First there was the chocolate teapot – then came this, the world’s smallest escalator, which seems to serve little function other than to excite social media users.
Located in the Okadaya More shopping centre in Japan’s Kawasaki-Shi region, the tiny escalator – known as the Petit Calator – is just 83.4cm/2.8ft high, has only five steps and provides a ride lasting a mere six seconds.
The pint-sized people mover is deemed remarkable enough to deserve its own webpage.
This explains that it was built in 1989 when an underground passageway connecting the Okadaya More shopping centre with the nearby Azelea mall opened.
The webpage states: ‘The underground passage of Azalea was located between [two floors] of More’s, so [the escalator] was created as a solution to this problem.’
However, the escalator doesn’t actually connect the floors at all.
According to Oddity Central, pedestrians who hop onboard must still use a small flight of stairs to reach the next floor, rendering the escalator fairly pointless.
On the plus side, it has an accolade from the Guinness World Records – which recognises it as the world’s ‘shortest escalator’, an honour it has held for more than 30 years – and Internet fame.
The world’s shortest escalator is located in the Okadaya More shopping centre in Kawasaki in Japan. It has just five steps and a journey time of a mere six seconds
The pint-sized people mover is deemed remarkable enough to deserve its own webpage and holds the Guinness World Record for ‘smallest escalator’
The webpage for the Petit Calator reveals that it is a popular subject for social media snaps, adding that it’s ‘loved by locals’ and that many visitors from overseas come to see it.
If very long escalators are more your vibe, then head to China.
MailOnline Travel previously reported on the country’s 1,100ft/688m mountainside escalator that ferries people to the top of Tianyu Mountain.
It cost $2.2million/£1.6million – and even sprays mist on people to keep them cool.
Tourists disembark the escalator a short distance from the top of the 300-metre- [980ft] high peak. From there, it’s a short walk to the summit.
There is a three-kilometre- (1.8-mile) long winding road to the top of the mountain that takes around 50 minutes to walk up. The escalator ride is around 10 minutes and costs 30 Chinese yuen (£3.30/$4.32).
And it’s proving incredibly popular, with videos and images showing the escalator packed to capacity.
China has built a 1,100ft (350-metre) escalator costing $2.2million/£1.6million that takes visitors up Tianyu Mountain in Zhejiang Province – and it even sprays mist on them to keep them cool
The Enshi Canyon escalator (above) cost some £4.3million/$5.6million and takes 18 minutes to ride from start to finish
The Tianyu Mountain escalator isn’t China’s only lengthy escalator.
The £4.3million/$5.6million Enshi Canyon escalator takes 18 minutes to ride from start to finish.
Around 7,300 people can be transported every hour from the top of the site right down to the canyon.
A spokesman at Enshi Grand Canyon Scenic Spot told MailOnline: ‘Tourists can take the escalator to go down the mountain all the way. It improves the degree of comfort during their journey.’
