Walking through the city where I was born and raised, Kobe from Maruyama, Nagata Ward to Hiyodorigoeshi (3)

There's been a bit of a gap, but this is the continuation of walking from Maruyama, Nagata Ward, Kobe to Hiyodorigoeshi.

This is Takatori Mountain, the landscape mountain of the city where I grew up. It's just an ordinary mountain now, but when I was in elementary school, the red mountain surface was partially exposed and stood out. Now it's completely covered in green, which is good, but the symbolic presence has faded, which is a bit sad. There were stories that it was called Kamunade Mountain, and there was a shrine at the summit, so I think it was a somewhat sacred mountain. It's also introduced as a power spot, so probably so.

What I remember well is being taken by my mother to climb it with just the two of us, and my leg hurt, unrelated to mountain climbing.
I found out it was a hip joint disease and had tests and hospital visits, so I remember it well, but I was told it was suspected to be a rare disease with no established treatment, and I lived dragging my leg for a while. I remember the mountain and the disease, the inconvenient life, and being made to undergo various tests.

I also remember the view from this location vividly. Every year, for summer vacation homework like landscape paintings, I didn't want to go out in the heat, so I would draw from my house window including Takatori Mountain in almost the same composition as this photo, many times. Even so, I realize now that I liked looking at this view from the window. I don't know if I looked at it because I liked it, or if my sense of form developed based on it from looking at it, but at this point I can't tell.

This photo is of Hibarigaoka Elementary School and Hibarigaoka Junior High School. The school was so rough that I don't have particularly good memories, but I find it strange that the school building hasn't changed except for repainting. The whole city is like this—it feels desolate, but overall it hasn't changed, so I get the illusion that only I've aged. I wonder if many cities in Japan are like this.

To be continued.