Yokohama Marine Tower, Observation tower in Yamashitachō, Japan
Yokohama Marine Tower is a 106-metre lattice tower in Yamashitachō, Yokohama, with a ten-sided shaft and a twenty-sided observation deck at 94 metres. Its exterior was changed in 2009 from a white-to-red gradient to silver outside and brown olive inside. The top once held a lighthouse lantern, and the tower weighs 12,000 tons.
The tower opened on January 15, 1961, as part of Yokohama's modernization and guided ships with alternating red and green flashes until 2008. Later it closed for renovation and reopened in September 2022 with additional facilities.
The tower serves today as a popular vantage point for visitors wanting to overlook the harbor and the modern cityscape. Its name refers to the maritime tradition of the city, and the platform attracts especially photographers and families.
The tower receives visitors daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and the observation level sits at around 94 meters up. Stairs and elevators lead upward, and admission is paid at the entrance reception.
The tower's top once worked as a lighthouse and was listed in the Guinness Book as the tallest lighthouse, though its importance for ships passing nearby was limited. The light was paused on 28 July 2008 and abolished on 1 September 2008. A stair climb event, "Kaidan de GO! GO!", lets visitors walk the 335 steps to the observation floor.
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