[Osaka] Let's See Inside the "Tower of the Sun"

I recently went to a private visit to the inside of the Tower of the Sun, which opened to the public in 2018 for the first time in 48 years, since the 1970 "Japan World Exposition". Since then I wanted to go, but had missed the timing, but this time I was finally able to visit the interior of the tower, which I had longed for.

I can only show you a little because most of the areas are off-limits to photography, but I will report on them.

What is the Tower of the Sun?

Some of you may recognize the name and shape, but may not know what it was created for.

The Tower of the Sun was designed by the famous artist Taro Okamoto, and was built as a theme pavilion in the symbolic zone of the 1970 Japan World Exposition, together with Mother Tower, Youth Tower, and the Great Roof (292 meters long, 108 meters wide, and approximately 40 meters high).

At the time, Japan had just gone through a period of rapid economic growth and had become an economic superpower. To show off such a Japan, the Tower of the Sun was necessary as a symbol for the World Exposition, the largest postwar event.

The Tower of the Sun has four faces! ?

The top of the tower has three faces: a golden face, shining in gold and symbolizing the future; a sun face on the front, symbolizing the present; and a black sun on the back, symbolizing the past.

In fact, if you look closely, the golden face, representing hope for the future, shines with a golden color. The face representing the present is somewhat discontented.

The black sun on the back seems to represent the dark times that this country has carried with it on its way to becoming an economic superpower.

And the fourth face is displayed in the basement inside. However, what we can see now is only the restored one.

After the World's Fair, its fourth face is said to have gone missing. It is strange that something so large could disappear.

By the way, the fourth face represents the source of human prayers and hearts.

How to make a reservation

It is recommended to make a reservation in advance to see the inside of the Tower of the Sun. If there is space available, you can visit the tower on the day of your visit, but even when I made my reservation two weeks in advance, there was not much space left.

▼Click here to make a reservation
https://taiyounotou-expo70.jp/reserve/

Let's go inside!

The Tower of the Sun has not been open to the public for a long time after the Osaka Expo. Although part of it was opened to the public in 2003, only the first floor was available at the time.

Later, after seismic reinforcement and restoration, the interior, including the upper level, was opened to the public in 2018.

Now let's go inside. The entrance is behind the tower, and you climb up from the basement to the top.

The fourth face appears first when you go inside and pass through the aisle. What is currently on display is a reconstruction based on the materials of that time. Along with music, images are projected in the background.

Other than the underground sun, the exhibits from the Expo's underground exhibit "Inori (prayer)" are reproduced.

Past the exhibit on the subterranean sun is the 41-meter-high "Tree of Life". Of the 292 biological models that trace the process of evolution from single cells to humans, 183 have been restored and reproduced in their original form.

At the time of the Expo, an escalator was installed.

Visitors climb up the stairs around the Tree of Life. The exhibition is designed to progress upward from the protozoan, trilobite, and amphibian eras, so that visitors can feel the evolution of life as they progress.

There were amoebas, polyps, and jellyfish.

The trunks and branches that grow strongly are colored to represent the five continents. Combined with the fantastic music, I felt the greatness of life and was transported back in time to a world 4 billion years ago.

And that's it for the photo shoot, unfortunately. Please check the rest of it when you actually visit.

Through the Tree of Life, I could feel how excited Japan was at that time and how hopeful people were for the future. I strongly hope that our future will be as wonderful as the people of this era had hope for the future in their hearts.

I am very much looking forward to the 2025 World Expo.

In addition to the Tower of the Sun, Expo Park is packed with so many attractions that you could spend an entire day there, including Expo City with its museums and theme parks, the Expo '70 Pavilion with its history of the Expo, the Museum of Nature and Culture, and the National Museum of Ethnology.

It takes about 2 hours by car from Nagoya to Suita, so access is good, so it's perfect for weekend outings.

Is there a young sun tower at Inuyama Monkey Park?

Surprisingly, at the Monkey Park in Inuyama, the world's master, Taro Okamoto, created "Tower of the Young Sun" in 1969, one year before the Osaka Expo, is also on display.

This is also open to the public now, so please go check it out.

Life Designs

2021.11.16

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[Japan Monkey Park]
Address: 26 Kanbayashi, Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture
Business hours: 10:00-17:00 (changes depending on the season and day of the week)
Closed: Irregular holidays (please check the official website)
Parking lot: Available (1,200 cars)
https://www.japan-monkeypark.jp/