Mount Tenpō, Artificial hill in Chikko, Osaka, Japan
Mount Tenpō is an artificial hill in Chikko near Osaka Harbor that rises only a few meters above the waterline and sits within a small park featuring lawns and shaded paths. The triangular mound is marked by a stone monument at its highest point, with trees and benches scattered around.
The mound formed in 1831 from earth excavated during dredging work on the Aji River and served then as a navigation aid for ships. Later the height dropped due to industrial changes and ground subsidence around the harbor area.
The name Tenpō comes from the era name of the years 1831–1832, when the mound was built; it was first called Mejirushi-yama, "marker mountain", because it guided ships into the Aji River. Since 1997 a local mountaineering club has run climbing events on New Year's Day and 5 April, the date echoing the 4.5-metre height, and issues climbing certificates for a small fee.
The summit sits only a few steps from the park entrance and can be reached by a short flat path suitable for wheelchairs and strollers. The surrounding park grounds offer rest areas and connect easily with other destinations along Osaka Bay.
The summit certificates come not from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan but from the Mount Tenpō Mountaineering Club, founded in 1997 by two local citizens. The club issued them for a 10-yen fee, and by the end of July 2018 it had issued 58,937 certificates. Its rescue team, staffed by two members, had never received a call as of May 2017.
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