Tallest Building in Japan Named

An as yet un-built building that is slated to be japan's tallest, already has a name--Abeno Harukasa.

Designed to be a 60-storey, 300-meter-tall (985 feet) skyscraper to be built in Osaka’s Abeno-ku district for the Spring of 2014, it's name comes from an old-fashioned adage: “To make the spirit cheerful or refreshed”.

“The building will also have a viewing platform, so we expect it to become a place where visitors can brighten up,” says vice-president Muneo Taniguchi of the building's ownership Kintesu Corp.

Going against the current downturn in the real estate market, it has already got about 50 per cent of its tenants.

With 60 floors and five levels of basement, its owners hope it will attract about 130,000 visitors a day once it opens in 2014.

Ownership has confirmed business tenants: the Kintetsu Department Store, Marriott Hotel chain, Kansai Electric Power Co. and general contractor Okumura Corp.

Andrew Joseph