Japan's tallest building opens in Tokyo

TOKYO, Nov 24 (NHK) - Tokyo has a new landmark, a 330-meter-high skyscraper that opened on Friday. The Mori JP tower has 64 floors for shops, offices and residences. It's the tallest building in Japan, a title that previously belonged to the Abeno Harukas commercial and business tower in Osaka, western Japan.

After an opening ceremony, visitors flocked to the new skyscraper to shop and dine. One customer said he came to buy goods for his wife, and hopes the tower will draw foreign visitors and energize central Tokyo.

The tower is part of the Azabudai Hills complex, an 8-hectare plot being redeveloped by Mori Building Company in the Toranomon and Azabudai districts of Minato Ward.

The complex has enough offices for 20,000 workers, and homes for 3,500 people. It also has a digital art museum created by an award-winning art group, and other cultural facilities. During disasters, the complex can provide shelter for around 3,600 people.

Mori Building's Naka Hiroki says the opening of the tower makes him both hopeful and nervous. He says he hopes the complex will help make Tokyo an internationally competitive city.

The building is due to concede the title of tallest in Japan in the years ahead as a rush to construct skyscrapers continues in the capital. A tower planned for completion in 2028 near Tokyo Station is due to reach 385 meters high.

Source: Kyodo

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