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2026-05-16
Mt. Kongo viewed from Mt. Katsuragi by Anglo10
Katsuragi-shi, Nara Prefecture, Japan
Monday 6th November 2017. 16:30 Mt.Kongo Osaka.
On our descent from Kongo San we were greeted by beautiful golden hour light combined with the awesome autumn colours of the mountain was perfect. We also came across the most amazing tree which looked like it had started as one but has split during it’s growth, it was huge!
Monday 6th November 2017. 14:00 Mt.Kongo Osaka.
We reached the summit after about an hour and 30/40 minutes climbing. There is actually nothing more satisfying than climbing a big old mountain. I’ve always loved hiking, ever since I was little, and to be able to it here so regularly is amazing. Although it was a beautiful sunny day there was a haze over the city so we couldn’t actually see anything below haha but still rewarding nonetheless. I would love to come back here when it’s covered in snow, that would be something special. They say the best time to come is in February so we’ll see!
Monday 6th November 2017. 13:00 Mt.Kongo Osaka.
Mount Kongo (金剛山) in Osaka, at 1,125 meters is Osaka’s tallest mountain, with the border between the Osaka and Nara prefectures slicing right through it. Mount Kongō has a rich history as the birthplace of the Shugendo, a religion where one attains enlightenment by understating the relation between humans and nature through mountain dwelling and worship. The mountain also hosted an epic battle around 1330 between imperial loyalists and the Shogunate totalitarian ruler of Japan. On clear weather days the view from the summit include the plains of Settsu, the Rokko Mountains and even as far as Awaji Island.
I love having Mondays off with Ellen because we can actually do stuff together now that we live in the same city which is so nice. We escaped to the mountains on the most beautiful day, we couldn’t have asked for better weather to hike in. We got the train to Kawachi-nagano and then jumped on a bus from here which took us to the bottom of our hiking trail.
It’s been a while since I posted something. Things haven’t been going all that great in recent months, and I’ve had to dedicate less time to my illustration and animation work as a result. However, this is a piece that has been on my ever growing list of things to do, and I’m glad that it’s out of my head. I watch a lot of Japanese television through NHK world and one of my favourite shows is 72 Hours, a documentary series that spends 72 hours in a particular location as people come and go. A few months back I saw an episode based at Mt Kongo in Osaka. At the summit there is a web camera that takes a photo on the hour, and this attracts a lot of people to climb the mountain and pose for the photo.
Some people do this because they have family abroad, and it gives them a chance to connect. Others who are just visiting, as well as tourists, like to be part of it too. On the documentary there was this one guy who climbs the mountain everyday, and he poses in a similar fashion to the clock that can be found there. It seemed so important to him that, in a way, this is preserving him as a part of the local history. I do love the idea, it seems to generate a lot of tourism and I’ve since found myself thinking about similar ways that my own home town could introduce something to draw people in. I sometimes take a look at the live Mt Kongo webcam, but due to the difference in time zones (I’m based in Greater Manchester, England) it’s usually around 2am when I do. This is represented by the clock in the illustration, though in reality it’s normally 11am. The documentary is available to watch on YouTube, why not take a look at it. Or better yet have a ganders at the live web cam, on the hour.
Mount Kongo is between Osaka and Nara and best known as a location to go and see first sunrise of the new year. We are not completely sure on how that works because, unless you hike 8km in the dark and snow, there does not appear to be an other way to get to the top (except Cable Car which one would imagine only runs in daylight hours), Anyway, for a day trip, Mount Kongo is a pretty spot. There is play snow for children and some picturesque walks for adults. And most importantly, this place is DOG FRIENDLY!
https://www.google.co.jp/maps/place/Mt+Kongō,+Takama,+Gose,+Nara+Prefecture+639-2336/@34.4193197,135.6728886,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x6006d49c2199fe13:0xa1900a3dc67a577a