Today, as I write this report, the sky was hazy and the view wasn't as good as usual…😢 But normally you get a beautiful view all the way to Mt. Rokko, the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, and Awaji Island…⛰ There are a few simple tables and benches, so I think it's an ideal spot for eating a packed lunch or taking a short break. The elevation here is about 530 m, which is nearly the highest point on the Ikoma Traverse route, so from this viewing plaza it's a gentle downhill toward both the hydrangea garden side and the lantern gate side. As the name Stone Rest Plaza suggests, there are lots of big stones lying around.

A small rest stop on the Ikoma Traverse hiking course. In a plaza where the view opens up a bit, there are benches and a bunch of fairly large stones (rocks?) scattered around for who knows what purpose.

If you don't pay attention, it's just a stone plaza you'd walk right past. Go down from here and you reach the Shamio Stone Thirteen-Story Pagoda. It's called the Ryoben Shindo. For Mt. Ikoma fanatics, it's a quiet mountain path full of nostalgia and fond memories. It's a narrow ridge, but there is a path.

The chairs are wobbly and dangerous

Great view