From the observation deck you can see the coastline around here and the surrounding city buildings, and even Kansai Airport. The deck isn't big, and there's some graffiti on it. When the weather's nice, climbing up the mountain to feel the breeze and take in the city view, watching the planes ceaselessly taking off and landing, coming and going in all directions, you can't help wondering which one flew in from your hometown. There should be three trails down from the observation deck: one back the way you came, one leading to Kounoji Temple, and one that vaguely seems to lead down the mountain, though I haven't taken it. To get to Kounoji, come down from the deck, return to the concrete road, and just follow the concrete road all the way. Note: there are many forks along the way, so be sure to stay on the concrete road the whole time.

Revisited 2022.8.27 Cloudy. It was cool that day, and I didn't sweat much even by the time I reached the observation deck. There are several routes to the deck and you can get there quickly, so it never gets boring. Revisited 2022.7.13 Sunny; it was way too hot at the foot of the mountain, but the path to the deck was shaded by trees and surprisingly cool. 2022.1.26 The view from the observation deck was unexpectedly wonderful, enough that I stood gazing for a while. The wind was cold and I got chilled to the bone, but the soup from the cup noodles I had for lunch was warm and brought me back to life. It's just under 300m high, but it was good exercise. It would be nice to have signposts at each fork if possible. Round trip 2 hours (50 min of breaks) from Michi-no-Eki Aisai Land. You can also access the trailhead from the Kishiwada Port–Tōbara Line (near Okami Shrine), but there doesn't seem to be anywhere to park there. The other photo is the camphor tree at the Big Camphor Square. It's impressive too.

●Easy to get to: round trip just under 8000 steps from Aisai Land along the Gaikan (outer ring road). ●Lots of different routes, fun ●Clear signs at every fork, reassuring. (Distance and destination both listed) ●There are both asphalt roads and mountain trails, so you can choose what you like, GOOD ●Mountain cherry trees all over, from just starting to bloom to nearly in full bloom ●My phone had signal the whole time (docomo) ●There are some Pokémon GO PokéStops and gyms here and there, perfect for keeping tired kids walking ●Maybe it was just luck, but I barely saw any other hikers. (Only met one group of 3) 2023.3.18.

Elevation 296.4m. In ancient times it was revered as "the mountain where the gods dwell." A center of history and culture, its headwaters flow into the Haruki River and were said to be precious water 🚰 essential to daily life. (Especially as the source of life-giving water for farming.) A mountain sustained by water worship. Mountain worship such as rain-praying rituals was reportedly practiced too. From long ago to the present day, it has reportedly been beloved by the people of Kishiwada. (Also selected as one of the Osaka 50 Mountains) At the foot of the mountain you can pick mandarins 🍊, bamboo shoots, and more. I really felt the little-known charm of Mt. Kounoyama.

A hiking course where you can do a round trip to the summit in about an hour while you're at Aisai Land shopping for vegetables, and easily enjoy the scenery. Signs are also carefully placed all over.