Sunday, May 02, 2010

Above Osaka - Shigisan

At the end of the Nishi-Shigi cable car is Takayasusan station [高安山駅], a public toilet, one vending machine, a hiking trail and a bus station. Not much up there to see fit that a cable car should be built there. I hiked south along the trail eventually heading down the mountain back to Onji station.

Along the path I came across a sprawling cemetery complex. Many mountaintops have been covered with the stones we use to remember our ancestors here. The cost and scarcity of land for such a staid purpose in the city has created these giant cemetery complexes in the mountains. My father-in-law's resting place is in a similar cemetery in the mountains above Nishinoimiya.Besides the cemetery I came across three gloriously retro-due-to-age observation towers which offered similar views of Osaka below.

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A sign greeting visitors to the Takayasusan Cemetery.

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Takayasusan station.

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Beginning of the hiking train leading south from Takayasusan station.

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A viewing tower along the hiking path near Takayasusan Station.

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From this tower you can look across Osaka to the bay, or, on the other side, look upon a sea of gravestones.

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3 comments:

Avo said...

I love how you often show a side of Japan that foreigners don't usually know or get to see.

Recently a friend asked me to describe Japan and I pulled up your blog to illustrate part of the feeling I was trying to impress upon her.
Your pictures fill me with nostalgia. Thanks.

angryparsnip said...

Glorious is the perfect word to use for the retro observation towers...
I want one near me !

sleepytako said...

@Alesa,

Thank you so much for your comment. You hit the nail on the head. That's exactly what I'm trying to go for. There are a ton of blogs and photographers out there that have great photos of Kinkakuji and Himeji Castle, I'm going for a more niche market. ;D

-David