Anyone Who Doesn’t Appreciate Tokyo Tower
Posted by 0rion on August 2nd, 2009 - 9:51 pm
…has never really bothered trying to appreciate it.
(Click for larger version)
This post is in response to usagijen’s article / mini-rant about Tokyo Tower and aesthetics in general, which was itself inspired by a comment on ghostlightning’s latest Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 post where someone referred to Tokyo Tower as “overrrated”.
Both are highly recommended reading, by the way, whether you’ve been watching Tokyo Magnitude or not. Her post really helped remind me just what a significant place Tokyo Tower holds in Japanese history, as both a visual landmark and a symbolic one.
From her article:
“As for Tokyo Tower, well let’s just say I gained much more appreciation for it after watching the AWSUM movie ALWAYS ~Sunset on Third Street~, as I witnessed how this landmark became the pillar of hope back in the 1950s where people are starting out a new life after the war. It was a sign of a new era in Japan — an era of hopes and dreams, an era of a bright future (a bright ‘mirai’).
They built Tokyo Tower with the ambition of making it the TALLEST tower in the world, and other towers might have ‘outgrown’ it now, but you can’t take away the fact that it was successful back in its time. Having known its significance made me all the more realize that TOKYO TOWER IS BEAUTIFUL.”
While Tokyo Tower is a bit dated by today’s standards, and while it’s kind of a rip-off of the Eiffel Tower, you certainly can’t deny its major cultural significance. Even from just a purely visual, aesthetic standpoint, I still find it quite beautiful. In typical Japanese fashion, they even modify the lighting to different colors seasonally or during certain events to help give the skyline a different look.
Speaking of giving Tokyo a different look, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 has been a really interesting show for me; I hope to write more in depth about it soon. The really interesting thing, though, has been seeing the kinds of reactions it produces in others. It seems like the series really tries very intentionally to tell its story in a way that provokes a reaction from the viewer, whether toward the circumstances or toward the characters, and I think that’s what you can attribute much of its success to.
Oh, one thing that did always bother me when looking at Tokyo Tower, by the way, was the fact that even from as far away as the Mori Tower in Roppongi, which is where the above picture was taken from, I could still see the incessant flashes from the Tokyo Tower observation deck of tourists snapping photographs. I mean, seriously? Were you expecting to light up all of freaking Tokyo with your little point and shoot digicam? I know some of these new Japanese models are pretty powerful, but come on now folks.
If anything, it’s just going to produce a lot of unnecessary glare and serve to ruin the exposures of other nearby photographers. I guess I’m just jaded because I see so many people now with digital cameras who don’t know the first thing about how to operate their camera or how to take a decent photograph. Without so much as a thought about lighting, composition, or shutter speeds, they just run around blithely snapping away, stunning their photographic subjects into submission with the blinding power of their xenon flashbulbs.
OK, OK, I’m done ranting. Hope you guys liked the photo. If anyone is interested, I could probably made a desktop wallpaper version, too.
I find it interesting, within the context of usagijen’s post and the comment that inspired it how your photo is from a vantage point that’s higher than the Tokyo Tower itself. It’s as it it’s small, or diminished and is now being defended for reals, because it needs to be. The tower is somehow… moe.
Thanks for the history lesson. That tower is shown in soooo many animes, it’s good to know why. Its amazing how symbolism can make any object beautiful. With the Eiffel Tower, the french originally thought it was the UGLIEST thing ever and protested it for years. Now, it’s a work of art, loved by all the french…. I personally think both towers are still pretty ugly, but can appreciate its significance.
My camera pet peeve is when ppl flash nocturnal animals at the zoo when there’s a HUGE ASS sign saying “no flash photography”…freakin’ ridiculous.
@ ghostlightning
Well, I’ve seen moe tanks and fighter jets, so I suppose a moe tower doesn’t seem too terribly far-fetched.
Actually though, Tokyo Tower is considerably taller than Mori Tower, although less massive. Tokyo Tower is 333 meters at its highest point, whereas Mori Tower is only 238m tall. I think it’s just the perspective that makes it seem like the picture is being taken from a higher vantage point.
Just think, though, in a couple of years Tokyo Tower is going to get a new big sister in the Tokyo Sky Tree, which according to specs is going to be almost twice its height.
Perhaps then Tokyo Tower really will need some protection, once it becomes functionally obsolete!
@ Brutain
Wow, you’re becoming quite the regular commenter around here! Actually, that’s good; I really appreciate it. We used to have a lot of really awesome commenters, but since we went on hiatus for so for long the majority of them moved on, unfortunately.
As for the French loving the Eiffel tower, I’m sure there’s still a number of them who think it’s ugly even now, they just aren’t nearly as vocal about it these days.
Obssolescence moe… seems… so fascinating to me. I wonder if there are examples in actual shows or manga.
@ ghostlightning
There is, actually. The outdated Persocoms from Chobits fit that description, and there was even a side story that briefly explored that issue. It’s been a while since I’ve seen that series, but it might be worth some consideration if you really want to develop this “obsolete moe” thing.
OK, I found it! It was in episode 19, where Chii’s boss tells the story of how he bought an outdated model of Persocom even though there were much better, newer ones available, and how he eventually proposed to and married her / it.
If that’s not what you would call obsolete moe then I don’t know what would be.
I never thought that you can call any kind of landmarks to be ‘overrated’…
Stunningly beautiful picture of Tokyo Tower. Mori Tower, you are so on my places-to-visit when I get the chance to go to Japan again.
The idea of Tokyo Tower being moe tickled my fancy, though from the said vantage point, I still see it as GAR. Now if I had the Tokyo Tower scale model on the palm of my hands, that’d definitely be moe~
I found it was great to take a shot of the landscape from the observation deck without any sort of flash or extra lens…that way you retain the contrast between the dim light and the streetlights, which also restricts the quality of the picture to what the naked eye sees from there. I have to say that the sunset looks gorgous from that standpoint. Either way, my next trip will involve a considerably better camera! As for the obsolete moe thing, I still wanted an ‘analogue’ SLR over a digital one until very recently, but the convenience of the latter will eventually sway me I think.
As for the episode…download is in progress. Will make a more informative and relevant post after watching that and getting a good night’s kip.
[...] from a couple days ago about Tokyo Tower inspired ghostlightning to comment that the tower somehow possessed some kind of moe quality to it: “I find it interesting, within the context of usagijen’s post and the comment that [...]
@ Brutain
I think the French hated the Eiffel Tower because they realized what no one wants to say: it’s just a giant phallic symbol lighting up their skyline with wanton abandon. The two reasons to like the tower now are:
1) Tourist money
2) The fact that tourists flock from everywhere to take a picture with a venerated phallic symbol. Who doesn’t seem the humour in that?
All that being said, the view from the Tower is actually rather beautiful and I hope one day I will have a chance to ascend Tokyo Tower as well.
[...] responds to usagijen’s rant by expressing his thoughts about the Tokyo Tower – “you certainly can’t deny its major cultural [...]
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