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All Japan Tokyo The Asahi Flame

The Asahi Flame

This enormous monument is one of the most iconic structures in Tokyo, rudely nicknamed "The Golden Turd."

Tokyo, Japan

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The Asahi Flame  
The Asahi Flame   Atibordee Kongprepan
The Asahi Flame   Guilhem Vellut
The Asahi headquarters, with the Tokyo Skytree on the left.   Fred Cherrygarden / Atlas Obscura User
Golden   agresti / Atlas Obscura User
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The golden turd   janmeister / Atlas Obscura User
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The Asahi Beer Hall, or Super Dry Hall, is a building adjacent to the headquarters of Asahi Breweries. It's home to a three-story restaurant serving beer straight from the factory.

Designed by French designer Philippe Starck, the building was completed in 1989. Its shape is supposed to resemble a beer glass, while the headquarters building is shaped like a beer-filled mug complete with suds. 

The building is topped with the Asahi Flame, also known as Flamme d’Or. The monument of a golden fire is said to represent the burning heart of Asahi beer and was inspired by the Olympic flame.

Unfortunately, that's not how it looks to most people. Locals and tourists alike are often confused by the monument’s ambiguous shape.  It's now commonly referred to as the "Golden Turd." The building has earned its own nickname as well, "the Poo Building."

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The Asahi Beer headquarters is a 3-minute walk from Asakusa Station, on the opposite side of the Sumida River.

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Published

February 21, 2020

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The Asahi Flame
1-23-1 Azumabashi
Sumida City
Tokyo, 130-0001
Japan
35.709801, 139.80028
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