A closing to our trip, we took bus to Mt. Maya and go back to Rokko by gondola and cable car. But before we ride the gondola, we spend time enjoying the view of Kobe city from top of Maya Mountain.
In here, we can see Kobe Meriken Park, Port Tower, Port Island, Rokko Island, and maybe new manmade island on going making.
すてきです！
Rokko country house 六甲カンシリーハウス is the one destination with free activities with all age participants. Area contain medium fishing pond, rose garden area, chair lift escalator, big field for playing games, some kids swimming area, and pond for swan water cycling.
We come to Rokko Country House by using chair lift escalator from Rokko Shidare. Fantastic and nervous experience. The one I enjoyed so much in here is Rose Garden and Big field.
Pink rose Theme
Yellow rose Theme
Light peach rose Theme
Peach rose Theme (my favourite color)
2. Fishing ground
3. Green Leaf Cafe
We stop by for some icecream and gingis khan burger, and randomly buy badminton racket set.
4. Playing Field
Because we saw a couple playing badminton earlier, both of us kinda interested to have fun in this playground. First we buy badminton racket set. After playing for about 45 minutes, Satofumi ask to buy catchball set. So that’s it, we spend an hour and half for badminton and catchball before we go home.
Here is the view of the playground. So many families make tent here. 涼しい場所ですね～
Rokko shidare observatory 六甲枝垂れ was Hiroshi Sambuichi art-architecture-installation-project on the summit of Rokko mountain. This observatory features a remarkable tree-like architectural design. When it is night, this observatory expressing lights the four season in Mt. Rokko by LED.
When I saw first time, I thought this is just installation for viewing Rokko San beautiful view. Later, I realized that this dome also has room other surprising room. In detail, this is section diagram of Rokko Shidare Observatory.
this diagram is not mine, reference to link: https://www.arup.com/projects/rokko-shidare-observatory
Inside the structural dome
On this project, Sambuichi got his inspiration from water in its many forms.
Mount Rokko is indeed known for its cold temperatures during winter, and the building is a dome made of empty hexagonal frames meant to attract frost during winter. Actually, the building looks like it is covered with frosted leaves.
This beautiful architecture encourages visitors to see nature differently.
Hey Satofumi, are you interested to come here again in winter? hehehe
We had lunch in Rokko Garden Terrace 六甲ガーデンテラス。
They had beautiful souvenir shops and terrace view restaurant which gave astounding Kobe city view.
Lucky me, in this summer, Rokko Garden Terrace has Peter Rabbit Fair. So almost everywhere in Garden Terrace area contains peter rabbit accessories.
We choose Granito Cafe and have lunch menu roast beef peter rabbit special. Almost every dishes has small peter rabbit accent (on the carrot, daikon and cookies).
After waiting almost 40 minutes, our name called. I don’t know why but we lucky enough to get outdoor seat. The family before us get indoor seat, though.
Welcome to Kobe City View
Soup & Salad with carrot peter rabbit – kun
Roast beef
Kobe Beef Kare Rice
Desert – orange milk and matcha pudding
Full satisfaction happy faces
Shopping Store
The Garden Terrace Tower, located in front of the restaurant.
Second destination in this rokko trip is Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden 六甲高山植物園 .
About 1,500 varieties of alpine and cold-region plants from around the world are cultivated here in near-natural conditions. Enjoy flowers year round, especially in the cherry blossom and autumn foliage seasons. But I’m coming in June which mean green green and green everywhere.
In this season we can enjoy some of famous flower like :
2. mini/petite hydrangea 小アジサイ
3. Nephentes sp. ウツボカズラ科
4. some alpine flower inside the glass house (edelweiss – エーデルワイス）
5. and some flowers I didn’t know the name but so beautiful with green scenery..
The trip in Rokko Alpine is finished, time to eat. But when we arrived Edelweiss Cafe, almost all lunch menu finished (only cake-set available!) So we decide go to Garden Terrace to have some lunch.
our first stop is rokko international music box museum 六甲オルゴールミュージアム
if you want to visit please check this link Rokko International Musical Box Museum
The entrance looks like we will entering magical fairy village.
Mini Concert
After buying ticket we being asked to go to second floor and watch mini concert of the music box. Quite amusing to listen to various old music boxes.
The concert is like this situation. About 5 machines will be shown at each concert. Not only literal music box, this museum also show automata.
After the concert we can see or play with the machine too.
I take photo in front of one music box which made at my birth year. Glory glory 1991!
I am a bit wonder with that “de kempenaur” machine, it sound so european/dutch name but the woodcraft is super balinese or javanese type. I bet it is coming from dutch and it is some sort indonesia inspired hahaha. Gonna search on wikipedia/google now!
Wo I found..
De Kempenaer itself was dutch politician who live around 1800-something
But the machine is built in 1938 and become the largest mechanical organ in Asia. Reference see link below..
Piano Flower
2nd Floor main decoration is this piano music box.
2F Secret Garden
This museum also surprisingly has indoor garden with a pond!
The garden has pond and we can sit around this pond. Some forest area has mini music-boxes which you can play around. I found about 2 music-boxes, one song is “jupiter” and other is “when you wish upon a star”
Music Box Store
Kawaii music box omiyage.. Next time we will visit this museum again and try to have music box making workshop (we only have short time today – to visit all rokko travel spot 😀 ). But since we bought pass ticket to all rokko area, we can have one more visit for free until November 2017.
It’s been a long time I have wanted to go to the Oji Zoo because it is near campus, and this week my friend said, she can visit it with our cultural pass ID and it will be a free pass to enter the zoo. After my boyfriend finished class, I *a bit* forced him to join this zoo tour ahehehe!
Well later I found my cultural pass is cannot be a free pass, but I don’t care I still want to go inside this zoo lol.
In the entrance we were welcome by flamingos, like hundred, hundred of flamingos!! and so we choose some area to go..
Like this Koala House!
Koala house also makes me terrified as I once touch koala when I was in Sydney. But yes, they were sleeping all day long, not so interesting.
To be honest, this is the most cutest attraction or animal at this time, red panda! or tanuki -in japanese- very very かわいい！！！
We stood so long in front of their area just to capture this panda, but they were so active motion, gosh cutie panda keep running and rolling, my camera and my heart die!
At bird area which so empty because this season in Hyogo and Osaka norovirus become red level. Be careful with bird guys.. So I will just post our photos, okay?! hehehe..
Petting area with bunnies and marmots. We are so lucky that we can pet at the last chance though with other children and couples.
Visiting zoo at winter season is a bit boring because animal is sleeping. Well Oji zoo is near so we absolutely will visit again at another season.
Now let’s sleep with open eyes like this alligator, lol.
See you again Oji Zoo!
It’s weekend. Want to go somewhere but not so far. One of colleague recommended me to go here.
It is a carpentry tool museum by Takenaka Corp. Well, I kinda excited because this is company where I was working last year. And, my final task for university is wood carpentry museum too. So I feel curious about it.
Let’s go!
Very traditional style (but also modern though!) entrance.
There is a zen garden and we can see the museum building from the entrance gate. Peaceful atmosphere.
We can buy the museum ticket in this lobby, around 500 yen per person. And you can take photos inside. The museum journey start by walking down stairs to B1. So it is going down down down.
In this floor we can learn about basic and oldest carpentry tool in Japan.
Small tools..
And very big tools!
The sleek black wooden ceiling contrasted with wooden display, make it more standing.
A wood joint detail in Japan traditional building. It is very precise!
Carpentry tool is not just coming from Japan, but around the world, in this photo, this is coming from German.
After that we go to downstair in B2. I could say that B2 floor is more interactive room. There is workshop area, PC and library area, and bigger display like types of tree or real house mock up with tatami inside!
I try to carve the wood!
See! They have so many types of wood that we can carve.
And each wood has different smell. Very good experience.
This is workshop with glass wall, and we can wait outside in library and pc area.
Sunlight coming through the glass wall.
I’m amazed with this wooden partition. Such great detail right?!
And I try to go inside the traditional house.
The trip is finished, we go back to upstairs.
There is public audio visual room as last room.
And we can see the Takenaka san old house. Quiet and peaceful area.
In conclusion, this museum is so calm and full of delightful wooden works. Good place to visit before afternoon tea!
Well, I visited Kobe University.
Kobe city is complete scenery city, it has mountain and also has sea. This campus seriously has very beautiful view to Kobe city because located in Rokko mountain.
And then we decided to have lunch in a very well recommended restaurant by my boyfriend. Restaurant name is Kotafuku, located near Fukae Area.
crazy delicious. can you see that, so om nom nom moment.
with the master nori-chan.
I cannot forget this taste. Giga delicious. I became fans of this restaurant instantly.
y t n e v c o 