Having returned to Nagoya by late morning, we had five or six hours to kill before meeting Alistair and Maiko-chan, so Adam suggested we shoot down to Kobe for a couple of hours. He thought the earthquake memorial and the cable car to the Kobe herb gardens would be worth the trip. There were some good bars too, but we wouldn't have time for that. On the plus side travel was free, and it was a great excuse to take another Shinkansen. So off we went.

Go figure that the Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum is nowhere near the Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park. Naturally one appeared to be marked on the map and the other was not, so it didn’t occur to us that there was a choice until we got there and discovered that naturally it was not what we were looking for. Better still, the one that was marked had apparently never heard of the other.

It was a long, hot, exposed, walk along a boring main drag as we made our way towards what we hoped and assumed was the only other place the latter could be. At least we got that right. Adam had been there before, so we knew it actually existed, and it was worth the perseverance.

What we came to see was this piece of quayside, preserved exactly the way the earthquake left it on the morning of Tuesday, January 17, 1995. I must have seem images somewhere somehow, because the real thing was exactly as I pictured it.

I later discovered that the nearby museum would, despite its unassuming "Port of Kobe Museum" title have actually been worth exploring. That's what lack of planning does for you.

But lack of time was an issue too, so after a desperate detour to by far the worst latrine in the country it was time to get going.

The long walk between the two earthquake attractions took a toll, both in the amount of time we had, and our enthusiasm for walking in the heat. So after a couple of blocks we found a cab stand and hailed some transport. Best $10 we spent all day. It was a ten minute drive, all uphill of course, and I didn't see anything I'd have liked to stop and look at the whole way.

Nunobiki Herb Gardens

The Nunobiki Herb Gardens are Japan’s largest herb gardens with about 75,000 herbs and flowers, but let’s be frank: its biggest draw is its location, high up on the steep hills behind Kobe, making its cable car the most practical way to access it. It’s even part of the full name: “Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens and Ropeway.” Two thirds of the way up is the midway station, and the generally accepted sport is to ride straight through to the top, then walk down the gardens which extend as far back as the midway station (what a coincidence) and ride the rest of the way back from there. There’s actually a footpath winding all the way down to the bottom which looked almost more interesting than the herbs, but that will have to wait for another visit. Once at the top, as advertised the view was amazing, right across Kobe to the coast line, and to the huge freight terminals, and the airport which stretch out into the bay. The only thing missing from the view is Pearl Bridge, the current record holder for longest central span in the world, which is a little too far to the south. As with all things Japan, the top station was neat and well-organized, but the number of closed stalls and kiosks gave it a somewhat forlorn feeling, like a theme park in the winter. Never mind that it was still hot, and we were certainly not alone. The gift shop provided some attractive-looking rose-based herbal teas, and naturally we had to try the basil and the echinacea ice-creams. Both the packages and their contents were surprisingly unsurprising, so we didn’t bother to record them.

We set off down the hill. It was more formal than I’m used to, but no less pleasant for that, and the designers made imaginative use of the steep slope to display things at waist height and down terraces. In the end, 75,000 plants doesn’t actually cover a great deal of ground, and we soon reached the bottom where the final attraction was a glass house with a small but charming tropical display and another great view from its terrace. For a couple of dollars there was even a foot spa, but this seemed to be something only the ladies indulged in, so Adam and I resisted the urge to make them move over.

We hung around for a few minutes snapping the view, then it was time to take the cable car back down. I traced the path that wound its way back and forth under the cable car and passed several interesting spots such as the foot of a waterfall with a good long drop on it. Definitely an option next time we visit. It was then a short walk from the bottom station back to the station, and hence back to Nagoya. A brief but memorable excursion, and a more-or-less free one.