Higashiyama Sky Tower

Higashiyama Sky Tower is a 134-metre observation tower rising from a wooded hill on the eastern edge of Nagoya's Higashiyama Park, in Chikusa Ward. Because it stands on a rise roughly 80 metres above sea level, the glass-walled observation floor 100 metres up the shaft sits around 180 metres above the surrounding city, giving it one of the widest natural panoramas of any viewpoint in Nagoya.

The pencil-shaped tower was completed in July 1989 to mark the centennial of Nagoya becoming a city, and it was designed to double as a disaster-prevention and radio-relay facility. Over the decades it has become a quiet local favourite, especially among couples and photographers who prize its unobstructed sightlines away from the crowded downtown high-rises.

From the observation lounge you look west across the whole basin of Nagoya: the red lattice of Chubu Electric Power Mirai Tower, the slab of Midland Square and the cluster of skyscrapers around Nagoya Station all stand out clearly. On genuinely clear days the view stretches to the Suzuka Mountains and Mount Gozaisho, and in the crispest winter air even to the distant peaks of the Japan Alps. A cafe-restaurant on the observation level lets you linger over the scene, and the tower stays open into the night, when the carpet of city lights is arguably more impressive than the daytime view.

A notable detail: the tower is lit in seasonal colours each evening and is an officially registered member of Japan's federation of observation towers, sharing that status with landmarks such as Tokyo Tower. Admission is a modest 300 yen for adults and free for junior-high students and younger, making it one of the best-value high viewpoints in the city; combination tickets with the adjoining zoo and botanical gardens are also sold.

The visit is easy and accessible. High-speed lifts carry you to the top in well under a minute, the observation floor is fully enclosed and climate-controlled, and there are restrooms and seating throughout. That makes it comfortable in any weather and suitable for families, older visitors and wheelchair users alike. Allow around 45 minutes to an hour to enjoy the full circuit of windows and a drink.

The best time to visit is late afternoon sliding into early evening, so you can watch the city shift from daylight to illumination. Spring brings cherry blossom across the park below, while autumn paints the surrounding woodland in reds and golds; weekday visits are the quietest. The tower's height and its position away from other tall buildings mean the horizon is rarely blocked in any direction.

Getting there is straightforward. Take the Nagoya Municipal Subway Higashiyama Line to Hoshigaoka Station and leave from exit 6, then walk about 15 minutes through the park to the tower; alternatively, alight at Higashiyama Koen Station, enter the zoo and botanical gardens, and follow the signs uphill to the Sky Tower on the far eastern side of the complex. Drivers can use the park's paid car parks. Because the tower sits inside the zoo-and-gardens grounds, many visitors happily combine it with a half-day among the animals and greenhouses before riding up for the view.