Sightseeing Japan

Kobe is a city in Japan located on the island of Honshu. Kobe is the capital of Hyogo Prefecture and is one of Japan's major ports along with those of Yokohama, Osaka, Nagoya, Hakata, and Tokyo. Kobe serves as one of the most important seaports in Japan and is the second busiest port in the world. It is famous for its Kobe beef, the Arima Onsen (hot springs), night view of the city both from the coast and the mountain, the sake breweries, and the exotic atmosphere which mainly came from its history as a port city. It was one of the first Japanese cities to open for trade with the West in 1868.

Wedged between the coast and the Rokko Mountains, the city of Kobe is long and narrow. The landmark of the port area is the red steel Port Tower. A giant Ferris wheel sits in nearby Harbour Land, a notable tourist promenade, and offers spectacular views of the surroundings including the bay area, especially at night. Two artificial islands, Port Island, and Rokko Island, have been constructed to give the city room to expand.

Away from the seaside at the heart of Kobe lie the Motomachi and Kokashita districts as well as Kobe's Chinatown Nankinmachi, all well-known retail areas, as well as numerous shrines and temples. A multitude of train lines cross the city from east to west. The main transport hub is Sannomiya Station, with the eponymous Kobe Station located to the west and the Shinkansen Shin-Kobe Station to the north.

Quick Tips:

English isn't widespread in Japan outside the major cities. It is definitely worthwhile purchasing a Japanese phrase book (I recommend the Lonely Planet guides) and attempting to communicate in the native tongue. The Japanese people are very polite and patient, and they seem to appreciate tourists making an effort to speak to them in Japanese.

Best Way To Get Around:

A JR Rail Pass is excellent value if you are planning to sight-see using the railway. It allows unlimited travel on JR trains and buses throughout Japan for the period of the pass; 7, 14 or 30 days. You need only present the pass at the JR ticket window at your departure station to receive your onward tickets.

There are two types of rail pass;
Ordinary - for travel in the non-reserved cars,
Green - for travel in the reserved cars. This pass costs more but ensures you have a seat, a blessing when the train is full.

We have purchased a Green pass on both our trips. The 14 day green pass costs ¥61,000, however if we had purchased the tickets each time we travelled we would have paid over ¥125,000, so it was definitely worth it.

You should carry your JR pass in an easily accessible place as you will need to present it to the attendant each time you pass through the station gates. This applies at every station you use the pass at to buy tickets. You will also have to show it to the ticket inspector on board the train.

For more pictures and information on Japan visit my website Shane Currie's Website

Rokko Island is the second artificial island in Kobe located in the southeast region of Kobe Port. The island is reclaimed land which was constructed between 1973 and 1992. It is a 3.4km by 2km rectangular shape, and covers 5.80km². Rokko Island was one of the hardest hit areas in Kobe after the Great Hanshin Earthquake.

Rokko Island is a mix of residential apartments, corporate offices, sporting grounds, amusement areas, hotels, restaurants, and shopping malls.

We stayed at the Kobe Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers that is located next to the Rokko Liner station Island Centre and the Kobe Fashion Mall. The rooms were on the small side, by Western standards, but still comfortable enough. We had views over Kobe Bay and Kobe City which was nice.

The hotel staff were very friendly and their English was far better than my Japanese. Whilst the rooms were cheap enough (by Japanese standards), at ¥13,000 per night, the restaurants were quite expensive; the standard buffet breakfast was ¥4,600.

The Kobe Bay Sheraton is an associate hotel of Universal Studios Japan (USJ) and so is on the USJ bus route, which is handy if you don't want to take the train.

A negative of the hotel though is that you have to pay to use the gym and pool area, which is the first time I've seen hotel guests having to pay to use the facilities.

The hotel is right at a Rokko Liner station which connects the island to JR Sumiyoshi Station, stopping at several points along the way, making travelling to the Shinkansen stations of Shin-Kobe or Shin-Osaka easy.

At first glance Rokko Island looks like a dull port city, however it turned out to be anything but dull. Every Sunday an informal 'flea market' springs up on the promenade outside the Sheraton. The Kobe Fashion Mall has an assortment of restaurants, including Chinese, Italian, French, and of course Japanese. Halfway between the hotel and the port, on the right, is a magnificent tulip garden. It is also only a stones throw away from the sake breweries and museums.

Kazamidori is a nice Japanese restaurant on the 5th floor of the Kobe Fashion Mart. Kazamidori means weathervane in Japanese and the menu provides a mix of Eastern and Western style tastes; from the traditional fried pork, rice, omelettes, to big tasty sundaes.

The restaurant was clean and well-lit and the food was good. Each table had a buzzer that rang in the kitchen when you wanted service, and they were prompt in responding to the buzzer as they had plenty of waitstaff on. They also seemed to cater well for families, with colouring/activity books for the kids. No English menus though so we did the point in the window trick.

Each table also had a fortune vending machine. You put in your month and year of birth, along with ¥50, and it would dispense your fortune. Only problem though was that it is in Japanese, so we don't know what our fortune said. However, it was a bit of fun while we were waiting for our meals.

Prices ranges from ¥700-¥1500 for main meals.

An Italian restaurant located on the 5th floor of the Kobe Fashion Mart. The chef is Italian and the restaurant's open, bright, and sparsely decorated decor gives it more of a diner feel than a formal restaurant. This is not a dark or romantic setting: think booths and a few tables.

The food was good, the ingredients fresh, and it made a welcome change from the fried fare we had been having; particularly the big salad, although it did have slightly too much dressing. The servings weren't huge but they were certainly adequate and reasonably priced.

Whilst waiting for our food we had a few moments to soak up the atmosphere, the Italian music in the background, the smell of traditional Italian dishes being prepared wafting through the dining area, and the understated decor gave the impression of a well run establishment.

The extensive menu of pizzas, pastas, grills, and desserts is a delight and sufficient to wet anyone’s appetite. They had a good specials list, all at ¥900, and the menu was available in English. There was only one server, but it wasn't very busy, so we didn't have to wait very long for our meal.

Pasta - Specials (¥900)

Spaghetti pepenoncino with bacon & cabbage

Penne with meat sauce (my choice)

Pizza - Napoli, Margherita

Other dishes include the standard Italian fare of;

• Antipasto, Proscuitto for ¥1,000-1,200
  

Minestrone soup @ ¥850

Spaghetti Carbanara @ ¥1,300

Risotto alle verdure (with vegetables) @ ¥1,300

Teppanyaki is a type of Japanese cuisine that uses an iron griddle to cook food. The word Teppanyaki is derived from teppan which means iron plate and yaki which means "grilled."

Located on the 21st floor of the Kobe Bay Sheraton Hotel and Towers is the exclusive Teppanyaki Koyo-Tei Restaurant. Whilst the food was fantastic, both from a presentation and taste point of view, and the views of Osaka Bay and Kansai Airport were magnificent, it's not the cheapest restaurant in Kobe, but nor does it aim to be.

From the sophisticated decor, to the beautiful tableware, to the "your glass will never be empty" service, you're in for a real treat at Koyo-Tei.

We went there for lunch because the lunch meals were more than half price compared to the dinner menu. You have the choice of either al la carte or set menu selections; we opted for a set menu.

The set menus range from ¥6,000 to  ¥12,000 and the food is fresh—perhaps a little too fresh for some; the prawns were brought to the table still kicking on the skewer.

We started with a sashimi dish with a roe dressing, followed by scallops and prawns, next came the Kobe beef and garlic chips, the vegetables, the salad, and finally the miso. In what seems to to be a Japanese Teppanyaki tradition, dessert was served in a separate room, looking out over Rokko Island and the bay.

Traditional Japanese Teppanyaki isn't the flash affair that Western style Teppanyaki has become; don't expect the chef to flick food at you, or, to juggle knives. However, do expect some delightfully prepared dishes with an equal emphasis on preparation and taste.

Built in 1589, totally destroyed in the 1945 A-Bomb blast and rebuilt in 1958, as far as having that "History Oozing From The Walls" feeling this is the poor cousin of Japans castles, however Hiroshima Castle still has plenty to offer.

Hiroshima Castle was built by Mori Terumoto in 1589 at the delta of the Otagawa River. He entered the castle in 1591 to govern 9 provinces that today comprise Hiroshima, Shimane, Yamaguchi, and parts of Tottori and Okayama prefectures. Following the abolition of feudal domains and the establishment of prefectures in 1871, the castle gradually came to serve more as a military facility.

During the Edo period Hiroshima Castle occupied an extensive area, over 1km across, and was surrounded by 3 moats in addition to the Otagawa River which formed a natural moat. However, between the Meiji and Showa periods the outer and middle moats were gradually filled in. Most of the original castle grounds are now occupied by office blocks and schools, and the actual castle grounds now measure about 300m across.

What the Castle lacks in age, it more than makes up for with the quality of its displays, which present as much about ancient Hiroshima as it does on the life and times of those who lived in the castle. In this respect it is possibly the best of castles we have visited in Japan.

The Castle has four floors of displays and an observation deck. The floors are laid out as follows;

1st Floor; Ancient Hiroshima, Castle History, Life in the Castle, Castle Defence & the path from fiefs to Prefectures.

2nd Floor; Growth of Hiroshima as a Castle town, the difference between the life of a Samurai versus that of the towns folk, Industry and Transportation of the area, Festivals - their meaning & purpose, Education & Culture.

3rd Floor; displays of weapons and armour, including a range of Swords dating back to the 18th century.

4th Floor; a range of displays depicting Hiroshima's history and culture.

5th Floor; Observation deck.

There are a few interesting things to see in the castle grounds as you are making your way to castle itself:

As you enter through the "Niromaru" (second Compound) and before you cross the bridge you will notice a eucalyptus tree on the left—this tree actually survived the 1945 A-Bomb blast. It is not alone however, there is another as you cross the bridge: a willow like tree on the right, and a third in the centre of the main compound.

The ruins of Imperial General Headquarters from when the Castle was a Military post in the 1890s, are close to the steps leading up to the castle entrance.

Stone blocks impressed with the family seal of the person who built the wall can be found with some effort.

The Hiroshima Castle is a 20 minute walk N.E. from the Peace Museum and at only ¥360 for adults and ¥180 for Kids its worth a visit.

Five crucial elements are involved in brewing sake; water, rice, yeast, technical skill, and land/weather. More than anything else, sake is a result of a brewing process that uses rice and lots of water. In fact, water comprises as much as 80% of the final product, so fine water and fine rice are natural prerequisites if one hopes to brew great sake.

Lying between Uozaki Station (Rokko Liner) and Nada Station (JR Tokaido Line) is the so-called 'Sakagura-no-michi', or Sake Brewery Street, here dozens of sake breweries stand side by side. There are three reasons for the development of sake brewing in the 18th century that made the name of Nada known throughout Japan. One was the discovery of 'miya-mizu', excellent quality water for making sake; two, the production of rice of high quality; and three, a convenient location for transportation by sea.

We took a couple of hours to visit three Hamafukutsuru, Sakuramasamune and Kiku-Masamune, however Hamafukutsuru was closed for the day, and the other two are just museums, so we didn't actually get to see brewing in progress.

Sakuramasamune is a smallish museum, so much so that the shop is almost bigger than the display areas. The centrepiece of the museum is a black and white video showing the sake brewing process in the old days. There are also brewing tools, old advertising material, and old sake bottles and labels. Unfortunately everything is shown in Japanese so it's difficult to get a feel for what's going on.

If you have limited time the Kiku-Masamune Brewing Memorial Museum is the better choice. The Kiku-Masamune Sake Brewing Company has been brewing "mainstream dry taste" sake for 340 years, since the establishment of the brewery in 1659. They now export sake to the U.S.A., Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, and Europe.

This museum was destroyed in the Great Hanshin Earthquake that devastated Kobe several years ago, and reopened in January of 1999. The gate and entrance way have been well restored to their original rustic beauty as have the precious collection of sake brewing tools.

In the first large room is an excellent black and white video from 1934 showing brewing scenes, to vintage music; the narration is all in Japanese, but it is easy enough to follow. The video gives an excellent insight into the large-scale brewing processes of the day, and shows dozens of men mixing moto (yeast starters) or stirring vats.

A small model of a Tarukaisen, the ships that went back and forth between Kobe and Edo, doing nothing but delivering casks of sake, sits near the entrance. There are large brewing implements and small storage vessels, like bottles and tokkuri and red, lacquered "tsuno-daru."

They do run tours, but in Japanese, however when you are finished viewing the collection, there are several sakes to be sampled in the tasting room and an abundance of Sake paraphernalia to purchase.

The Shintô religion is different to most other religions in that instead of a central deity it has a myriad gods which reside in natural phenomena such as trees, mountains, rocks, and waterfalls. It has no moral code, no sacred scriptures, nor particular philosophy.

All Japanese are Shintô by default, but the majority also consider themselves Buddhist. When Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the 6th century, the Buddha was accepted as another of Shintô’s many gods. The two religions have, nevertheless, retained their differences. The most obvious sign of this is in their distinct architectural styles.

The shrine is immediately recognisable from the torii, a gate of two upright poles topped by two cross-pieces, often painted a bright vermilion, which marks the entrance to the sacred enclosure. Other features to look out for are the water troughs near the entrance (the water is for purification—using the ladle, pour a little over your fingers, then into your cupped hand to rinse your mouth) and twisted straw ropes. These ropes also denote the presence of a god, or gods, and you’ll see them tied round a tree or rock or strung across the front of the shrine building. Another rope, this time attached to a bell or gong, hangs from the eaves. After throwing a few coins into the slatted box beneath (¥5 coins are supposed to be luckiest), petitioners wake the gods by giving a sharp pull on the bell-rope. They then bow three times, pray, bow twice more, clap twice and finish off with two final bows.

The Minatogawa Shrine was build by order of the Meiji Emperor in 1868 to enshrine the spirit of the warlord Kusunoki Masanari (1294-1336) who died in battle in 1336. He is revered as a demi-god, having the three virtues of intelligence, justice and courage, and commands a great following even to this day. An annual memorial service running from May 24 to 26 attracts a lot of visitors.

Access:
1 min walk from Kosoku Kobe Sta. on Kobe Fast Line
3 mins walk from Okurayama Sta. on Subway Yamate Line
3 mins walk from Kobe Sta. on JR
Open Hours: 9:30am-4:30pm Closed on Thursday

In the autumn of 1496 a priest from the Jodo-shinshu Buddhist sect built monk's quarters near the site of the present day Castle. These quarters grew into a large temple called Osaka Hongan-ji. In 1580 the temple fell to Nobunaga Oda, a rising war lord. Only 2 years later Nobunaga Oda committed suicide after losing a battle, and in 1583 Hideyoshi Toyotomi took control and began building, with the assistance of some 60,000 labourers, the present day castle on the site of Osaka Honganji.

During the summer war of 1615 the castle was destroyed by fire. Reconstruction started in 1620, was completed in 1629, and 36 years later, in 1665, the castle was once again destroyed thanks to fire caused by a lightning strike. The castle was rebuilt and destroyed several times until 1931 when the main tower was rebuilt with a steel frame reinforced with concrete.

Even though the Castle received heavy bombing during WWII the main tower escaped damage, whereas most of the other castle structures were lost. In 1948 the Castle was protected as a "Historic Site Park", repair work commenced and the main tower was reopened to the public.

The main tower underwent a major renovation in 1997. The outer walls were replastered, ornamental fixtures were added, and the gold leaf was re-applied throughout. The castle has a feeling of being old but new at the same time, which is quite strange.

Compared to Nagoya Castle, Osaka Castle has far bigger grounds, with three moats—two wet and one dry, and several more buildings, 13 in total. However, by far the greatest difference between the two is Osaka castles magnificent Nishinomara Gardens. From the manicured lawns, to the carefully crafted flower beds, to the tree lined paths, these gardens are a must see.

This is even more the case if you time your trip, as we did, to coincide with the blossom festival. During this time the gardens explode into a blanket of pink and purple. The garden boasts over 600 cherry trees along with blooming azaleas. You have to be quick though, the blossoms only last a few weeks. Situated in the garden is the Hoshoan tea house which serves Osaka’s most luxurious tea ceremony.

The garden has a separate entrance from the main castle, and you can't actually get into the castle through the gardens. The only point of access across the inner system of moats is the Sakura-mon Gate, which leads to the inner bailey, or courtyard. This gate is far narrower than the entrance at Nagoya and is lined on both sides by stone walls.

The layout of the castle is similar to Nagoya with seven floors of history about the Castle and the Osaka area. The eighth floor is a shop and viewing platform. No Japanese castle is complete without the gold gilded dragon fish, and Osaka castle has a total of eight.

Continued from Osaka Castle: Part A

Of special note are the grand gates and turrets along the outer moat. The steep walls that rise close to 30m high are made from huge blocks of stone that were transported to Osaka from quarries over 100km away. At the entrance to the Main Tower on the left is famous "marker gun," a cannon from the Tokugawa era that was fired every day to signal the noon hour.

If you have the time and patience you can search the walls for the family 'seal' engraved into some of the stones. This is the mark of the family who laid that particular section of the wall. If you visit the displays within the castle first there are examples of what and where to look. It is a nice way to spend a couple of hours and really gives you a connection with the history of the castle.

The museum is laid out across six floors, with the top floor being an observation deck and shop. The suggested route is to start at the top and work your way down. This is because the museum is laid out in reverse chronological order, i.e. the oldest displays are at he top. However this route requires a fair level of fitness, so we spent a few minutes enjoying the marvellous view from the observation deck wishing we'd taken the holiday route (one floor at a time starting from the bottom) instead.

1st floor; Theatre Room, Information, Museum Shop

2nd floor; Osaka Castle history (after the Tokugcswa Regime), Replica Dragon Fish, Replica Roof Tiles

3rd & 4th floors; Hidegoshi Toyotomi and his era (including models of the castle during this period), a full scale model of The Golden Tea Room (this is the tea room built by Hidegoshi Toyotomi).

5th Floor; Scenes from the ''Summer war of Osaka" folding Screen. This includes a miniature battle scene between the forces of Yukimura Sanada and Tadanao Matudaira.

6th Floor; the life of Hideyoshi Toyotomi, including his life story depicted in a miniature diorama. Around the walls are a number of monitors displaying holographic images of the Shogun at key points in his life. The narratives lead up to the two fateful sieges, the winter siege of 1614 and the summer siege of 1615, that led to the downfall of the Toyotomi family and the rise of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

The Castle is open from 9:00am to 5:00pm and costs ¥600 for adults and is free for children under 16. You can use the JR Osaka loop line getting off at Morinomiya Station (slightly longer walk), or, Tenmabash Station on the Tanimachi Subway line from Umeda Station.

I've been to Disneyland Anaheim and whilst each of the themed lands in Tokyo Disney are the same as Anaheim, the overall park was cleaner and better maintained, the staff were helpful (even with the language barrier), the food was of a higher quality, and the queue system is much better. Admittedly, I was in Anaheim in 1999 and they may now have this, but the Fast Pass system in Tokyo Disney (and DisneySea) is excellent. It allows you—for no extra cost—to book your time to go on the rides. Some of the rides, such as Space Mountain and The Pirates of the Caribbean didn't even have a line.

World Bazaar
This is the first land you come to as it is immediately inside the main gates. There are no rides in World Bazaar, just shops and restaurants. However you do get a great view castle.

Adventureland

The Pirates of the Caribbean is a water ride, where you won't get wet, but where you will see the some real pirates who sing "Dead Men Tell No Tales" in Japanese...clever pirates.

Jungle Cruise; venture deep into the mysterious, danger filled jungles.

Western River Railroad; climb aboard a real steam train for a trip around the wilderness.

Swiss Family Treehouse; an actual tree house based on the Swiss Family movie.

Westernland
The old American frontier. There are several interesting things to do here;

The Mark Twain Riverboat; enjoy a leisurely trip around Westernland aboard this old style paddle river boat.

Big Thunder Mountain; venture onto this roller coaster themed as a mine train, for an action packed ride.

Westernland Shootin' Gallery; buy 10 shots for 200yen and see what sort of sharp shooter you are.

Tom Sawyer Island Raft; in the centre of the lagoon is Tom Sawyer Island. The only way to get to the island is via a log raft.

Critter Country

Splash Mountain; the water ride where you do get wet.

Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes; paddle around the lagoon dodging riverboats and other river traffic. Don't expect a leisurely cruise down the river, you actually have to paddle the canoes.

Fantasyland

Castle Carousel; ride 1 of 90 hand painted horses.

It's A Small World - listening to the song "It's a Small World" being sung in Japanese is an experience in itself!

Toontown
Home to Mickey and all the gang, this is one zany town where anything can happen.

Roger Rabbits Car Toon Spin; Steer and spin a cartoon cab for a wild chase through the back alleys of Toontown.

Minnie's House - Mickey's House and Meet Mickey; Explore Mickey's home and Movie Barn, then visit with Mickey in person on the set of one of his films.

Getting There: from Tokyo station take the Keiyo Line (Red) to Miahama station. From here you can walk to Disneyland or take the Disney Train, from the nearby station, to DisneySea.

How Much: Adults Day Passport ¥5,500 , 2 Day Passport ¥9,800.

For more, visit my website: www.shanecurrie.id.au

Opened in 2001 Universal Studios Japan (USJ) is almost a direct copy of the Hollywood version, right down to the 'City Walk' and 'Hard Rock Cafe', but without the Backlot, however it is highly popular with the locals and with good reason.

Universal Studios Cinema 4-D; Sesame Street 4-D Movie Magic.

4D extends the standard 3D movie magic by adding the 4th dimension of touch to the experience. Through the clever use of mist sprayers, seat movement, and jets of air, the action on the screen literally hits you in the face.

This is the same technology as Universal Studios Hollywoods Shrek 4D; which they also have here. The soundtrack is in Japanese and there are no subtitles or English sessions. However, this doesn't detract from the overall experience, it just makes it hard to follow the story.

I think what was happening was the cast of Sesame Street were trying to agree on a movie they could make;

Cookie Monster thought an invasion by aliens who fly giant cookies. Of course he saves the world by eating the space ships.

Elmo looks like he regressed to the 1960s to sing & dance while riding a rainbow.

Chef and chicken stage a musical with the finale seeing chicken blasting out of a trombone with a bungee rope attached to his foot.

Bert & Ernie look to be into travelling, as they ride a camel in desert, then scuba dive on a colourful reef.

Of course I could be totally wrong here but that's what it looked like.

ET Adventure
Ride with ET on a bicycle through the forest evading police before travelling through space to ET's Planet to help save it. Almost identical to the Hollywood version, right down to the passport, but in Japanese.

Jurassic Park
Climb aboard your river boat and make your way through the Park passing numerous dinosaurs going about their daily business. Just as you are getting comfortable you tumble over the waterfall for a big splash down!

Getting There: Access to the park is incredibly easy via the train system—from Osaka Station take the JR Yumesaki line from Platform 1 to Sakurajima and get off at the Universal City station. The Train is easy to find, it's painted in the Universal Studio Livery.

How Much:
Adults: ¥5,500 for 1 Day, ¥9,800 for 2 Days, Child: ¥3,700 for 1 Day, ¥6,700 for 2 Days