Emergency stairs a scenic route to fitness in Japan

Tokyo

MORE and more people are recreationally climbing the emergency staircases of high-rise buildings and towers, both for the views they can enjoy from the lofty structures and the exercise the climbs provide.

Climbing events held at such structures offer access to stairways that are normally closed to the public. On Nov 14, at the Kaikyo Yume Tower in Shimonoseki, which looks down on the Kanmon Strait, an event called "Nekketsu! Tower Kaidan Nobori" (Burning passion! Tower staircase climb) was held in which participants climbed 650 stairs. The event was first held in 2000, in the hope of giving local residents a chance to enjoy the tower. Climbers use the emergency staircase, which is usually off-limits, to climb from the fourth floor to the observatory on the 28th floor.