Kanzanji Ropeway, Aerial tramway in Nishi-ku, Japan
Kanzanji Ropeway is an aerial tramway in Nishi-ku, Hamamatsu, that links the Hamanako Palpal amusement park on the shore of Lake Hamana to a station at the top of Mount Okusa. The two cabins each seat 49 passengers and the crossing takes around four minutes.
The ropeway opened in 1960 as part of a broader effort to develop tourism around Kanzanji Onsen and the shores of Lake Hamana. It gave visitors a direct connection between the lakeside resort area and the top of Mount Okusa.
At the top station on Mount Okusa, there is a music box museum where visitors can see mechanical instruments from the 1800s up close. The collection includes large fairground organs and small decorative boxes that played music long before recorded sound existed.
The lower station is located inside the Hamanako Palpal amusement park, so entry to the park grounds is required to reach the ropeway. Visiting on a clear day improves the views over the lake and the surrounding hills.
This is the only aerial tramway in Japan that travels directly over a lake, passing about 94 meters above the water. That position over open water, rather than above a hillside, gives passengers a very different sense of height during the ride.
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