Chiba Port Tower

Chiba, Japan

10 minutes on foot from monorail and Keiyo line Chiba Minato station. Towers like this are a fixture of any self-respecting Japanese city, and here the observation deck (112m) offers views of the surrounding industrial wastelands and container docks, at least for a kilometer or two until they fade off in the smog. There is also a curious display of stuffed fish mounted on sticks in a simulated ocean environment downstairs; the simulation is needed since heavily polluted Chiba Bay hasn't sustained anything above seaweed for quite a while. Entry ¥410, open daily from 9 AM to 7 PM (or 9 PM in summer).