Put Japan’s most stunning night view at your feet—An “aerial glass house” just a 10-minute ride away
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▲Night view of the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden. (Photo / from the official website of the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden)
Reported and photographed by reporter Tsai Wen-Jun / Japan
If you want to see Kobe’s night view, ranked among Japan’s top three, many people make a special trip to Mount Maya or Mount Rokko. But in fact, the “Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden,” located right in the city, lets you take in the entire panoramic view of Kobe from an elevated vantage point in just about 10 minutes via cable car. Step into the dreamy glass houses and the German-European style buildings, and you can also enjoy the soothing scents of over 75,000 fragrant herbs and flowers—it’s truly Kobe locals’ hidden aerial backyard garden.
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▲You can also enjoy autumn foliage when taking the cable car in the fall.
The Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden is just a 5-minute walk from JR Shin-Kobe Station. Riding the cable car from the foot of the mountain up to the mountaintop, you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped into a European town as soon as you exit the station. The summit’s observation and rest center features German-style architecture and offers a variety of facilities including souvenir shops, a museum, and restaurants. From the observation deck in front of the rest center, you can overlook Kobe and even see Kobe’s artificial island. On New Year’s Day, the garden opens earlier to allow visitors to greet the first sunrise of the year.
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▲From here, you can overlook the urban scenery of Kobe.
This is also Japan’s largest-scale herb garden, featuring 14 garden zones with a wide variety of flowers and herbs planted according to different themes, totaling up to 75,000 species. For example, there is a rose garden in one corner of the observation and rest center. When the roses are in full bloom, walking along the flower path fills the air with rich floral fragrance. By cultivating various plants, the Kobe Nunobiki Garden allows visitors to enjoy blooming flowers all year round. The herbs are also processed into diverse daily necessities such as heat packs, diffusers, and essential oils.
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The glass house near the mid-station of the cable car, known as “Fukiageyama,” is also a must-visit spot in the garden. Visitors can soak their feet in an herbal foot bath while overlooking Kobe, or try DIY experiences with small herbal items. In just about 15 minutes, you can create your own handmade sachet or heat pack to take home. You can also enjoy the local favorite soufflé pancakes and hamburgers here, as well as select your preferred herbal tea, sit in the glass house, and enjoy your meal while taking in the views of Kobe.
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▲Observation deck outside the glass house.
▲Outdoor herbal foot bath. (Photo / from the official website of the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden)
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▲The glass house also offers DIY experiences.
Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden
Address: 1-4-3 Kitano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe City
Cable car fare (includes entrance to the herb garden): Adults 1,400 yen, elementary and junior high school students 700 yen, preschool children free
Business hours: Vary by season, please check the official websitehttp://www.japan-ryokan.net/kobeherb/test/zh-TW/index1.html
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