(http://m.static.newsvine.com/servista/imagesizer?file=boyleDE5E96F1-2E0F-0459-42B6-B2EB7B01C990.jpg&width=900)DigitalGlobeThe Tokyo Skytree rises 2,080 feet (634 meters) into the sky in a satellite picture acquired on April 4. By Alan Boyle
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The Tokyo Skytree (http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/05/22/11809861-tokyo-sky-tree-takes-root-as-worlds-second-tallest-structure?lite) is considered the world's tallest broadcasting tower and the second-tallest human-made structure, so you should expect it to cast a blocks-long shadow on its surroundings in Japan's capital. The only building taller is the Burj Khalifa (http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2010/12/04/5580695-holiday-calendar-tallest-building-reaches-for-the-sky?lite) in Dubai — which rises 2,717 feet high, about six stories higher than the 2,080-foot Skytree.
The Skytree offers a restaurant and observation decks as well as broadcasting facilities for eight TV networks and two FM radio stations. There's a shopping arcade next door that includes a planetarium and aquarium. The complex had its official opening in May and is expected to draw 32 million visitors a year — which is more than Tokyo Disneyland's typical tally.
NBCNews