Thrill-seekers looking for an adrenaline hit can head to the iconic Tsutenkaku Tower in the western Japan city of Osaka, where a new obstacle course that involves leaping off the side of the major landmark opened this summer.
At “Dive & Walk,” visitors can don harnesses to navigate an athletic course around the outer perimeter of the tower’s lower observation deck roughly 26 meters high before jumping from a height of around 40 m to the deck below, according to operator Tsutenkaku Kanko Co.
A “Dive and Walk” attraction begins at Osaka’s landmark Tsutenkaku Tower on July 1, 2024. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
The new attraction, which opened on July 1, comes as the company seeks to boost excitement and attract tourists ahead of the 2025 World Expo in Osaka.
Kurumi Ogawa and another of the tower’s poster girls screamed as they took the first “dive” at around 9:30 a.m. on July 1, with Ogawa saying later, “It was scary but fun. I hope many people will come and try it.”
A “Dive and Walk” attraction begins at Osaka’s landmark Tsutenkaku Tower on July 1, 2024. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
It costs 3,000 yen ($19) to do the obstacle course, which is available for individuals aged 15 to 65.
“We hope the new attraction will invigorate the entire area and serve as a catalyst for attracting tourists in the lead-up to the expo,” a company official said.
The Osaka-based company has been making efforts to create a more interactive and fun experience for visitors to the 108-meter-high tower. In 2022, it also opened a 60-meter-long spiral slide that allows riders to enjoy a view of the tower and surrounding area as they swirl down.
The original Tsutenkaku was built in 1912, inspired by the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It was dismantled after a fire broke out in 1943 and was rebuilt in 1956, according to the operator.
A “Dive and Walk” attraction begins at Osaka’s landmark Tsutenkaku Tower on July 1, 2024. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo
AloJapan.com