Ryounkaku
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Ryounkaku (凌雲閣 Ryōunkaku?, lit. Cloud-Surpassing Pavilion or Cloud-Surpassing Tower) was Japan's first western style skyscraper that stood in the Asakusa district of Tokyo from 1890 until its demolition following the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923. The Asakusa Jūnikai (浅草十二階? lit. Asakusa Twelve-stories), as it was called affectionately by Tokyoites, was the most popular attraction in Tokyo, and was a showcase for new technologies as it housed Japan's first electric elevator.
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[edit] History
Ryounkaku quickly became a famous landmark and symbol of Asakusa after its opening in 1890. It was built as a major leisure complex to attract visitors from all over Tokyo. The 1894 tremor weakened the building, and was henceforth reinforced with steel girders. However the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923 severely damaged the upper floors, and the tower was soon completely demolished after it was deemed unsafe.
[edit] Architecture and technology
The Ryounkaku was designed by the Scottish engineer W. K. Burton in the late 1880's, not long after his arrival in Japan. It was a 225 feet (68.58 meter) octagonal slim edifice, made from red bricks over a wood frame characterized by a renaissance revival architectural style. The twelve floors were all lit and were topped by a cupola, and additional lights were perched above the outdoor observation deck . The two featured electric elevators were designed by Ichisuke Fujioka, a founder of Toshiba, and served from the first to the eight floor, with a 10 persons capacity each, however they were shut down only half a year after the opening of the tower for safety reasons.
[edit] Building uses
The Ryounkaku was an attraction complex featuring an observation tower, exhibition halls, shops, restaurants and bars. The entrance was situated in the first floor, while the second through seventh floors held forty-six stores selling goods from around the world. A lounge was constructed on the eighth floor, and art exhibitions were held on the ninth floor, while the tenth through twelfth were observation decks. From the top, all of Tokyo could be seen; on a clear day one could see as far as Mount Fuji. Many artistic and cultural events were held in the Ryounkaku, including Western music concerts,Geisha photographs exhibitions, beauty contests and other major fairs. One of the most famed places in the tower was the store where wood-block prints were made for Sugoroku, a popular Japanese board game.
[edit] Ryounkaku in literature
Ryounkaku's fame spread as it appeared in the literary works of contemporary authors such as Ishikawa Takuboku, Kitahara Hakushu, and Kaneko Mitsuharu. The opening of the edifice was commemorated in Ogawa Kazumasa's most famous works, "Types of Japan, Celebrated Geysha of Tokyo in Collotype and From Photographic Negatives Taken by Him" published around 1892.
[edit] Trivia
- To celebrate the sunrise on the New Year's day in 1891, balloons with telephone tickets and tower tickets were released in the sky from the Ryounkaku top floor. However only one person succeeded in getting one ticket, as all the other tickets were torn up when people scrambled for them.
- The billboard in front of the tower advertised Ji-Nen, a breath mint product still sold in Japan nowadays.
