Tokyo's Sky Tree nearing completion

By Rich Shulman

With the rise of broadband internet and cable television, I wonder why Japanese television companies feel the need for this tower for digital TV broadcasting.

The Sky Tree broadcast tower is touted as the world's tallest at 634 meters. (The Burj Khalifa, at 829 meters, is the world's tallest building.)

Tomoyuki Kaya / EPA

A guide gestures inside the observatory of the Tokyo Sky Tree, Japan, Oct. 30. Tokyo Sky Tree, a telecommunication tower under construction, reaches the 634-meter tidemark. The new Tokyo landmark, the world's tallest self-standing structure with two observatories and commercial facilities, is scheduled to begin operating in spring of 2012. It is expected to bolster television and radio transmissions in the capital region.

Tomoyuki Kaya / EPA

The Tokyo Sky Tree is seen in Tokyo, Japan, Oct. 30. Tokyo Sky Tree, a telecommunication tower under construction, reaches the 634-meter tidemark. The new Tokyo landmark, the world's tallest self-standing structure with two observatories and commercial facilities, is scheduled to begin operating in spring of 2012. It is expected to bolster television and radio transmissions in the capital region. EPA/TOMOYUKI KAYA