Experience the city of the future by riding an escalator
When I was a child, I was excited by the scenes of "future cities" depicted in manga and anime. I was particularly fascinated by the depictions of "flying through the air" - new vehicles zipping through the sky, people zipping through tubes, etc.
What excited me about coming to Tokyo as a university student was that glimpses of this "city of the future" already existed within the city. For example, when you get off the subway at Oshiage Station, the escalators of Tokyo Solamachi® appear before your eyes, crisscrossing through the air. The tube escalators at LIVIN OZ Oizumi store glow eerily at night, reminiscent of a secret society. The Oedo Line is famous for running deep underground, but the escalators at Iidabashi Station are not only long, but their swirling green lighting makes them resemble the entrance to a mysterious world.
On the rooftop of SHIBUYA SKY, you can enjoy a brief moment of aerial swimming on an escalator that seems to shoot straight up into the sky. At Izumi Garden Tower, you can experience the engrossing experience of moving through a beautiful glass tunnel. At the newly renovated Kabukiza, you'll find what you might think are red carpeted stairs, but the red steps actually carry you and start moving.
Escalators themselves are not a particularly new form of transportation, and many people probably think of them as commonplace. However, there are already many places in Tokyo where you can enjoy escalators as "vehicles that fly freely through the air," and get a real feel for the city of the future.
Tokyo Solamachi®
Tokyo Solamachi® opened at the foot of Tokyo Skytree®. The atrium at the entrance, directly connected to Oshiage Station, is a stylish 21st century space. The long escalators intersect at an angle, and the straight lines of light on the exterior panels make you want to take endless photos, thinking, "This angle is good too."
Address: 1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida-ku
LIVIN OZ Oizumi store
This impressive shopping building features a massive tube escalator attached to its exterior wall. It closely resembles the famous Pompidou Centre in Paris, France. At night, it is lavishly lit up, making it such a picturesque building that it's easy to forget that it's actually a supermarket and coffee shop inside.
Address: 2-10-11 Higashioizumi, Nerima-ku
Iidabashi Station on the Oedo Line
Public art is installed at every station on the Toei Oedo Line. The green, squiggly pipes installed on the ceiling of Iidabashi Station are a work called "Web Frame" by Makoto Watanabe. Traveling by escalator through a space that seems to be invaded by plants from another world is an extraordinary experience.
Address: 4-9-5 Iidabashi, Chiyoda-ku
SHIBUYA SKY
This escalator is located in the observation deck of the 47-story Shibuya Scramble Square skyscraper, making it one of the tallest outdoor escalators in Japan. There's no roof except for a glass railing on one side, creating a sense of openness. Looking down on the cityscape below, you'll feel as if you're floating in the air.
Address: Shibuya-ku, Shibuya 2-24-12 Rooftop
Izumi Garden Tower
Directly connected to Roppongi 1-Chome Station, this building is entirely made of glass. The escalators are also surrounded by the same glass as the exterior walls, creating a luxurious tunnel. The long escalator from the 4th to 7th floors seems to suck you into space, and the gate-shaped pillars supporting the transparent glass create a solemn atmosphere reminiscent of a thousand torii gates.
Address: 1-6-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku
Kabukiza Theatre
Kabukiza is a theater that opened in 2013. The first escalators installed in the theater were custom-made with barrier-free access in mind. The escalator steps and landing plates are also red, matching the red carpet that covers the hallway and the red pillars, and seamlessly blend in with the carpet to create a unified space.
Address: 4-12-15 Ginza, Chuo Ward
