Situated 30 minutes from central Osaka, Minoh City is a tranquil city nestled at the foot of the Hokusetsu mountains, surrounded by nature. The view of mountain range changes with the seasons and soothes the soul. A short wander north from Minoh station is the arrestingly beautiful Meiji-no-Mori Minoh Quasi-National Park. This park was designated as a Quasi-National park in 1967 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Meiji Restoration. A path winds from the station up to the Minoh Waterfall, taking you through the forest past charming retro cafes, traditional restaurants, and roadside shops where you can try momiji tempura, deep fried maple leaves which are a specialty of Minoh

The scenery changes season to season. Wild cherry blossoms bloom in spring and the foliage on the mountains turns a vibrant green with fireflies flashing about in summer. The summer is green and warm, the path to the waterfall usually has a light display shown for a limited time. Minoh is especially known for the view of the stunning autumn leaves reflecting off the surface of the river. The red bridges against the snow in winter is a beautiful sight to behold. The forest is known for biodiversity, it is one of the three places in Japan inhabited by the greatest number of insect species. Partway up the waterfall path you can stop and visit the Insectarium which displays an extensive collection of insects.

Mt. Minoh is an important site for mountain religion. En’no Gyoja, the founder of the Shugendo religion (a syncretic Buddhist religion) is thought to have used Ryuanji Temple as a training ground. Now, ascetic Buddhist monks gather from all over Japan to take part in holy fire rituals in April, July and November every year. Minoh has many temples and shrines such as Katsuoji, the ‘winning’ temple located further into the mountains and the aforementioned Ryuanji which is located on the path to the waterfall.