Andalucia Shares her Kobe Adventures!

KCP’s Fall 2022-Spring 2023 student Andalucia shares her adventures in Kobe, Japan. Thank you, Andalucia!

Kobe was the first solo outing I had in Japan. I had traveled around Osaka and Kyoto with friends, but decided on a whim to visit Kobe for a day by myself before heading back to Tokyo. The great part about Japan’s transportation is that it makes it completely possible (+ easy) to travel wherever and whenever you want.

The real reason for wanting to go to Kobe was for this goshuin. My friend and I had started collecting them recently, and after seeing these papercut ones on Instagram, I decided on a whim to find them (and check Kobe out, of course.)

Another goshuin from the same shrine, Ikuta Jinja. Goshuin are paper seals from temples and shrines, that are kept in a book called a Goshuin-cho. Some shrines and temples make seasonal and holiday ones, making it a fun thing to collect!

My first stop after the shrine was Nunobiki Herb Garden. Since it’s on the nearby mountain, Mount Rokko, you have to take a ropeway to reach it. The view of the city was gorgeous!

Nunobiki Herb Garden had many winding walkways and beautiful views. I had fun wandering around there for a few hours.

Another walkway from the Herb Garden!

Afterwards, I wandered around Kitano Ijinkan-gai, a historic district of Kobe where many foreign merchants used to live. It was very cool to see the contrast with the architecture.

Lastly, I walked to the harbor to see the view. It reminded me so much of my hometown, Seattle!

Another picture by the harbor. Even though it was cold at the time, it was lively nonetheless! Someday I would love to go back to Kobe and spend more time here.