Hike in the City Center! 8 Ultra-Low Mountains for Hiking in Osaka

📍 Osaka · 👁 7044 reads · ❤️ 24 likes

As autumn winds begin to blow, the pleasant season arrives. When it comes to outdoor activities suitable for this season, it must be hiking! The city center of Osaka always gives people an impression of towering skyscrapers, but in fact there are also many places where you can enjoy natural scenery while taking a walk. It seems that the days when we can't go out will continue for a while, so this time I will introduce eight mountains in Osaka city that you can easily visit. When talking about mountains, everyone generally thinks of towering scenery. But in Osaka city, which has relatively little elevation change, what kind of mountains are there? Aren't you curious?

The first low mountain to introduce is in Tempozan Park, about a 10-minute walk from Osaka Port Station, the nearest station to the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan, and its name is also "Tempozan." In fact, Tempozan was once famous as the lowest mountain in Japan. However, due to the Great East Japan Earthquake, the ground in Sendai City sank, and Hiyoriyama in Sendai took the title of the lowest mountain, making Tempozan now the second lowest. It is worth noting that you can obtain a "summit certificate" here. Specifically, restaurants and other establishments in the Tempozan area issue such certificates. And there are also unique pleasures of the bay area! From where the summit plaque is located, you can overlook the mouth of the Ajigawa River, and you might encounter a beautiful sunset.

The second one to introduce is "Shōwayama," which is related to the Osaka Metro. It is about 2 km from Taisho Station, a bit far, but the view is the most beautiful among the low mountains. This mountain was created in 1970 when soil excavated during the construction of the Osaka Municipal Subway was transported here, forming this artificial mountain. Chishima Park, where Shōwayama is located, suffered huge damage from a typhoon in 2018, forcing many large trees to be cut down, and it was renovated in 2020. The renovation still adhered to the original concept of "a four-season hill park with a view of the port." From the 33 m high summit, you can enjoy a beautiful view where mountains and the sea merge together!

Next is the third mountain, Shōtenzan, about a 15-minute walk from Tenkachaya Station. To the north of the mountain is a park, which preserves the Shōtenzan Kofun, where pottery, horse tack, and other items have been unearthed. And the summit is actually located on the grounds of Shōtenzan Shōen-ji Temple. The park's symbol tree, a camphor tree, is said to have been climbed by many children in the past to look at Tsutenkaku, but climbing is now prohibited.

The fourth mountain is Chausuyama, located in Tennoji Park near Tennoji Station. In fact, the name "Chausuyama" is often used for mountains that resemble a tea whisk for making matcha, and there are about 50 such mountains across Japan! Osaka's Chausuyama is well known as the site where Tokugawa Ieyasu (one of the three great unifiers of the Sengoku period who founded the Edo shogunate) positioned his forces during the Winter Siege of Osaka, and where Sanada Yukimura (a samurai who served Toyotomi Hideyoshi) positioned his forces during the Summer Siege. There are stone steps, dense trees, and benches at the summit for resting, so you might experience a bit of the thrill of mountain climbing. There is also a legend of a kofun here, but it seems inconclusive.

Now let's move on. The fifth mountain is Sanadayama, which has a connection with the Sengoku period warlord Sanada Yukimura. It is a 7-minute walk from Tamatsukuri Station, located at Sankō Shrine. The "Sanada Secret Tunnel," said to lead directly to Osaka Castle, is still preserved here, and there is even a bronze statue and a monument to Sanada Yukimura. The secret tunnel is open to the public every autumn, so be sure to check. In addition, there are historical sites scattered around that are connected to Sanadamaru (the outer fortification built by Sanada Yukimura during the Siege of Osaka), so try to find them.

The sixth mountain is Tsurumi Shinzan, located in front of Tsurumi Ryokuchi Station within the Hana no Hakuran Koen (Flower Expo Memorial Park) Tsurumi Ryokuchi. This is the newest and highest among the eight low mountains. Despite that, its elevation is only 45 m (in fact, due to ground subsidence, it is now 39 m). It is an artificial mountain formed by piling up residues from a waste incineration plant, but walking along the wide paths near the summit gives a sense of climbing a mountain♪ Being in a vast green park, there is plenty to see!

Among the eight low mountains of Osaka, several are also kofun (ancient burial mounds). The seventh is Tezukayama Kofun, about a 10-minute walk east from Tamade Station. It is said that nobles lived here since ancient times, and in the residential area of Tezukayama, a mountain suddenly appears. This keyhole-shaped burial mound is estimated to have been built from the late 4th century to early 5th century, and clay figures have been discovered here, designating it as a National Historic Site. Climbing this mountain requires an application, but the sense of openness from the summit is incomparable to what you feel on the ground, so even though it takes some paperwork, it is worth climbing.

Finally, the eighth mountain is Mikatsuyama Kofun, a 20-minute walk from Tsuruhashi Station. It is believed to have been a keyhole-shaped burial mound, but the front part is now a park. During the Winter Siege of Osaka, the Tokugawa army positioned themselves here and won, so they named it "Mikatsuyama" (Victory Mountain), which is the origin of its name. It is said that the name Katsuyama-dori also comes from this.

The eight low mountains of Osaka each have their own character—what do you think? There are many other attractions around the mountains that I couldn't introduce fully, so be sure to go and see them with your own eyes.

If you make an effort, you can visit all eight mountains in one day. In that case, the Osaka Metro 1-day pass "Enjoy Eco Card" will be very convenient. Not only can you ride the Metro, but you can also freely use the Osaka City Bus, so you can take a bus to Shōwayama or Mikatsuyama Kofun, which are a bit far from the stations, and enjoy the city scenery along the way!

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Travelogue Directory

1. № 1 - Get a Summit Certificate at Japan's Second Lowest Mountain, "Tempozan"

2. № 2 - Experience the Best View among Low Mountains at "Shōwayama"

3. № 3 - "Shōtenzan" with the Summit Marker on Temple Grounds

4. № 4 - The Stage of Historic Battles "Chausuyama"

5. № 5 - "Sanadayama" with Connections to Sanada Yukimura, Scattered with Famous Sites and Historical Relics

6. № 6 - The Newest and Highest "Tsurumi Shinzan"

7. № 7, № 8 - The Imposing "Mountains" of Tezukayama Kofun and Mikatsuyama Kofun

8. If You Want to Conquer All 8 Low Mountains of Osaka in One Day

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