Floating Garden Observatory (Kuchu Teien Tenbodai)

This futuristic observatory 167m (557 ft.) high looks like a space ship floating between the two towers of the Umeda Sky Building. Take the superfast glass elevator from the East Tower building's third floor; you'll then take a glass-enclosed escalator that also bridges the two towers before depositing you on the 39th floor. I'm not afraid of heights, but taking an escalator over thin air in an earthquake-plagued nation certainly caught my attention; it made the "floating" observatory feel safe in comparison. From here, you have an unparalleled view of Osaka, making it a popular nightspot for couples on dates. My own interest in the place, however, has waned since the female attendants stopped wearing cone-shaped hats.

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