Ikoma Cable Line 生駒ケーブル

Checked October 2026 · next check January 2027 · 1 post since 2009

Visiting Ikoma Cable Line today

What it is: A 2.0 km Kintetsu cable line with five stations, running from Torii-mae up Mt Ikoma to Ikoma-Sanjo. The lower Hozanji Line opened on 29 August 1918 and is described as the oldest commercially operated funicular in Japan; the Sanjo Line above it opened in 1929. The cars have character faces, including Buru and Mike on the Hozanji Line and Doremi and Sweet on the Sanjo Line.
Getting there: Torii-mae Station is about 2 minutes from Kintetsu Ikoma Station, which is on the Kintetsu Nara Line and the Keihanna Line.
Fares: Adult fares are ¥290 per section (Torii-mae to Hozanji, or Hozanji to Ikoma-Sanjo) and ¥500 for the whole line, about 16 minutes with a change at Hozanji. Children aged 6 to 11 pay half, rounded up to the nearest ¥10.
At the top: Ikoma Sanjo Amusement Park is next to the top station. Entry is free and rides are paid separately. The 2026 season runs from 7 March to 6 December, 10:00-17:00 (hours vary by day), closed on Thursdays.
Tip: Hozanji Station is the stop for Hozanji temple, which holds festival days on the 1st and 16th of each month. Check the park's calendar before going, as it is not open every day.

Best timeGood any time of year

Photos and stories from our visits, as they were written at the time.

Only a few years after trains first starting running in Japan back in the late 1800's, and when it still took about 12 hours to travel from Tokyo to…

12 June 2009