Location: Ikoma
Top Things to do in Ikoma
10 Things to Do in Ikoma That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Ikoma, Japan including Hozan-ji Temple, Kintetsu Ikoma Cable Car, Ikoma Sanjyo Amusement Park, Ikuma Sanroku Park, Kuragarigoe Narakaido, Ikoma Taisha, Chokyuji Temple, Iwatani Falls Daishoin, Takayama Chikurin Park, Yata Hill Promenade.
Restaurants in Ikoma
1. Hozan-ji Temple
Overall Ratings
4 based on 59 reviews
Reviewed By MWandAW - Sydney, Australia
It doesn't take much to realize that this teaching Temple is historically special, it was built in 1678 on the site of earlier sacred site built by monks in 655.. There are caves behind the buildings on a rock face, are historically significant. The buildings look ancient as do many of the figurines that line the walkways up the mountainside towards the summit. The walkway from the cable car is steep and has many steps and would not be appropriate for someone with walking difficulties. Luckily, the beginning of the temple grounds are accessible by car, so you could take a taxi from the railway station at least get part of the way there, but there are steep stairs into the actual temple grounds. Our visit to the Temple was quiet on a Thursday morning and my wife and I had the place mostly to ourselves. We found the refreshment area closed due to lack of customers, so you should be prepared for that if the situation arises. We feel a spiritual connection to places of worship and this place gave us a serenity not too often felt in other temples in Japan. It is free to enter and look around and the monks don't seem to mind tourists photographing the outside of the buildings and the grounds. We staying there a few hours and thoroughly enjoyed our visit. We travelled by train from Uenomachi station and it took about 20 minutes in a fast train to Ikoma Station. A trip to this Temple is highly recommended, if you have the energy to walk up many stairs.
2. Kintetsu Ikoma Cable Car
Overall Ratings
4 based on 58 reviews
Reviewed By MWandAW - Sydney, Australia
On your way to the historic Hozanji Temple, take a journey on the oldest cable car in Japan. These little carriages are decorated like cat and dog cartoon characters and are fun to travel on and fun to see. Not so expensive and they rattle and sway along the straight, up and down tracks. At the ticket machine you can buy a return journey and the machine pops out 2 identical tickets, one for going up and one for the return journey. You can buy tickets at the top for the return journey, if you forget to buy a return.There are ticket collectors at the bottom station, but on the occasion we visited, there was no-one at the top. The carriages have a driver and are also controlled by a master at the top station. You can take the cable car to the top and walk down the hill, but it seems like a really long way for little gain. Worth a relaxing journey to a good view of Ikoma town and neigbouring region from the top of the hill.
3. Ikoma Sanjyo Amusement Park
Overall Ratings
4 based on 65 reviews
Reviewed By John G
I can't understand any Japanese so I assume this amusement park opens in the summer only. Not sure though. Went to this park anyway since the cable car is covered by the Kansai Thru Pass, so why not.
It's the beginning of autumn when I went in October and it rained before so it was very misty with lots of icy breeze.
The entire amusement park closed but you can walk around. There's a shop/kennel near the entrance has this Japanese girl with 4-6 cats inside.. weird.
Empty merry-go-rounds and hanging chairs swaying in the wind adding up to the creep factor. Given a killer clown and it'll be a perfect horror movie.
Nice view though.
4. Ikuma Sanroku Park
Overall Ratings
4 based on 30 reviews
Reviewed By 旅が人生 - Osaka, Japan
無料駐車場のある、山の中の公園です。ウォーキングが気持ちいいです。山の上のほうにあるので、街が見下ろせるスポットもありリフレッシュできる場所です。
5. Kuragarigoe Narakaido
Overall Ratings
4 based on 20 reviews
Reviewed By 篤 才
It is just hard walking. You can see the good view of Osaka flat area and NARA.
It is a spot where you can enjoy the old atmosphere of Japan. However, as there is only a road, you have to hike. The current Japanese people feel somewhat nostalgic, and as a course of hiking, there are visitors to see over the weekend. In the history of Japan, in the Edo era, the headquarters of the Yamatokoriyama clan was placed in this village of the dark pass, and it became a train (a law of the Edo shogunate that brings out the lord of each clan periodically to Edo) It was.
It is a difficult place in the Ikoma Mountains of the Yukari Nara Highway, a road where a steep linear gradient with few turns continues. Especially the Osaka prefecture side is a gradient ranging from the foot to the pass about 2.5 km. There are many old temples, Jizo, stone Buddha, on the roadside and roadside of Pass road, also famous as a hiking course.
There is a small settlement at the top of the pass, there is also a tea shop, and the road surface in this area has become a stone pavement laid by the Koriyama clan in the Edo period. The stone pavement of this concrete pavement which is about 50 m is laid in order to prevent the bridge that the grandson rides on during the commuter exchange from slipping because the dark pass is steep slope.
The origin of the name of "darkness" is the theory that the tree was covered with clouds and was a dark road over the Mountains during the day
The theory that "Rumori Pass" turned
"Saddle borrowing", "to go to saddle change" accents to become "dark" There are also huge.
In the upper Rakugo Ise Shrine Kanno lively pillow, it is told that "Since the saddle of a horse seems to be overturned because it is too steep, it came to be called a saddle return pass". This is KURA means saddle, and KAERU(means returned)=GAERU(same means with voiced sound),and(KURAKAERU to KURAGAERU and KURAGAERI and KURAGARI like to changed) means return over back.(it is story of RAKUGO.)
6. Ikoma Taisha
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 14 reviews
Reviewed By SNOOPY0505 - Nara, Japan
こじんまりとしていて、住宅地の中にある神社ですが、落ち着いた雰囲気が大好きで、初詣に今年久々に行きました。
ただ駐車場は狭いので、ある程度お正月は混むのは仕方のない事。
初詣以外にも、七五三に行く方も多いです。
7. Chokyuji Temple
8. Iwatani Falls Daishoin
9. Takayama Chikurin Park
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By しーちゃん1024 - 寝屋川市
記念館では、抹茶がいただけます。お菓子付きと抹茶だけでは、100円違いました。セルフで自分で点てるよう、係の方に言われます。お茶室からは日本庭園が見えます。記念館の入場だけは無料です（駐車場も無料）。茶筌づくりの実演も見える日があるようです。
竹林園には、いろんな竹が植えてあります。竹にもいろんな種類があるのだ、と勉強になります。
10. Yata Hill Promenade
Overall Ratings
5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By alooftrekker - 奈良市, 奈良県
矢田丘陵を生駒から法隆寺まで歩くルートで、全行程を走破すると約20キロの距離がありますが、単なる丘陵の上、周囲は住宅地で囲まれているためいたるところにエスケープルートがあり、初心者にも便利なトレッキングルートです。
途中、展望台や矢田寺、松尾寺他知名度の高いお寺もあり、終点は法隆寺のため単なる山歩き以上に楽しめると思います。
ただ、近年ナラ枯れが酷く、朽ちた木が沢山あるので白いキノコがビッシリと生えた木（枯死している）の近くを歩くときは倒木に注意が必要です。
また、ナラ枯れ病の発生で火焔（カエン）ダケも増えていることと、季節や時間によっては、イノシシやマムシも出ますのでお気をつけください。
