attack TokyoTower at the precise moment that the protagonists are visiting it. If the OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent and her friends are going to be [[TrappedInAnotherWorld sucked into another dimension]], it'll happen while they're visiting Tokyo Tower. {{Kaiju}} and {{Robeast}}s seem to [[MonumentalDamage knock it over or blow it up]] on a regular basis. The government might secretly [[WeaponizedLandmark turn it into a superweapon.]] In fact, ''[[http://www.tapanime.com/fandomfun/humor/animeguide.php Livin' and Lovin' In The Anime Universe: A Basic Guide]]'' warns, "Try to stay away from Tokyo Tower. It appears to mark an inter-universal nexus."

* ''KamenRiderKabuto'', Tokyo Tower is located near where many of the big events happen and is even used on occasion. For example, "a one-of-a-kind tulip". In the AU movie, it's even bent down from the explosion in Shibuya.
** ''KamenRiderDecade'' reuses it. In Kabuto World, the Hikari Studios is placed right near the tower. Natsumi calls it "trendy". The tower is also used for the final battle. There is surprisingly little property damage.

** The movie ''Cho KamenRiderDenO: Onigashima battleship'' has our heroes successfully fool the villains with a fake TrickedOutTime sequence, creating a fake skyline outside the [=DenLiner=] with Momotaros manning the fake Tokyo Tower (which he calls "[=MomoTower=]".)
** ''KamenRiderDouble'', set in Futo, the Windy City, has its own Futo Tower, which is really a gigantic windmill.

----

Since Tokyo Tower is not high enough to broadcast digital television signals over the same area, a new tower has been constructed: the "Tokyo Skytree", which opened its doors in May 2012. At 634 meters it is nearly twice as tall as its illustrious predecessor, and even though it has not been around for nearly as long, it appears to gradually take Tokyo Tower's place as an icon in anime.

Since Tokyo Tower is not high enough to broadcast digital television signals over the same area, a new tower has been constructed: the "Tokyo Skytree", which opened its doors in May 2012. At 634 meters it is nearly twice as tall as its illustrious predecessor, but only time will tell whether it will replace Tokyo Tower as an icon in anime.

* Very mundane film sighting: The tower can be seen in the background of a scene in the Film/JamesBond movie ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice'' set in Japan, when a helicopter uses a huge electromagnet to pick up a car full of EvilMinions that are chasing Bond.

** ''KingKongEscapes'' has Kong and his robotic foe climb Tokyo Tower during the film's climax.
** The tower is destroyed once again in ''Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.''