Mount Rokkō, Mountain summit in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan
Mount Rokkō is a mountain range running about 56 km east-west from Sumaura Kōen Park in western Kobe to Takarazuka; its highest point, Rokkōsan-Saikōhō, reaches 932 metres. The photograph shows rounded ridges covered in dark conifers, with a thin mast and a smaller structure on the crest. The summit area is comparatively flat, holding golf courses, hotels and observation facilities.
A British merchant discovered the area in the late 19th century and established leisure facilities there. Japan's first golf course opened on these slopes in the early 20th century.
The name Rokkō is not explained by the sources as 'six peaks'; the range has no single peak called Rokkō, and its highest point is Rokkōsan-Saikōhō. The Hanshin Tigers' theme song 'Rokko Oroshi' takes its name from the winter wind that blows down from the range. Minolta named its Rokkor lenses after the mountains.
Cable cars and a funicular railway run from Kobe and nearby Arima up to the summit area. Fog can limit views during the rainy season and in early autumn.
An alpine botanical garden houses over 1,500 species of mountain plants adapted to cool climates. A museum of mechanical musical instruments offers workshops where visitors assemble small music boxes.
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