Kobe Port Tower

The Kobe Port Tower is the defining landmark of the city's waterfront, a slender 108-metre steel tower whose distinctive bright-red latticework, shaped like an elongated Japanese hand drum called a tsuzumi, has symbolised Kobe since it opened in 1963. Standing in Meriken Park at the edge of the harbour, its graceful hyperboloid form was an engineering statement in its day and remains one of the most recognisable structures in western Japan. After a major renovation, the tower reopened with a refreshed observation experience and a new open-air rooftop deck, cementing its status as a must-visit viewpoint.

The observation floors, reached by elevator, offer a sweeping panorama in every direction. To the south lies the busy port with its docks, cruise terminals and the man-made island of Port Island; to the north the city sweeps up to the green wall of the Rokko mountain range; and along the water you can pick out Meriken Park, the sail-like Kobe Maritime Museum, the Harborland shopping complex and the Ferris wheel across the water. The newly added rooftop deck lets visitors feel the sea breeze and take in the view without glass in the way, a rare treat among Japanese observation towers.

The tower is at its most spectacular after dark. Kobe is famous for its night views, and the Port Tower is both a place to admire them and a star of them: its red frame is illuminated with thousands of LED lights that run seasonal colour shows, making it a glowing centrepiece of the harbour scene. From the deck, the lights of the port, the ships, the Bay area and the mountainside residential districts spread out in a glittering arc that has earned Kobe a reputation for one of Japan's three great night views.

Inside, the tower has been modernised with a cafe where you can enjoy the view over a drink, a gift shop, and rotating displays. The surrounding Meriken Park is an attraction in its own right, a green harbour-front plaza that also holds the Kobe Maritime Museum, the memorial to the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake preserving a section of quake-damaged quay, and open spaces popular for strolling and photography.

The location makes the Port Tower easy to combine with the rest of Kobe's waterfront. It sits within walking distance of Motomachi Station and Chinatown, connects along the harbour to the Harborland and Umie shopping and dining complex across the water, and anchors the whole bayfront district that is best explored on foot in the late afternoon and evening. Admission is modest for the standard observation floors, with an extra charge for the rooftop deck. Whether you go up for the daytime panorama of mountains and sea or the celebrated night view, the Kobe Port Tower is the essential first stop for understanding the geography and beauty of this elegant port city.