Ryōunkaku
| Ryōunkaku | |
|---|---|
Ryōunkaku before and after the Great Kantō earthquake | |
| General information | |
| Coordinates | 35°42′56″N 139°47′36″E / 35.715571°N 139.793375°E |
| Opening | 11 November 1890 |
| Destroyed | 23 September 1923 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 68.58 m (225.0 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 12 |
| Lifts/elevators | 1 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | W. K. Burton |
The Ryōunkaku (凌雲閣, Ryōunkaku; lit. Cloud-Surpassing Pavilion or Cloud-Surpassing Tower) was Japan's first Western-style skyscraper. It stood in the Asakusa district of City of Tokyo (now Taitō, Tokyo) from 1890 until its demolition in 1923 following the Great Kantō earthquake of 1923. The Asakusa Jūnikai (浅草十二階; lit. Asakusa Twelve-stories), as it was affectionately called by Tokyoites, was Tokyo's most popular attraction, and a showcase for new technologies. It housed Japan's first electric elevator.