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.
This is first time trip to Kyoto, and our first destination is Fushimi Inari Taisha 伏見稲荷大社.
This gate is so famous, even when I was kids I already seen this remarkable orange gates in on movie, Memoirs of Geisha. The moment Chiyo-chan run through the thousands gate to pray so she can meet again to the kind man who buy her sweets.
Today is some sort of holiday and so many visitors are coming. It is impossible to take photo without anybody else.
Hundred (-thousand ?) Temples
Don’t ask me what temples is this or that. But at least so many people coming to take photo and pray.
Me waiting in line to pray, as so many people standing, I decided to take selfie ahehehe..
The Famous Orange Gate Series
What the gate looks like from outside
Gotta be creative to take photo without other visitors. Below photo is best attempt!
Nope, I gave up… This is what you will encounter for real in Fushimi Inari.
Halfway UP
Rest Area before hiking for the highest temple in Mount Inari
HIKING AND HIKING
HIKING AND HIKING
HIKING AND HIKING
HIKING AND HIKING
HIKING AND HIKING
HIKING AND HIKING
HIKING AND HIKING
(about 40 min going up)
HIKING AND HIKING
HIKING AND HIKING
HIKING AND HIKING
and we arrived to the top of temple.. and pray.. and going down..
It is the end of winter but still cold. We took off jacket ’cause it is so hot for hiking up the mountain.
Going Down the hill
Visitors that going up is not that much. Suddenly so silent and clean from crowd.
Plum Cherry Tree
This is not sakura, but I am just too excited to see something sakura-like. Hwaa cannot wait for the real sakura.
Kyoto Station Lunch
Bye Kyoto, will visit you next time. I still have so many to-do-list here ;D
We went to Osaka Aquarium today !!
This aquarium is older and had bigger tank than Nifrel. Yah from the facade, it looks pretty old hehe.
When we go inside, we will go to upstairs first and the floor spiral to down. Most of the tanks is so deep (about 4-5 floor if we walk in spiral floor).
What amaze me was the big tank contain 2-3 shark whales, my first time to see this creatures. So majestic swimmer.
I guess that is what make this aquarium interesting. Other than that, almost all animals same with other aquarium hehe.
Himeji Castle located in Himeji, about 1 hour trip by train from Ashiya.
Himeji Castle (姫路城, Himejijō), also known as White Heron Castle (Shirasagijo) due to its elegant, white appearance, is widely considered Japan’s most spectacular castle for its imposing size and beauty and its well preserved, complex castle grounds. The castle is both a national treasure and a world heritage site. Unlike many other Japanese castles, it was never destroyed by war, earthquake or fire and survives to this day as one of the country’s 12 original castles in Japan. The castle recently underwent extensive renovation over several years and was fully re-opened to the public in March 2015.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3501.html
Entrance of Himeji Castle
Longwalk to go inside Himeji Castle
Himeji castle entrance is hidden in labyrinth-small path-stair style and it is so far from the ticket gate, so prepare yourself with good shoes because it will save you a lot of tiredness (imagine walking hundred stone steps with pretty heel shoes). And we have the chance to enter inside castle too, (basically in Japan naked feet is inappropriate) so don’t forget use socks to make society don’t stare at you with embarrassment look.
Windows Shape Defense
The wall with triangle-square-circle window shape useful for the soldiers to aim bullets/arrows for outsider, but harder for outsider to aim inside.
Multilingual Brochures and VR-based Education System
Himeji Castle prepares a lot of brochures not only in main languange (english-japanese-chinese-korean) but portuguese, germany, even Bahasa Indonesia also available. In my hand is brochures in Indonesia language, Istana Himeji. To understand some features in Himeji castle without tourguide, visitors can download AR Himeji App (in google play store) and can use our phone as self tourguide. When our phone tap to the barcodes in certain area, it will explain some description even play documentary videos.
Inside the Himeji Castle
The castle has 6 floor (and 1 basement floor). Visitors can visit until top floor and see Himeji city view from the window.
We even can see JR Himeji Station clearly in one line with Himeji Castle.
After finished the tour inside Himeji Castle, we can take photo in the himeji castle ground. The closest we can take for outdoor photo.
This is the best photo of me and himeji castle 😀
We visit a faraway town in Osaka area this weekend, Hirakata-shi. The 1st reason is to see new finished project of my bf, and 2nd reason I want to see the famous T-site building with that fantastic book shelves area. I was once or twice saw it from architecture magazine but did not remember the building name. When I saw the photos on my bf camera, ah I know this building and I want to go to see!!!
Hirakata T-site annex I
A glimpse from the station.
It’s a 2-story building that planned to be a melting pot for manga fans (maybe? I am not sure too)
The entrance is strong black color.
First floor is family mart and some other store. I like naked ceiling concept but I think this naked ceiling is not that good. I think best formula for naked ceiling is to paint all black first so it will exposed the ducting/pipe very well. Well at least it should be same textures/colors as the base.
But as the human eyes is not covering ceiling level, I think this matter is not so important for the customers. The customers still say “waahh, this place is so industrial style feeling!”. Conclusion, it still good taste. I appreciate the designer that he/she was so brave chose this design type.
let’s go to second floor!
This Tsutaya bookstore is specialized on manga section, they have some game area too.
This is the best view on my personal opinion. I like the strong black brace use as element of interior. It looks tough and elegant at the same time.
Hirakata T-site
A glimpse from the station.
Amazing facade!
Once I saw the photos in magazine but the editor took photo at day time, and I feel the facade is too complicated. But night time is different feeling, I like how the lighting can make a different shadow for each window type.
Please enjoy every single angle of my favorite area in t-site area.
This is so awesome and I can’t stop taking photos.
So that’s it!
We end up our trip with sipping our sakura coffee edition in starbucks.
bye bye t-site
will always happy to come here again 🙂
y t n e v c o 