Last week on Sunday my wife and I went to the Kitano area of Kobe where we stayed overnight with her parents in a nice hotel and enjoyed a fine meal of Kobe steak. There is nothing like Kobe steak. It practically melts in your mouth and the service during the meal was superb. In the morning we had a nice breakfast at the hotel with my wife’s parents and headed out to the NUNOBIKI Herb Park on Mt. Maya which is accessible via the Shin Kobe Ropeway. The entrance to the ropeway is just behind or north of the Crown Plaza Hotel. You can ride round trip on the ropeway or choose to walk down part way through the park and enjoy the beautiful flowers and herbs growing there. We chose to walk down and it was worth it. At this time though it is nearly winter, we were lucky enough to see many blooming fall flowers and bright leaves of the Momiji (Japanese Maple) and other trees which were well on their way to changing colors. It was really beautiful.
So if you go to Kobe, besides visiting the KITANO IJINKAN and other historical sights also consider checking out NUNOBIKI Herb Park. They also have a concert hall there and have concerts throughout the year. Again this experience reinforced my feeling that it is truly great to live and teach English in Japan!
Al-
You have such a great family, i’m just curious who paid for the Kobe beef? Thanks for the Kobe travel tips- i’ll check out the spots you recommend next time i go to Hyogo.
Edward, SSE Ohtsu
Hi Edward,
Well, I lucked out this time. But actually you can find some good places to eat a good steak in Kobe without breaking the bank. I am not sure if it is “Kobe Beef”. Hey, you still haven’t visited Okamoto for Lunch. Guess you are too busy over there in Otsu eh?
Al, SSE Okamoto