Ikoma Sanjo Amusement Park

Ikoma Sanjō Amusement Park is an amusement park located around the summit of Mount Ikoma at an elevation of 642 meters. It first opened in 1929, established by Osaka Electric Railway, a predecessor of Kintetsu Railway. Although it suspended operations during World War II, after the war it resumed under Kintetsu Kōgyō, a Kintetsu subsidiary, alongside Ayameike Amusement Park and Tamateyama Amusement Park. In the 1980s the park boosted attendance by introducing thrill rides aimed mainly at young visitors, but in the 1990s and 2000s its business declined due to the rise of theme parks and a drop in youth interest in amusement parks. In response, the park shifted toward families by making admission free, introducing pay-per-ride pricing, and removing major thrill rides, and attendance gradually recovered. In recent years it has become known as a hidden summer getaway. One standout attraction is the “Flying Tower,” Japan’s oldest existing large-scale ride still in operation: about 40 meters tall and 20 meters in diameter, it has been running since the park’s opening and offers an aerial stroll with views over the landscape below Mount Ikoma. The park also features “Pet Fureai no Mori,” where visitors can interact with small animals, and a monorail ride that circles the park called “Pukapuka Panda.”