A 32-year-old man who climbed Tokyo Tower on Wednesday night and spent nearly five hours on the steel structure was apprehended by police in the early hours of Thursday and taken into custody.
Police said the man, a resident of Yuki, Ibaraki Prefecture, had removed some of his clothing and threatened to commit suicide.
At one point he climbed as high as 120-130 meters -- just below the tower observatory, which is located 150 meters above ground.
Officers using a fire engine ladder got the man down from the tower at around 2:20 a.m. -- four hours and 45 minutes after a pedestrian first noticed him climbing the tower.
Police said they launched the operation after the man, whose name was not provided, ignored pleas from members of his family to climb down.
At one point, the man took off his clothes and shoes and threw them to the ground.
Later, the man climbed down to about 25 meters above ground and suspended himself from a steel bar as if to jump down. It was at that point that the officers on the ladder took him down.
The man reportedly left home earlier Wednesday, telling his family that he would commit suicide.
Police said the man was arrested on suspicion of trespassing.