Feb 25, 2020
Spring Days Out in Kobe
With spring approaching, warming weather, and the nights drawing out it’s a great time to start planning a few days experiencing the great outdoors and sampling Kobe’s natural delights. Here is a selection of things to do and places to visit over the next couple of months.
Have a Hanami picnic
Hanami is a staple of early spring in Japan. It means “flower viewing” and basically it’s sitting in a park and enjoying the spectacle of the Japanese cherry blossom trees flowering around mid/late March onwards. There are many great parks and locations lined with cherry blossom trees in Kobe, including some with on-site picnic facilities. Top locations include Sumaura Park, Egeyama Park and Himeji Castle, which is located outside of the city in the western part of the prefecture.
You can check up-to-date weather forecasts for the Hanami period here. You can find a complete article on this topic here.
Walk across the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
This bridge spanning nearly 4 km between west Kobe and Awaji Island is the world’s longest suspension bridge. Strolling across it and taking in the stunning surrounding scenery is one of the most popular tourist attractions and springtime is a particularly good time of year to make the trek. The bridge is accessed from the Maiko Marine Promenade and the walkway across is 47 m above the water with a glass floor offering views of the strait below. The walk across might be enough in itself but, if you want to make a day of it, you can visit the Maiko Marine Promenade and the Bridge Exhibition Center on the Kobe side or explore Awaji Island at the other end.
See the complete article on this topic here.
Spend a day on Mount Rokko
Reaching a peak of 931 m, Rokko offers a great day out for visitors all year round. The winter skiing facilities close in early spring and the routes up to the top become filled with hikers. You can walk to the summit or take a cable car and enjoy the scenery. There are many attractions to keep you busy, including a botanical garden, a music box museum, a restaurant and even a golf course. If you fancy sticking around until nightfall, you can see some spectacular views of the city and Osaka Bay.
See the complete article on this topic here.
Website: https://www.rokkosan.com/en/
Visit Arima Onsen
One of Japan’s most popular hot spring towns, Arima Onsen has a history dating back over 1,000 years. Located a short journey from central Kobe, the town is a popular resort for weekend getaways. Central to the town’s attractions are the various onsen (hot springs) that produce two types of spring water – Kinsen (gold water), which contains iron deposits and is said to be good for the skin; and Ginsen (silver water) containing radium and carbonate, which is said to be good for joints and muscles. The town is small enough to explore by foot and there are temples, a museum and some nice restaurants and cafes to sample too. All in all, a great spring day out.
Website: https://visit.arima-onsen.com/
See the complete article on this topic here.
Sample some local cheese at Yuge Farm
Yuge Farm is a 20-30 minute drive from downtown Kobe and offers the chance to experience rural Japanese life. You can see grazing cattle and visit cheese-making facilities. The farm specializes in cheese production and allows access to its cheese-making factory. You can also sample hand-made cheeses at the farm restaurant, the Cheese House.
Website: https://www.yugefarm.com/
Justin Hanus editor
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