Hyogo– category –

I took the train from Sannomiya to visit Akashi Castle, where I picked up a stamp for Japan’s 100 Famous Castles and explored its spacious grounds.

I stayed at Kobe Minato Onsen Ren, a relatively new waterfront hotel in Kobe, and spent my time enjoying its spacious room, pools, hot spring baths, and buffet meals with a night view over the harbor.

Near Shin-Kobe Station, I stopped by the Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum, a compact but fascinating place filled with traditional carpentry tools, wooden construction techniques, and joinery models that felt like three-dimensional puzzles.

After arriving in Kobe, I headed to Sannomiya and made my first stop SAVOY, a curry shop in the basement of Center Plaza. Its narrow counter-only space and spicy European-style curry made a memorable start to the trip.

After leaving the museum, I returned to central Kobe and spent some time walking around Sannomiya, from the newly rebuilt Kobe Sannomiya Hankyu Building to Ikuta Shrine and Kitano Kobo no Machi, before heading to my hotel.

After taking the Hanshin Main Line to Iwaya Station, I walked toward the sea to the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art. From the giant frog outside to the concrete staircases, decks, gallery spaces, and neighboring Nagisa Park, the visit felt like stepping fully into Tadao Ando’s architectural world.

After crossing from Awaji Island by highway bus, I stopped at the Maiko Marine Promenade and the Bridge Exhibition Center, where I could step inside the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge itself and explore detailed exhibits about how it was built and illuminated.

From Maiko Station, I headed to the Tadanori Yokoo Museum of Contemporary Art near Nada Station, where powerful works by Yokoo fill a building that once housed the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Modern Art.

Back in Osaka after Hyogo, I ended the trip at Kohaku in the LUCUA Osaka basement, a popular place for French-style oden and easygoing drinks.

I came to Awaji Island mainly to see Honpukuji Mizumido, one of Tadao Ando’s signature works. I walked there from Awaji Yumebutai, and it took about 40 minutes, but the approach made the encounter with this unusual temple even more memorable.

I stayed at The Westin Awaji Island, which made it easy to sightsee without worrying about the time. The room was bright and spacious, and both dinner and breakfast were buffet meals at the hotel.

I stayed at Awaji Yumebutai on Awaji Island and spent the afternoon wandering through its enormous complex of Tadao Ando-designed spaces, from the Sea Chapel and open-air forums to the Hyakudan-en gardens and the site’s dreamlike nighttime scenery.

After arriving in Himeji at 2 p.m., I skipped eating on the Shinkansen so I could head straight to Yamayoshi for a local specialty: anago. I ordered the Yamayoshi Set, which let me enjoy both anago rice and grilled eel in one meal.

On a pre-business-trip overnight stay, I headed out into Himeji for dinner at Jigoro Kohiro, where I tried Himeji oden and himepon before taking a short nighttime walk near the station.

I walked from my hotel to Himeji Castle, only to be reminded just how vast the grounds are. After making my way inside to the main keep, a sudden heavy rainstorm turned the visit into a dark, drenched escape back to the hotel.

I stayed at Daiwa Roynet Hotel Himeji before a business trip and was surprised by how spacious the room felt, with two beds, a sofa area, and a separate bathroom. The room was supposedly a Himeji Castle view room—though actually seeing the castle took a little imagination.

The day after USJ, I headed into Kobe’s hillside Kitano area to see its Western-style houses, eventually making my way up to Uroko House, the district’s most famous residence.

After a day spent in storybook-like settings, I wrapped up the trip with my first taste of Akashiyaki in Kobe. The shop served only one thing, and the piping hot dish was simple and delicious.

I chose Hotel Monterey Kobe, a short walk from Sannomiya Station, and stepping in from the bustle of the city felt like entering a quiet old castle. Its beautiful courtyard, calm lobby, chapel, and classic elevator details made the hotel memorable both at night and again in the morning.