Visit HYOGO

This well-loved shrine is known locally as “Hokura-san,” and stands on the top of Mt. Hokura, on the eastern edge of the Rokko mountains that run from Kobe to Osaka. You can reach it in around 30 minutes on foot from Hankyu Okamoto Station, making it an easy location to enjoy a hike.
The shrine is dedicated to the worship of four gods, including Shiinetsuhiko no Mikoto, and has attracted people of faith since ancient times. Pottery from the Yayoi period (BCE) has been excavated from the shrine grounds, which also hold an Iwakura rock where a deity is said to dwell and an Iwakagami rock mirror that was used for rituals, paying testament to this as a sacred place where people of ancient times offered prayers. There is also folklore concerning the “Nada no Hitotsubi” (single flame of Nada), said to have been lit as a guide for ships travelling on the open sea.

From the viewing platform, you can view Osaka Bay and the streetscapes of Kobe spread before you. It's a particularly breathtaking sight in the early morning when the sun rises and the gleaming of the city lights increases. On fine days, you can even see as far away as Kansai International Airport, making this a popular and excellent scenic spot.

The Okamoto cherry blossom corridor that continues on toward the shrine is also popular as a hiking route, filled with beautiful blooms in the spring. The Hokura plum grove behind the shrine blossoms with wonderful flowers from the end of February to early March. Enjoy the natural world through the four seasons here.