Mount Inasa

Nagasaki is built on steep slopes around a narrow harbour, and housing runs up those slopes on every side - which is why the view from Inasa at 333 metres is what it is: the lights are not a flat grid but tiered, rising up the hillsides opposite and reflected in the water between, so the city appears to be tilted towards the viewer. It is counted with Hakodate and Kobe among the three great night views of Japan, and was included in a 2012 promotional listing of world night views alongside Hong Kong and Monaco, which the city has quoted ever since. A ropeway climbs from Fuchi Shrine in five minutes; a bus and a road also reach the top, and the observation deck at the summit is free and open. The deck is a mirrored steel structure by Kengo Kuma with a rooftop platform. Winter gives the clearest air.

What you actually see

• A tiered city - lights rising up hillsides on every side of a narrow harbour.
• Water in the middle - the harbour reflecting the slopes from both banks.
• A free summit deck - a mirrored structure with an open rooftop platform.
• A five-minute ropeway - the quickest ascent, from Fuchi Shrine.

When to go

October to March for the clearest air, after dark. Two to three hours.

Honest expectations

The ropeway closes in wind and for annual maintenance. Sunset is the busy hour and the deck fills. Haze in summer softens the view considerably. The bus to the summit is infrequent in the evening.

Nearby

Glover Garden is south across the harbour; Dejima is in the centre.