There are many observation decks where we can view trains in the urban areas of Japan. They are, for example, Kitatopia and Carrot Tower in Tokyo Metropolis and AER Observation Terrace in Sendai City. Thankfully, they are free. Today, I’m going to introduce Chiba Port Tower today. You have to pay an admission fee, but it costs only 420 yen (3 USD), so you should go there. As the name suggests, Chiba Port Tower is located in Chiba Port, about 40 kilometers east of Tokyo. The nearest station is Chiba-minato (Chiba Port) on the JR East Keiyo and Chiba Urban Monorail lines. Visitors can enjoy gorgeous downtown, port and train views from the 113 meters high observation deck.
Please look at the top photo. You can see the EMU JR East E233-5000 series travelling on the elevated track. The E233-5000 series is the major commuter fleet on the line. It was commissioned in 2010 to replace the old models such as the 209-500 series. One set is composed of 10 cars (6M4T). I enjoyed a view of the 200 meters long train from the side. Its bright and vivid colored body stripe is definitely my favorite.
Next, please look at the photo below. You can see a 2-car suspension monorail train, the EMU 0 series, travelling on the Line 1 of Chiba Urban Monorail. The 0 series is the latest model commissioned in 2012. Its nickname is Urban Flyer. I enjoyed watching that Urban Flyer was flying above Port Street.
