World's largest tv tower constructed in tokyo

Japan can boast the world's tallest free-standing television tower as of Tuesday, when the under-construction Tokyo Sky Tree rose to a height of 601 metres (1,971 feet). The steel structure eclipsed China's 600-metre Canton Tower, which opened in Guangzhou in September - although both are shorter than the world's tallest building, Dubai's 828-metre Burj Khalifa skyscraper.

The Tokyo Sky Tree rose to 601 metres at 1:29 pm (0429 GMT), when workers lifted part of its antenna section into place, said Tobu Railway, the main investor in the 65-billion-yen (790-million-dollar) project. Already a popular landmark in Eastern Tokyo, the broadcast tower is scheduled to reach its top height of 634 metres this month and be completed by the end of the year.

"We are delighted to see the tower become the world number one," said Tobu Railway spokesman Shota Mitsui. "But we still have more work to do, and we will continue enforcing safety first in completing the project."

To keep the structure safe during Japan's frequent earthquakes, the tower boasts a cutting-edge anti-seismic design, including pilings that fan out underground like the branches of a tree.

Source: The Independent