Sunshine City is a commercial complex in the Ikebukuro area: It features a variety of facilities including an office building, an aquarium, a shopping center and the Sunshine 60 Observatory. At 250m, the latter offers the highest point of view in the neighbourhood and a great view on Tokyo.
The Bunkyo Civic Center is the government building for Bunkyo City, in Tokyo. Its 25th floor houses a free observatory.
The Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center is a modern building located in front of the Kaminarimon Gate of Senso-ji, in Asakusa. The top floor has a cafe, as well as a freely accessible observatory with a great view on Senso-ji and Tokyo Skytree.
The Port of Kawasaki is an important port of Japan. It is located on the artifical island of Ogishima, facing Tokyo Bay. It is close to Kawasaki’s factory zone and Haneda Airport. I also visited the Marien Tower observatory, which offers a good view on Tokyo Bay and the industrial area.
At 131m, Kyoto Tower (京都タワー) is Kyoto’s tallest building. The observatory is at 100m and offers a great view on the city.
Osaka is the biggest city in the Kansai region. By train, it takes about 30min to get there from Kyoto.
The Chiba Port Tower is a tower located in Chiba Port Park, Chiba. It is 125m tall and has 4 stories. It was built in 1986.
Odaiba is a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan, across the Rainbow Bridge from central Tokyo. It is home to the No. 3 Battery Park (“Dai-San Daiba”), numerous shopping malls, a ferris wheel, a beach (no swimming allowed though…), the Fuji TV building (photo above) and the Miraikan museum, as well as hotels, offices and residential towers. Part of the island is used as a port for cargo ship operations.
Last week, I went back to the city of Futtsu in Chiba Prefecture, but this time in the Sanukimachi area. This is where the Tokyo Wan Kannon, a 56m-high statue of Kannon, the buddhist Goddess of Mercy, is erected. I had a glimpse at it from the ferry when I went to Mount Nokogiri, wondering what that was. After I learnt more, I had to go!
The inside of the statue can be visited and there are stairs to an observatory at the top, which offers a great view on Tokyo Bay and the surrounding area. On a clear day, it is possible to see Mount Fuji. There are a also hiking trails and beaches nearby.
Tokyo has many skyscraper observatories open to the public. On a clear day, it is even possible to see Mount Fuji and a good part of Kanto. Here is a list of the ones I have visited so far. I have also made a map to show locations.