If you want an excellent bird’s-eye view of Kobe, then a trip at this port tower will solve your quest for panoramic city view.
One of the best landmark you should visit when you are in Kobe is the soaring 108-m high Kobe Port Tower. It is one of the highest peak around Kobe where you can have a stunning view of the Kobe port as well as the nearby mountainous parts of Kobe.
Kobe Port Tower offers a 360-degree expansive city scene, with the nice feel of the sea breeze and the azure sky. Most of the visitors though prefer to go there at night to admire the glittering city light scene and night sky mode. During day tour, you can take a boat for a tour and in the night, you can enjoy dinner at sumptuous rotating restaurants nearby. There are souvenir shops, café shops and amusement facilities in the revolving café that rotates every 20 minutes or so.
GRAND CITY VIEW
From its observation platform, you can actually have access to four grand views around Kobe. North view offers a scenic view of the Kobe port and a stretching view of Mt. Rokko, while to the South you can see the Ferris wheel that adds a joyous mood to the already hyped features around. Furthermore, the East view offers the waterfront view, Meriken Park as well as the Kobe Port Terminal in the mere sight. In the West view, you can see the amazing transition of the city and the harbor – the Naka-pier and the cathedral of the Notre Dame Kobe.
GRAND TOWER STRUCTURE
Through the years, Kobe Port Tower has become more than just an industrial port. Many people appreciates the great architecture of Kobe Port Tower. It was the very first building to feature a unique pipe structure that seemed to resemble an elongated Japanese drum. As a matter of fact, the Architectural Institute of Japan awarded Kobe Port Tower in 1963.
Another magnificent feature of this tower during night is the 7,000 LEDs (light-emitting diodes) that sparks amazingly around the observation deck. Adding to the lovely night scene are the variety illumination creations at Harborland Mosaic and Meriken Park.
INSIDE KOBE PORT TOWER
Kobe Port Tower offers panoramic grandeur with its 5 observation floors. When you visit the observation deck, buy an admission ticket on the first floor. The first-floor observation deck includes a section of tempered glass that turns transparent to give a spectacular view down the ground. The second-floor observation deck also has a restaurant and a souvenir shop as well as the third floor. These observatory decks lets you enjoy grand Kobe view with your favorite sip. The fourth-floor is also a good place to buy souvenirs like mugs, cellphone straps, ref magnets, and any other Kobe-themed mementos. Moreover, the entire fifth-floor serves as observatory deck.
ACCESS
You can visit Kobe Port Tower by train or car.
If you use a train, the nearest stations are Motomachi station of the JR Kobe Line, Motomachi station of the Hanshin Electric Railway, Kosokuhanakuma station of the Sanyo Electric Railway, and Minatomotomachi station of the Kobe Municipal Subway Kaigan Line.
If you drive, it takes roughly five minutes from the Kyobashi exit, roughly 10 minutes from the Yanagihara exit of the Hanshin Expressway. You can park your car at the Meriken Park parking lot or the Meriken Park South No.1 parking lot. The parking fee costs 200 yen per 30 minutes.
ADMISSION/TICKETS
For admission and ticket prices details, you can check Kobe Port Tower’s official page.