Mt. Rokkō is one of the best places to overlook Kobe‘s cityscape, and the best place to do so is from the Rokkō Garden Terrace (六甲ガーデンテラス). It is a European-style observatory complex with different facilities surrounded by beautiful gardens to take a leisurely stroll in. The attraction is stylishly designed and has a couple of observation decks.
Table of Contents
- About Rokkō Garden Terrace
- Miharashi no Tō (見晴らしの塔)
- Rokkō Shidare Observatory (自然体感展望台 六甲枝垂れ)
- Rokkō Garden Terrace’s Opening Hours and Access Information
About Rokkō Garden Terrace
Smartly utilizing the terrain, the restaurants and cafes offering delicious French or Swiss menus here are on the observatory deck. Amongst all the eateries, Granite Café (グラニットカフェ) is the most popular amongst visitors. Located just in front of one of the observatories – Miharashi no Tō (見晴らしの塔), you will get a spectacular view similar to the view from the observatory. Customers also praise their creative menus (albeit there is no vegetarian light meal option).
Apart from Granite Café, each restaurant has its distinctive features. Depending on how hungry you are and what cuisines you crave, your favorite restaurant of the day can change!
After enjoying some nice food and scenery at the restaurants, don’t forget to drop by the shops for some local specialties to make your families and friends who didn’t get to come with you happy when you get back home (^_-)-☆.
Miharashi no Tō (見晴らしの塔)
If you are looking for the observatory, Miharashi no Tō, find that 11-meter-tall European turret on one side of the terrace. Because of its unusual style, you might not be aware of its functionality if you weren’t told in advance (´▽｀*).
But now you are reading our article, remember to climb up to the top for the magnificent view in the photo on the right after you had a selfie with the tower!
And after you come down to the ground, head down to Miharashi no Terrace (見晴らしのテラス) to see for yourself if there are any differences between the view at the top and the view from the terrace (^_-)-☆.
The cottage garden under the Miharashi no Tō is filled with seasonal flowers. From mid-July to mid-August, you will see “Annabel”, a type of hydrangea blooming in the hot summer.
Rokkō Shidare Observatory (自然体感展望台 六甲枝垂れ)
The most striking thing on the terrace is probably the Rokkō Shidare Observatory, located at the highest point of Mt. Rokkō. The observatory itself was designed by architect Sanbuichi Hiroshi (三分一 博志) and features a dome-shaped frame that covers the entire architecture.
With the concept of the big tree standing on Mt. Rokkō, Hinoki cypress from Yoshino, Nara Prefecture, is used for the frame, walls, and floor of the observatory, that the scent of cypress drifts inside.
During the day, sunlight shines through the frame, creating a very fantastic space if you enter the “tree’s trunk”!
Around Rokkō Shidare Observatory, the French chrysanthemum will fully bloom from late May to early June.
At night, the entire observatory is lit with different LED lighting colors to describe the season. In spring, it is purple for the blooming flowers, blue to match the moon and fireflies butt light in summer, orange for the sunset in autumn, and silver for the white snow.
Rokkō Garden Terrace’s Opening Hours and Access Information
- Rokkō Garden Terrace is open from 9:30 am to 9 pm (business hours slightly differ between the shops and restaurants).
- The last admission is at 8:30 pm.
- The admission fee to Rokkō Shidare Observatory (自然体感展望台 六甲枝垂れ) is
- 1,000 yen for adults
- 500 yen for children from 4 years old to elementary school students
- From Rokkō Cable Line’s Rokkō Sanjō Station (六甲山上駅), take Rokkō Sanjō Bus (六甲山上バス) and get off at Rokkō Garden Terrace (六甲ガーデンテラス).
- From Rokkō Arima Ropeway’s Sanchō Station (山頂駅), it is less than a 5-minute walk away.
Discover Other Attractions in Mt. Rokkō and Mt. Maya
Rokkōsan Pasture is just one of the many awesome attractions in Mt. Maya. To find out where else you can visit during your time on the mountain, check out our article about Mt. Rokkō and Mt. Maya for more information (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ!
