Hachikokuyama

. Its name translates literally into English as "Eight Country Mountain" since in times past, one could view eight surrounding "countries" or regions from its top.

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Hachikokuyama in popular culture

It is famous for being an inspiration for parts of the cartoon My Neighbor Totoro. In Japanese it is known as a ryokuchi (緑地) instead of a park. Ryokuchi literally means "green land" and denotes land used more as a natural setting instead of a typical park.

Historical Significance

In the year 1333, Samurai general Nitta Yoshisada raised his army's banner on the ridge during the Genko War campaign against the Shogun's forces that ultimately ended the Kamakura shogunate. This location is commemorated by a stone marker at the park's northern end.

External links

* [http://www6.ocn.ne.jp/~bojyan/r8koku.html More information about the park] (Japanese)