Kobe Port, Kitano Street, Arima Onsen and Mount Rokko Night View
10:30 Meeting point: Osaka Nipponbashi Exit 2 (Namba Shinsaibashi area).
12:00 Kobe: Kobe Port (Mosaic Ferris Wheel) (about 2.5 hours).
Kobe Port is an important industrial and commercial port in Japan. Since the Meiji era, it has been an area full of exotic customs. The buildings in the port area are famous for their modern design and lighting effects. Among them, the Kobe Port Tower, Maritime Museum, and Mosaic Ferris Wheel are the iconic architectural landscapes of Kobe Port. It is enjoyable to feel the sea breeze on the seaside promenade, stroll around, and spend a leisurely afternoon.
Mosaic Ferris Wheel is one of the landmarks of Kobe Minato. This bright red Ferris wheel remained as a landmark of Kobe after the amusement park closed in 2013 and has since been managed and operated by the surrounding shopping malls. It is also a great place to enjoy the night view of Kobe, and a night ride is especially romantic.
Admission tickets are self-pay: 800 yen per ride, and children under three years old are free. Opening time: 10:00-22:00.
Recommended food and beverages: Kobe beef.
14:30 Kobe: Kitano Standard Price Street (about 1 hour).
A large number of Western-style buildings were built in Kobe during the Meiji and Taisho periods, and they are currently well preserved in the Kitano generation in Chuo Ward. Walk up the mountain along Kitano-dori Street or Standard Price-dori Street, and you will see many small Western-style buildings in front of you. Some have been transformed into museums or art galleries, while others maintain their original layout and are open to the public. Boutiques, coffee shops, small restaurants, and flower shops are dotted between the Western-style houses.
Starbucks Kitano Standard Price concept store: the first Starbucks in Japan. In 2009, Starbucks transformed this building into the historic Kobe Kitano Standard Price Store.
Kazami Chicken Restaurant is a symbol of the Kitano Standard Price area and is listed as an important cultural property of Japan.
Menghuang Restaurant: Moehokan was the private residence of Hunter Sharp, the U.S. Consul General in Kobe during the Meiji era. It has been designated an important cultural property.
Fish Scale House: the first Standard Price to open in Kobe was so called because the natural stone slabs covering the exterior walls looked very much like fish scales. It has been designated as a national tangible cultural property.
16:30 Kobe: Arima Hot Spring (about 1.5 hours).
Arima Onsen is one of Japan's three oldest hot spring towns, and its history can be traced back thousands of years. The hot spring streets are lined with ancient hotels, souvenir shops, and temples. Strolling through the charming streets of Arima and experiencing its long and rich Japanese history makes you feel as though you have arrived in a paradise.
18:00 Night view of Mount Rokko (about 1.5 hours).
Mount Rokko is located near Kobe and is designated as part of the Seto Inland Sea National Park. After reaching the top of the mountain, you can overlook Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto. It is known as one of Japan's three major night-view spots.
Rokko cable car: one-way adults 600 yen, children 300 yen; round-trip adults 1100 yen, children 550 yen.
Rokko Mountain Observation Deck: the observation deck stands at 737.5 meters above sea level. It is one of Japan's three major night-view spots.
Return at 19:30.
20:30 Arrive in Osaka.
