Japan is Nippon 日本語
The slim mirrored Fukuoka Tower seen at the end of a wide paved promenade
Photo: そらみみ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Fukuoka · landmark

Fukuoka Tower

福岡タワー

A 234 m seaside tower at Momochihama on Hakata Bay. Its 123 m observatory gives 360-degree views, and at night LEDs light up its 8,000 half-mirrors.

Fukuoka Tower lit with orange lights at night above trees wrapped in blue winter illuminations
Photo: Nissy-KITAQ, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Night view of Fukuoka city lights seen from the Fukuoka Tower observation deck
Photo: Nagono, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A seaside tower wrapped in 8,000 mirrors

Fukuoka Tower stands in Seaside Momochi, a waterfront district of Fukuoka City. It was built in 1989 to mark the 100th anniversary of Fukuoka's municipal status and the Asia-Pacific Exposition, nicknamed "Yokatopia".

It is 234 m tall, and the official website bills it as "Japan's tallest seaside tower". It is shaped like a tall, slim triangular prism, and its outside is covered in about 8,000 half-mirrors (mirrors that let some light through).

As well as being an observation tower, it is also a broadcast tower, transmitting signals for NHK and the commercial TV stations.

An observatory on three floors

The observatory is split across three floors. From the top floor, Observatory 3F (123 m above the ground), you get a 360-degree view where the city of Fukuoka, Hakata Bay and the sky meet.

Observatory 2F (120 m) is a café where you can eat while taking in the view. Observatory 1F (116 m) is "SKY Play 116", an interactive entertainment floor, and it has been chosen as a "Lovers' Sanctuary" (a romantic spot for couples).

Night lights that set a Guinness World Record

At night the whole tower is lit by LEDs like a giant screen, showing illuminations and pixel-art animations to match the season or an event.

Since all its lighting was switched to LEDs in 2014, it has shown animations every day, and in January 2026 it was recognised by Guinness World Records for the "most days displaying pixel-art animation on an observation and broadcasting tower". The day's illumination and lighting times are listed on the official website.

Getting there

Take a Nishitetsu bus from Hakata Bus Terminal at Hakata Station (about 25 minutes) or from the Tenjin bus centre (about 15 minutes), and get off at TNC Hoso Kaikan or Fukuoka Tower Minamiguchi. From Nishijin Station on the Airport Line subway, you can walk or change to a bus.

Opening hours and prices can change, so check the official website.

Tips

  • To see both the sea by day and the city lights and tower illuminations by night, go in the late afternoon.
  • If you go on your birthday you get perks such as free entry to the observatory. Check the conditions on the official website.
  • The tower also holds a stair-climbing race up to the observatory (the 2026 autumn race is on 3 and 4 October).

Sources

Updated 28 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.

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