Viking Gems of China and Japan Day 24 – Highlights of Kobe
We docked this morning in Kobe, Japan. The original itinerary had us docking in Osaka, but for what Viking called "operational reasons", the port was changed to Kobe. No matter, the two ports are just a few miles apart, and all excursions that were originally scheduled for Osaka were available from Kobe. For us, it was a win because we visited Osaka the last time we cruised through this area. You can read about our Osaka adventures here.
Kobe is a bustling city of 1.5 million residents. It is a major port for both commercial and cruise traffic. We took Viking's included tour, Kobe Highlights, that took us to a Shinto shrine in the middle of town, and a scenic overlook nearly 3,000 feet above the city.
First up was the Ikuta-jinja Shrine. Ikuta- Jinja Shrine is an anomaly. It sits right at the heart of Kobe, and in contrast to the hustle and bustle of the big city, it brings a small area of peace and tranquility to a busy world. Founded in the 3rd century by Empress Jingu, the shrine is dedicated to the Goddess Wakahirume-no-Mikoto, who is the spirit of the sun goddess Amaterasu-Omikami and is a guardian of health.
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| Within the overall shrine setting, many small shrines can be found |
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| I can't explain what my phone did to the sky here, but it didn't look like that - this gives you an idea of how the city surrounds this place |
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| The main shrine |
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| A small, formal ceremony was underway with photographers and children in traditional wear |
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| The elaborate entry gate to the main shrine area |
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| Wishing walls, where you write your wish on a board and hang it |
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| This one was specifically for love and matchmaking |
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| A monument blessing cooking knives - seriously |
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| There was a large forested area as well, complete with more monuments |
After we toured the shrine, we boarded the bus and took a roughly 40-minute ride up Mt. Rokko to the Rokko Garden Terrace, 2,887 feet above the city.
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| Look to the left, and you see Osaka |
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| Look to the right, and you see Kobe - look farther right, and you could have seen our ship if the hill wasn't in the way |
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| It was in the 60s in the city - it was in the mid-40s on top of the mountain |
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| Kobe Beef chips in the gift shop |
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| Colors were just starting - I imagine this place will be breathtaking in a couple of weeks |
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| At the very top, they had a stylized observation tower - we didn't have time to go up there |
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| One thing we've noted is that the Japanese love boxy vehicles - they're everywhere |
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| And it's not just one model - all the car companies have them - boxes on wheels |
We made the 40-minute ride back to the ship and grabbed lunch. After lunch, we took the provided shuttle into Kobe and the Chinatown area.
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| What could be more ironic than leaving China to visit Japan so we could visit a Chinatown? |
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| Arlona's favorite vending machine |
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| It was busy, and it was Tuesday afternoon - we can't imagine what a weekend must be like |
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| Selling items in small, plastic capsules is a thing here |
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| This entire store was filled with capsule vending machines |
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| There were tons of food vendors lining the streets |
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| One of the nicest sewer covers we've seen |
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| There was also a huge, covered shopping street |
After wandering around the shopping area, we decided to make the 2.1km walk back to the ship rather than take the shuttle. Here are some of the sights we saw along the way.
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| A crazy intersection with around ten crosswalks in all directions |
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| A sign marking an old foreign settlement area within Kobe that ends at Higashi Yuenchi Park |
We walked through Higashi Yuenchi Park, checking out all the art placed throughout the park.
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| A random Mozart statue |
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| Tomorrow's Handprint |
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| The wall was made of tiles with handprints of children |
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| Marina by Yuki Shintani |
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| Dedicated to the Aegean Sea |
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| Zion by Yasutake Funakoshi |
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| Space Eye by Minami Tada |
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| Rojinhongoshin |
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| Flower Clock |
We exited the park and found our way back to the ship. On the way, I saw this art installation.
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| Silhouetted Cranes Against Tobacco Sky - artist unknown |
Tonight, we booked dinner at Manfredi's, the Italian restaurant on all Viking ocean-going ships. Once again, we enjoyed a fantastic meal with wonderful service. The only complaint was the view. We had a table near the window and enjoyed a lovely view of the cruise terminal building, as the ship was docked on that side. In the grand scheme of things, if that's the big complaint, it was a pretty good day.
We popped up to deck #8 to check out the city lights. Of course, the view would be better without the cruise terminal, but it was what it was, and it was still pretty.
We will be here in Kobe until somewhere around 2:00 tomorrow afternoon, when we sail for Shimizu. Tomorrow will likely be a laundry morning as we prep for the end of the cruise and our extension to Mongolia.
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