Kobe Attractions
About 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) to the west of Osaka, Kobe faces the sea to the north. The superior geological location makes it one of the 5 earliest port cities in Japan. Once coming to Kobe, the must-see attractions that can never be missed include Kitano Ijinkan-Gai, Port of Kobe, Ikuta Jinja, Kobe Animal Kingdom, Mount Rokkō, and Kobe Chinatown Nankin-machi. During the trip, you will feel architecture art, scenic views of the harbor or mountains, and shrine culture, as well as taste delicious food. In addition, Kobe is home to many museums, including Arima Toys and Automata Museum, Kobe Anpanman Children’s Museum, and Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art. Last, Arima Onsen is also a characteristic of Kobe.
Mosaic Big Ferris Wheel
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Attractions Especially Suitable for Families to Visit
1. Scenic Spots around Port of Kobe and Meriken Park
Meriken Park is an open plaza near the Port of Kobe suitable for walking. It is gathered many scenic spots.
① Mosaic Big Ferris Wheel
Mosaic Big Ferris Wheel is one of the landmarks of Port of Kobe. On the top of the red Wheel, you can see the panorama of Kobe even Mount Fuji if it is a clear day. At night, the colorful light of the Wheel makes the Port romantic.
② Kobe Port Tower
The red 108-meter-high Kobe Port Tower (354 feet) is the largest landmark in Kobe. The unique hourglass-shaped tower body looks like a Japanese drum, thus earning the reputation of Beauty Tower. After climbing onto the observation deck, you can watch the whole of Kobe. Walking on the deck, you would feel like walking in the air as the glass deck would turn transparent when you step on it. At night, about 7040 LED lights would lighten almost the whole of Kobe using its more than 40 types of light shows.
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Kobe Port Tower
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③ Kobe Maritime Museum
Kobe Maritime Museum introduces the maritime situation of Kobe, including the sea near Kobe, the boats, and the harbor. In the Museum, you can see various ship micro models or instruments in the captain's cockpit. In addition, in the Museum, there is an exhibition to display motorcycles from different eras, and boys would like this.|
Kobe Maritime Museum
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2. Kobe Animal Kingdom
Kobe Animal Kingdom is a theme park where live different cute animals. Other than common animals we can see in our daily life, you can also see shoebills whose shelters are generally in wetlands in Africa, anteaters in tropical forests, and the most popular animals in recent years – capybaras. Without fences, visitors can observe these animals at a close distance and even touch them. In addition, the Kingdom would hold animal performances every day.3. Kobe Anpanman Children’s Museum & Mall
Kobe Anpanman Children’s Museum & Mall is the first museum in Kansai, Japan, with the theme of Anpanman – a Japanese cartoon that has been broadcast since 1998. The array of recreational facilities would satisfy children's needs, such as the kitchen imitating the one in the anime. You can also taste delicious Japanese bread of Anpanman shape or sing the theme song of the anime while dancing with staff dressing up as the anime’s characters.4. Arima Toys and Automata Museum
Arima Toys and Automata Museum displays a series of toys that were popular in the last century. The 4 floors of the Museum collect more than 4,000 pieces of wooden mechanical toys, metal toys, railway models, and toys popular in Western countries. One floor allows visitors to play darts, play with blocks or toys, and so on.Attractions to Experience Art
1. Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art
In this largest art museum in Kansai, Japan, more than 7,000 pieces of works of western oil paintings, Japanese paintings, sculptures, and statues are exhibited.
2. Kitano Ijinkan-Gai
Kitano Ijinkan-Gai is a building cluster consisting of about 30 residential buildings of exotic style. The area was originally habituated by foreigners in the 19th century when Port of Kobe was opened to the world. The coming of foreigners was accompanied by buildings of many styles, such as British ones, Russian ones, and Indian ones. The combination of western and eastern buildings stand along the street, making the area exude an exotic atmosphere. Inside these houses, you can see furniture and antiques from different countries, such as China, Russia, and France.
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Kitano Ijinkan-Gai
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Natural Scenic Spots
Mount Rokkō
Mount Rokkō is one of the best sites in Japan to watch the night view of Port of Kobe. It is also a good place for outdoor activities. For example, the Mount owns many hiking routes. In addition, the first golf court in Japan locates here. Thousands of cold-weather plants can also be seen in the botanical garden.
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The Place to Feel Japanese Shrine Culture
Ikuta Jinja
Ikuta Jinja with more than 1,800 years of history is well known for the legend that it can bring good luck in many aspects to visitors coming here, including health, wealth, and luck in love affairs. Every month, there would be various rituals, among which the rituals in February, April, and August are the most spectacular.
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The Place to Relax
1. Arima Onsen
Arima Onsen is one of the three major ancient onsens in Japan. The Onsen is famous for its golden onsen and silver onsen. The former presents the color of rust due to its redundant iron and the latter is full of carbonic acid, thus looking transparent. Both the golden and silver onsens maintain an average temperature of 42 ℃ (107℉). The abundant minerals in onsens help people relieve symptoms of some diseases, such as gout and rheumatism.|
The Resting Room in Arima Onsen
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2. Kobe Chinatown Nankin-machi
The grand Kobe Chinatown Nankin-machi combines both Japanese and Chinese cultures. Here, you can taste authentic Chinese and Japanese food, while appreciating architectures with distinctive styles.
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Itinerary Recommendations
1. 2 Days – Attractions around Port of Kobe
Day 1: Kitano Ijinkan-Gai (2 hours) - Kobe Chinatown Nankin-machi (1.5 – 2 hours) - Kobe Maritime Museum (1 – 1.5 hours) - Kobe Port Tower (1 hour)Day 2: Kobe Anpanman Children’s Museum & Mall (1.5 hours) – Ikuta Jinja (1.5 – 2 hours) – Kobe Animal Kingdom (2 hours)
On the first day, you can first go to Kitano Ijinkan-Gai to see buildings of various styles. After that, Kobe Chinatown Nankin-machi would be a good place to enjoy your lunch and see exotic architectures. In the afternoon, it is recommended to arrive at Kobe Maritime Museum to explore ship models. Later, the sunset or night view near the Kobe Port Tower cannot be missed.
On the second day, start with Kobe Anpanman Children’s Museum & Mall to recall your childhood by interacting with the staff and then make wishes in Ikuta Jinja. Later, you can arrive at Kobe Animal Kingdom to play with cute animals there.
2. 3 Days – Attractions Across Kobe
Day 1: Kitano Ijinkan-Gai (2 hours) - Kobe Chinatown Nankin-machi (1.5 – 2 hours) - Kobe Maritime Museum (1 – 1.5 hours) - Kobe Port Tower (1 hour)Day 2: Kobe Anpanman Children’s Museum & Mall (1.5 hours) – Ikuta Jinja (1.5 – 2 hours) – Kobe Animal Kingdom (2 hours) – Mount Rokkō
Day 3: Mount Rokkō (half a day) – Arima Toys and Automata Museum (1.5 hours) – Arima Onsen (2 hours) – your next destination
After visiting most attractions in the first 2 days, it is recommended to go to Mount Rokkō and rest there. On the third day, you can start by visiting Mount Rokkō first where various facilities would satisfy you. Then, go to Arima Toys and Automata Museum to play with toys of different eras. Last, Arima Onsen is suitable to relieve your tiredness of a day.
It is recommended to buy a Kobe Machimeguri 1-Day Coupon of Kobe Area Version (1,000 yen). With it, you can take part of Kobe railways timelessly for free in a day, which include Port Liner Line, Entirety of Kobe Rapid Transit Line, Shin-Kobe Station to Shin-Nagata Station on the Seishin-Yamate Line, Entirety of Kaigan Line. Please note that the coupon doesn’t support Kobe buses. In addition, you can also get ticket discounts of Kobe attractions with this coupon.