Kobe - a second look

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2023_Blog 23_Japan



April 12 Port of Call: Kobe, Japan – Weather: Overcast with rain in the morning – clear & sunny in afternoon – Wind: 18 mph.



Kobe, our second stop for this cruise and once again we were unable to secure a shore excursion, so we opted to do some exploring of the harbor area on our own. After the rain eased off in the afternoon, we ventured out to find the Kobe Maritime Museum. Google Maps provided us with walking directions and off we went for a thirty-minute hike.

The museum and the adjoining Meriken Park dedicated to earthquake victims are located on a spit of land that was reclaimed after the 1995 earthquake. Part of the memorial includes a section of the former seawall showing the level of damage inflicted by the earthquake. The plaza area of the park is large enough to accommodate large public performances. Throughout the park and the adjoining area multiple pieces of public art are on display.

The museum reopened in 2020 under the theme of “the journey of Kobe and its port”. The museum is dedicated to illustrating the development of the Port of Kobe over the past 150 years and its role in the commercial enterprises of Japan, past, present and future.

One wing of the museum was given over to the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Group, which started in Kobe 120 years ago, to highlight their contributions to the technologies that they have created for land activities, in the air and at sea.

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