After a very very long day of rude people, no sleep, and swine flu inspections, the Sun pierced the dark sky and shone itself through my window and gentle woke me.

After 23 hours of traveling, my brain really doesn't process the Japanese environment to its fullest. I'm totally excited, but the day's traveling has worn that down a little bit. It's not until my batteries are fully recharged that my energy empowers my excitement. That first morning back in Japan is like Christmas as a Child.

I want to do everything! And my first destination was Tokyo Tower, which is its own symbol of regeneration.

After World War II, Japan was a defeated nation. They were down, but not out. Everyone in the nation pulled together to rebuild Japan. Japan flourished once again.

In 1953, NHK began broadcasting for the first time. But the signal was too weak for the entire Kanto region to receive its signals. It was clear that a large transmission tower would be needed to boost the signal, or else moderately sized ones would choke Tokyo.

They called upon Tachu Naito to architect such a tower. He chose the France's Eiffel Tower as a starting point, and designed a structure so secure that it could withstand an Earthquake twice the strength of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake (8.3 on the Richter Scale) and typhoons with wind speeds up to 140 miles an hour.

When completed it stood 30 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower. It became a symbol for Japan. A monument to their efforts to rebuild Japan and their growing economic power.

Thank you, Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Tower

Tokyo Tower has 2 observatory decks. One at 150 metes, and a Special Observatory deck at 250 meters. You're damn right I went to the top!

I went all around the top taking pictures and assembled them into a Panoramic shot: http://theschlock.com/photo/090502_japan/IMG_3194b.jpg