NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building, Communication tower in Sendagaya, Japan
The NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building is a 240-meter skyscraper in Sendagaya, Shibuya, Tokyo, with about 50 stories in total, though only the lower 25 floors form a conventional building. Its brown, ribbed facade narrows in setbacks toward a flat-topped spire, and a 15-meter clock with Roman numerals faces north. The upper section is a hollow steel frame clad in panels, built to hold microwave antennas.
Construction began in December 1997 and lasted until September 2000 to meet the growing demand for mobile phone infrastructure in Tokyo. The tower was built during a time when cell phones became widespread in Japan and networks needed rapid expansion.
The nickname Docomo Tower comes from NTT Docomo, whose headquarters are actually in Sannō Park Tower in Chiyoda, not here. The 15-meter clock, added in November 2002 for the company's 10th anniversary, was made by Citizen TIC; its hour and minute hands each weigh about one tonne. Until 2011 it was the world's tallest clock tower.
The main building is closed to the public as it houses offices and technical facilities. However, restaurants in the separate annex building near Yoyogi Station offer the chance to experience the area and view the tower from the outside.
The upper spire contains no actual floors but is a hollow structure concealing vital communication antennas. A 32-meter crane inside this hollow section remains permanently installed for technical maintenance work.
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