This is the top of this page Move to photograph Move to biography Move to Association with Minato City Move to Walking Points Move to Literary Works Move to Related Publications Move to the last Menu




Hisakich Maeda


  • Biography
1893-1986. Industrialist. Born into a farm family in Osaka, Maeda opened a newspaper shop in Osaka City. In 1992 he launched the Minami Osaka Shimbun newspaper (later the Osaka Shimbun). In 1933 he launched the Nihon Kogyo Shimbun (later the Sangyo Keizai Shimbun) and launched it also in Tokyo after the war. While serving as an Upper House member, as the president of Nihon Denpato he established Tokyo Tower and was appointed the president of Kansai Telecasting Corporation and of the Osaka Broadcasting Corporation. He also got involved in the air transportation business and in regional development projects.

  • Association with Minato City
Built Tokyo’s symbolic tower, which illuminates the ground from a height of 333 meters

Maeda was a self-made man who started out as a newspaper delivery boy and during his lifetime rose to the position of King of Newspapers in Osaka. After the war, he launched the Sangyo Keizai Shimbun in Tokyo and developed it as a national newspaper, which stirred up a whirlwind in the world of newspapers. Back in 1955 when Japan was entering the age of TV, he recognized the potential of the broadcasting business and came up with the idea for an integrated tower. Maeda thought it would be meaningless if it was not the tallest tower in the world and was certain that it was possible to be built because of the high level of technology available

A huge total of 4,000 tons of steel materials were assembled by hand without a millimeter of error, and after speedy construction work that took only 15 months, the Tokyo Tower opened the night before Christmas Eve in 1958. It stands proudly at 333 meters -- 13 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower -- and emits radio waves over a 100-kilometer radius in the Kanto area. The world’s tallest independent steel tower astonished the world so much that it was featured in an American TV program. Maeda’s dream has been passed down, and the tower continues to be loved as a must-see landmark of Tokyo.

References
Nihon Jinmei Daijiten (Japanese Biographical Dictionary) (Kodansha)
Asahi Jinbutsu Jiten (Asahi Biographical Dictionary) (Asahi Shimbunsha)

  • Walking Points
Tokyo Tower (4-2-8 Shibakoen)

  • Literary Works
Tokyo Tower Monogatari (The Tale of Tokyo Tower) (Tokyo Shobo)
Hibi Kore Shobu (Everyday is a Game) (Sogensha)
Search for Literary Works