Let me continue from where I left off my last post. After getting off Yahiko-yama Climbing Car at the summit park, I enjoyed a superb view for a while. It was a precious time for me, but there was more spectacle lookout on this mountain. Please look at the top photo. There is a columnar tower with a cylindrical observation deck. What’s that?
The answer is “Yahiko-yama Panorama Tower”. It’s a rotating and lifting observation tower beside the climbing car. The cylindrical observation deck rotates and climbs up the columnar tower. The height is 85 meters. The top is around 605 meters above sea level, which is higher than the top of Yahiko-yama Climbing Car track. Yahiko-yama Panorama Tower was constructed at the same time as Yahiko-yama Climbing Car in 1970 by Yahiko-yama Ropeway Company. It’s the oldest rotating and lifting tower in Japan. The observation deck can accommodate 52 passengers. It’s operated every 15 minutes. It’s an eight-minute trip. Pets are welcome at no extra charge. Such a wonderful offer.
Please look at the photo below. I’m fond of this retro atmosphere. Moreover, the operating sound of the cylindrical observation deck was somehow it feels nostalgic. It made unique rattling sound. The seat in the observation deck is covered with red-colored moquette. It looks like an old commuter train in Tokyo. I fully enjoyed the stunning 360-degree panorama of Niigata Plain, Sado Island and Sea of Japan. Time flies when I am having fun. Eight minutes just flew past me.
