Haigamine Observatory

Be careful about when you decide to go up here. We paid around 12000 yen and over 2 hours of our time to see a blur through mist.

Drive up was a bit sketchy but not nearly as bad as some mountain roads can be. Views were absolutely stellar even before sunset, and as the city lit up it got even more gorgeous.

Only few parking space. But so far has the best view as observatory deck

This is one of the most amazing views I have seen in all of Japan. HOWEVER, please know this. The road going up to this observation deck is EXTREMELY dangerous. It is about 15 km long. The first 5 km are well paved, two-lane roads. Then the next 5 km, the road turns into one lane and gets increasingly narrow and steep. The last 5 km are the most dangerous of all. The road is so narrow that there were times I thought our car would fall of the edge of the mountain. At many points along the road there was no guard rail whatsoever. The paved road turned into dirt, and we were constantly running over leaves, sticks, and rocks. The view is worth the drive, but PLEASE be careful. Only the most experienced of drivers should try it.

The view from the top at night is stunning, but it’s really not worth the ride at night. This place is not exactly a tourist attraction, so don’t be surprised if you don’t see any cars or humans on your way to the top. I got a taxi for 10,000 yen which is a bit too much for the experience in return.