Tsutenkaku Tower

Tsutenkaku Tower, located on the south side of Osaka in the Shinsekai area, is known as the symbol of Naniwa. At 75 meters, it was the tallest building in Asia, and a front runner of the era at the time of its construction in 1912. A fire in the movie theater at its base led to the building being taken down in 1943, but it was rebuilt 13 years later due to popular demand from the city residents. The second-generation Tsutenkaku is 33 meters taller than the original and stands at 108 meters. The fourth and fifth floors are observation platforms that are accessible via the elevator, providing visitors with panoramic views of Osaka. The fourth floor is known as the Light Observation Platform because it is lit up at night with flashy mirror balls. Meanwhile, the fifth floor is called the Golden Observation Platform due to its lavish golden decorations just like Hideyoshi Toyotomi's golden tearoom.

・The guardian god Billiken has stood watch over Shinsekai and Tsutenkaku over the years
Billiken is famously known as the mascot of Tsutenkaku. Born in the United States, Billiken first came to Shinsekai in 1912 and was placed in Luna Park, an amusement park located next to the tower at the time. Billiken was lost after the park was closed, but a second-generation statue appeared in Tsutenkaku in 1979. In May 2012, a third-generation Billiken was set up on the fifth floor of the Golden Observation Platform. This third-generation Billiken has blonde hair to match the color of the platform.

・Tenbo Paradise is a special observation platform where visitors can feel the wind passing through Shinsekai
Tsutenkaku has a special observation platform called Tenbo Paradise, which is situated on the topmost floor of the tower at a height of 94.5 meters. Tenbo Paradise offers visitors a chance to step out onto a platform with a diameter of 8.5 meters, which is usually off-limits. It is an open space with no windows, so visitors can directly feel the wind high up in the air. The space can also be rented out and some people have even made marriage proposals here.

・The circular lights on Tsutenkaku display the weather forecast for the next day using white, red and blue colors
The circular lights at the top of the tower actually display the weather forecast. The white, red, and blue colors indicate sunny, cloudy and rainy weathers respectively, and the colors are used in combination to give a forecast of the weather for the next day. If you're wondering what the weather will be like tomorrow, look at the top of Tsutenkaku Tower.