Yokohama Port Symbol Tower, Observation tower in Yokohama Harbor, Japan
The Yokohama Port Symbol Tower is a 48.19-meter combined vessel traffic signal station and observation tower on D-bank of Honmoku Pier in Naka-ku, Yokohama. Its observation deck at 42.4 meters above sea level is reached only by about 140 stairs, with no elevator. The tower stands in a port green space that also has a lawn mound, a mallet golf course, and a shop.
Construction began as a symbol of Yokohama Port combining a signal station for ships with a public recreation area, and the tower was completed on 18 July 1986. It stands at the boundary between Yokohama Port and Tokyo Bay, on the line linking the tips of Honmoku Pier and Daikoku Pier. A mallet golf course opened on the grounds on 3 November 2006. The park closed on 9 September 2019 due to Typhoon Faxai and partially reopened on 31 January 2020.
The tower's signal boards face four directions (75°, 160°, 270°, 345°) and flash letters I, O, F or X to tell ships whether they may enter or leave the port. The plaza below has hosted concerts, including a 1988 THE ALFEE show that drew more than 70,000 people.
The observation deck sits at 42.4 m above sea level and is reached only by stairs, about 140 steps, with no elevator. The tower stands on D pier of Honmoku Wharf, far from central Yokohama: about 5.5 km from Yamate Station and 6 km from Ishikawa-cho Station. City bus line 26 runs to the tower from Yokohama Station via Sakuragicho; there is a paid car park.
The tower's signal boards face four directions — 75°, 160°, 270° and 345° — and flash letters I, O, F or X to tell ships entering and leaving Yokohama Port what to do; a steady X means no entry or exit except for instructed vessels. The tower stands where a line between the tips of Honmoku and Daikoku piers divides the port from Tokyo Bay.
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