Something a little different from the city’s ancient temples and shrines.
Pretty much everyone is familiar with Tokyo Tower, whose observation floors offer expansive views of Japan’s capital city. Many people tend to forget, though, that Kyoto, one of Japan’s former capitals, has a tower of its own.
It’s not so hard to understand why Kyoto Tower is often overlooked, though. For starters, Kyoto’s more traditional architecture and lower, flatter skyline means the city tends to look its best when viewed from ground level. For that matter, Kyoto Tower is only 131 meters (430 feet) tall, compared to Tokyo Tower’s height of 333. Overall, Kyoto Tower just doesn’t have the necessary flash and pizzazz to really grab travelers’ attention.
The Knife Tower isn’t trying to compete with Japan’s more famous towers in terms of height, though it does stretch from the floor to the ceiling. Instead, its appeal lies in the opportunity to be surrounded by 180 high-quality knives, each polished to a mirror finish and arranged to create the impression of a storm of blades swirling around you, even as the knives themselves stay still.
