Lit up after dark, it has captivated and inspired millions—a slender beacon of diffused orange rising 333 meters from the center of the metropolis. With couples coming up close to gaze and pilots steering clear of its tapering steel frame, Tokyo Tower indeed rules the night.

To celebrate its 50th birthday this month, the tower will be dressed in a unique luminary gown. “People often say that Tokyo Tower looks like a classy lady in a skirt,” explains Motoko Ishii, president of Motoko Ishii Lighting Design, the company behind the lighting spectacle. “So I wanted to give her a 50th birthday present.”