Daimonji-yama, part of the East Mountains, or Higashiyama, as they are called in Japanese, is a great place for a memorable and not too challenging hike. Daimonji-yama offers the most accessible and expansive view of the city. It is so high that on a clear day the skyscrapers of distant Osaka can be seen.
Daimonji-yama, or more properly known as Nyoigatake, is the mountain on which the largest of the five giant bonfires of Daimonji-yaki is burned in late summer. The character, ‘大’ meaning great, is gigantic. The hike up this slope comes out right at the center of the great character.