Rinku Gate Tower, the third tallest building in Japan

With the inauguration of Abeno Harukas in Osaka and Toranomon Hills in Tokyo, this year brought some changes in the top of the tallest skyscrapers in Japan. Since Tokyo Sky Tree is a tower and doesn't qualify for this list, the top of the 5 tallest buildings in Japan is led by the Abeno Harukas (300 meters tall), followed by the Yokohama Landmark Tower (296.3 meters), the Rinku Gate Tower (256.1 meters), the Osaka Cosmo Tower (256 meters) and the new, 255.5 meters tall Toranomon Hills.

Among these skyscrapers, the Rinku Gate Tower, photographed here, is the only one far from the center of a large city, being located in Izumisano, Osaka Prefecture. Designed during the planning of the nearby Kansai International Airport and opened in 1996, Rinku Gate Tower was planned to serve the airport area, housing a hotel and office spaces.