Daikanransha

Daikanransha was a 115-meter-tall Ferris wheel that stood in the Palette Town shopping center in Odaiba, Tokyo, until its closure. When it opened in March 1999, it was briefly considered the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, before losing that title to the London Eye. The ride offered passengers a 16-minute trip, during which they could enjoy sweeping views of landmarks such as Tokyo Tower, Rainbow Bridge, the Tokyo Skytree, and the skyscrapers of Shinjuku. On clear days, the view even stretched as far as Mount Fuji and the Bōsō Peninsula.

The Ferris wheel had 64 gondolas, most of them painted in rainbow colors. Four special cabins were made of transparent polycarbonate and were air-conditioned, which made for a unique experience. At night, the structure glowed with around 120,000 neon tubes in more than 100 colors. The lighting system displayed seasonal motifs such as cherry blossoms, snowflakes, and watermelons, earning the spot a reputation as one of the best viewpoints in Japan.

As part of the redevelopment of the site, the Ferris wheel was shut down at the end of August 2022. Demolition took place between September and November 2023 to make way for a new multipurpose arena and commercial facilities. Some of the sturdy gondolas were saved, however, and reused at other locations in Japan, including a ski resort in Nagano Prefecture and an amusement park in Tochigi Prefecture.