Ryounkaku

Built: 1890
Destroyed: 1923
Other Names: 浅草十二階 (Asakusa jûnikai)
Japanese: 凌雲閣 (Ryôunkaku)

The Ryôunkaku (Cloud Surpassing Tower), also known as the Asakusa Jûnikai (Asakusa 12-stories), was the first modern skyscraper to be built in Japan. Completed in 1890, it was located in the Asakusa neighborhood of Tokyo and was primarily an entertainment and sightseeing venue. The first eleven floors were built in brick, while the top story, containing an observation deck, was constructed in wood.

The tower collapsed in the 1923 Great Kantô Earthquake, along with much of the other prominent red brick buildings in Tokyo.

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References

Gallery labels, Edo-Tokyo Museum.[1]