Sky Tree, the new tower going up in Tokyo, has become a fixture in Japan's mass media. Each week brings another spectacular photo in the photogravure section of a weekly magazine, and newspapers breathlessly report each new benchmark passed on the way to its final height of 634 meters in the spring of next year.
The new landmark, a broadcast tower for digital television, has already brought tourism and increased development to the area, although this has proved to be something of a mixed blessing for local residents. While tourist spending is of course welcome, sightseeing buses and construction-related trucks have also caused traffic congestion. Authorities believe that the resulting diversion of passenger cars to back streets is a major factor in a rise in traffic accidents in four wards of eastern Tokyo, with 41 deaths as of Dec. 26, an increase of 12 over the previous year.
On a brighter note, Sumida Ward wants to use its higher profile to attract a university to a site not far from the tower. Originally the ward planned to build a track and field facility on the land, formerly occupied by an elementary and middle school, but now it hopes to bring in a new population of young people with a four-year or six-year institution of higher learning. It is presently accepting applications from institutions and will announce the final candidates in August.