The high-rise Umeda Sky Building was constructed so that the two individual buildings join at the top to form a design that looks like a floating spaceship.
With a global reputation, every year the building is visited by over a million tourists and was once featured in a British magazine article on the “Top 20 Buildings in the World” alongside historical sites such as the Parthenon and Colosseum.
The viewing platform can be found at the top on the 40th floor, a height of 173 that offers a 360 degree, wide panoramic view of the city as there is no roof.
While the view from the platform is nice during the day, at night it is truly spectacular.
It has been included in lists such as “the top sunset views in Japan” and “the greatest nightscapes in Japan.”
The elevator that takes you up to the viewing platform is see-through which offers an incredible view, although perhaps a bit off-putting for those with a fear of heights.
On the 40th floor there is a café and on the 39th floor there is a restaurant, allowing you to enjoy the view with some reasonably-priced food and drinks.
On the basement floor there is a food court modeled on a retro-style, early-Showa era townscape called “Takimikoji” with 20 restaurants.
