Sapporo TV Tower

The deck

From the deck you see Odori Park, Mount Ōkura and Maruyama

The Sapporo TV Tower stands in Odori Park, 147.2 metres high, with an observation deck at a height of 90.38 metres. From the deck the whole of Odori Park, Mount Ōkura and Maruyama can be seen.

147.2 metresthe height of the tower

Built in 1957

It was built in 1957 by the architect who planned Tokyo Tower

The tower was built in 1957 by Tachū Naitō, an architect famous for planning Tokyo Tower, at a total cost of 170 million yen. Its transmission facility is on Mount Teine, and the tower works as a repeater for the radio stations AIR-G and FM North Wave.

The clocks

In 1961 digital clocks were added to draw attention to the tower

In 1961 digital clocks were installed on the four sides of the tower, 65 metres up, donated by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. The company founder, Konosuke Matsushita, thought they would draw great attention to the tower. They were repaired in 1998 and 2006, when light-emitting diodes were adopted.

A new tower?

High-rises have made the tower less prominent, and a taller one was proposed

The tower used to be the most prominent figure in Sapporo, but high-rise buildings around Odori Park have made it less prominent. It marked its 50th anniversary in 2007. In the same year a replacement tower of 650 metres was proposed, with hotel rooms, offices, sports facilities and a deck at 500 metres.

Two mascots

The tower has an official mascot and an unofficial one

The official mascot is Tawakkie, and the unofficial character Terebi-Tōsan, Television Daddy, is also known. The basement connects to Aurora Town, an underground shopping arcade. The tower has also appeared in films such as Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah.