The Sapporo TV Tower was built by architect Tachu Naito. He is known for designing five iconic towers across Japan: Nagoya’s Mirai Tower (1954), Tsutenkaku (1956), Sapporo TV Tower (1957), Beppu Tower (1957), and Tokyo Tower (1958). Three of these five are registered cultural properties by the Japanese government.
Sapporo TV Tower Background
Just like Tsutenkaku’s iconic Hitachi illuminated sign, Sapporo TV Tower has its own charm point: four gigantic LED clocks on each of the tower’s sides, with the brand “Panasonic” written in huge letters below them. The first clock was installed in 1961 and had Panasonic’s previous name (National) below it until 2006. At night, the clock shines brightly, and the entire tower is also illuminated with orange accent lighting.
The tower has served as a tourist attraction since it stopped transmitting TV signals in 1965 when the antenna was moved to a mountaintop better to serve the then-rapid expansion of households desiring TV service. This fact may seem surprising, but, in fact, it was only in the 1960s that most families were finally able to acquire the coveted “three C’s”: a car, a cooler (air conditioner) and a color TV.
Sapporo TV Tower Highlights
One exceptional feature of the tower is the fact that you can rent out the entire observation deck. After the 90-meter-high deck closes, you can have the whole deck to yourself for 30 minutes for ¥20,000. This unique option makes it the perfect place to propose to your loved one, host a birthday party or any other special event. The tower will even be lit up in the color of your choice.
This is a famous tourist spot in Japan, so of course, there’s a mascot. Actually, there’s a whole family of them. The tower’s family included TV Dad, Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, Taro and Hanako. If you are lucky, you may even be able to meet TV Dad walking around the tower outside. For a fee of ¥30,000, you can even book an event with him and for school trips, he can be booked for free to wave goodbye to students after they leave.
Yearly Events
Note that there are no restaurants or places to eat on the observation deck. However, there are a number of dining options underground below the tower. The tower can be visited any time of the year, but it does get quite cold in winter. You may even want to consider visiting from June to October when the emergency stairs are open for the “Staircase Climb.” For ¥800, visitors can challenge themselves to walk up the stairs to the observation deck. The climb usually takes around 45 minutes.
