The coast of Osaka Bay in the city of Takaishi, between central Osaka and Kansai Airport, is home to a vast cluster of petrochemical plants, refineries and other factories. In recent years, the city has become an unlikely destination among photographers and urban explorers, who come to take in the night-time views of the industrial zone.
Some of the best vistas can be had from the lookout near the Takaishi toll gate on the Hanshin Expressway’s Bayshore Route, Municipal Road 1 in Takasago, and Hamadera Park. Insider tours of the area are given regularly by the Takaishi chamber of commerce, but these are extremely popular and participation usually requires winning a ticket in a lottery.