I have always wanted to hike in Japan but never got the chance to do so until just recently. I so love the scenic beauty of nature that the minute I got the opportunity to go hiking, I just grabbed everything (or so I thought) I'd be needing on the way to the top .
But first of all, I am not a trained mountaineer. So before I conquer the summit of Mt. Everest, I had to start at somewhat smaller and "doable" in one day and Mt. Rokko seemed to be the best candidate. It stands 931 metres high from the sea level and has a quite "manageable" reputation among local hikers. Although indirectly, the peak can be accessed by car or bus, (there is a 5-10 minute walk on a steep slope to the top) but the choice to go on foot gives yourself a sense of pride that you have accomplished something not everyone can do or at the very least, willing to do.
We decided to start hiking from Ashiya, a city near Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture. From there, a rocky and very steep ascend is required to get to the first stop. There were many hikers and I was even surprised to see toddlers hiking with their parents there. At this point I thought Mt. Rokko isn't that hard after all.
When we reached the first stop, we were greeted with these views.
At this point I have already consumed more than half of my bottled water and my body was exhausted with the grueling, almost nonstop climb. A 5 minute rest and a big gulp of water helped me continue to the next stop where we had our lunch.
While heading to the third stop, we encountered an unexpected citing of a Japanese raccoon! He seemed to be used to people and was not afraid at all.
As we continued walking going to the top of the mountain, my legs were beginning to give up and my back was aching due to the weight of my backpack. I was already walking like a penguin and only the voices of encouragement and these views are the ones keeping me from collapsing.
As we got nearer to the top, I could hear the sound of cars from a nearby area near the summit. These were music to my ears as I am only a few hundred steps to my goal on that day. When we reached the final stop before the peak, we saw a lot of hikers resting there and some people facilitating a hiking event. We head out to climb to the summit and after a few minutes of penguin walk, we eventually reached the peak of Mt. Rokko where we could see the picturesque view of the cities below it.
This was my first time seeing the Kansai region from this perspective. I could see the contrast of a well developed metropolis and the otherwise perfectly serene mountain peaks behind it. It felt surreal!
Apart from the peak of Mt. Rokko, we also went to the Rokko Garden Terrace, famous for its night view of the city. As the sun begun to set we could see the slowly changing landscape below us. More and more lights lit up as the sky became dark..
and darker...
When the sun completely set, we were witness to the breathtaking Kansai region at night.
This sea of light dwarfs even the biggest of all illuminations in Japan. I just hope the camera could capture what my eyes were seeing at this moment! This one of the most awesome experiences I have had in Japan so far.
