For all the farm animal lovers, you will have a lot of fun at Rokkōsan Pasture (神戸市立 六甲山牧場) meeting their sheep, goats, horses, rabbits, and even guinea pigs! Especially the sheep, although they graze on grassland, they are used to human beings around them. So unlike some sheep in other pastures that will start escaping from you when there is still a long distance between you and them, some sheep at Rokkōsan Pasture will run towards you suddenly (≧▽≦).
Although in Japanese only, you can refer to the pasture’s map HERE.
Important: Accordingly to the Japanese legislation to prevent infectious diseases in animals. Please refrain from entering Rokko Pasture if you have been in Japan for less than 7 days. Note that even if you have satisfied this condition, clothes, shoes, and accessories that have been worn overseas in the past 4 months cannot be worn in the pasture.
Tip: There are coin lockers at the north entrance if needed.
Small: W 41.5cm x D 4.25 cm x H 3.20 cm costing 100 yen
Medium: W 41.5cm x D 4.25 cm x H 5.40 cm costing 200 yen
If your belonging can’t fit into the medium locker, you can check it in at the north ticket gate for 200 yen
Meeting the Animals at Rokkōsan Pasture
- Sheep’s grazing hours: 9:30 am to 3:30 pm daily except on rainy days (please don’t feed them).
- Meeting the goats: 9:30 am to 4:30 pm daily except on rainy days.
- Feeding is possible between 9:30 am to 3 pm.
- Feeds can be purchased at 200 yen per pack.
- Sheep dog show at sheepdog showground (シープドッグショー会場) in the south area.
- 1 pm to 1:20 pm on weekends and public holidays.
- Feeding the calf with milk: at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm in front of the dairy cow barn (乳牛舎前).
- The cost is 300 yen.
- Rabbit-feeding at the Usabi Square (ウサギ広場) in the south area.
- The session is held at 1:25 pm on weekdays.
- The feed costs 100 yen.
- Horse-feeding at the Stable (馬舎) in the north area.
- The session is held at 11 am and 2:45 pm on weekends.
- The feed costs 300 yen.
Horse riding is also available, but you won’t be allowed to wander off freely and it has to be led by staff.
Rokkōsan Pasture’s Restaurant and Cheese Factory
The one thing that you have to try is the soft-serve ice cream because this locally-made ice cream is just divine! Made from freshly squeezed milk from the milk cow of the pasture with creamy Camembert cheese added, it just can’t get any fresher and tastier!
For lunch, drop by the restaurant Sheep Bell (シープベル). Although limited, they have menus that don’t contain meat or seafood. You can refer to their menu HERE.
If you still have doubts or are wondering if they can replace the meat/seafood in a certain dish with vegetables or tofu/mushroom, utilize the phrases in our Essential Japanese Travel Phrases for Vegetarians and Vegans article to check with the staff when you get there (=ﾟωﾟ)ﾉ.
If you love cheese, Restaurant Kobe Cheese (レストラン 神戸チーズ) has many cheese fondue menu (but all include meat/seafood items as part of the set menu, unfortunately)…
Make Your Butter and Dairy Products
At B1 of Makiba Yume Kōbō’s (まきば夢工房) Taiken kyōshitsu (体験教室), you get to make a range of dairy products such as ice cream and butter (note some aren’t from scratch). Each dairy-making experience takes around 20 to 30 minutes, costing from 1,000 yen to 1,500 yen per person.
If interested, drop by between 10 am and 4 pm and apply!
Note most of the experiences require two people to participate. Apart from cheese making that requires participants to be middle school students and above, the rest require participants to be in the fourth grade in elementary school and above.
Craft Products Making with Wool
Besides dairy products, you can make your craft with the wool from the farm’s sheep! The activity takes around 30 – 40 minutes and costs from 1,000 yen, depending on which craft you choose to make.
The venue is Cheese House’s (チーズ館, Chīzu-kan) ground-level’s Exhibition Hall (展示ホール). However, it is only available on weekends and public holidays between 10:45 am and 3 pm.
Rokkōsan Pasture’s Opening Hours, Admission Fees, and Access Information
- Rokkōsan Pasture is open from 9 am to 5 pm except for Tuesdays
- The last admission is at 4:30 pm.
- The admission fees are
- 600 yen for adults from March to November
- 400 yen for adults from December to February
- 200 yen for elementary and junior high school students
- From Rokkō Cable Line’s Rokkō Cable Sanjō Station (六甲ケーブル山上駅) or from Maya Ropeway Sanjō Station (摩耶ロープウェー山上駅), take Rokkō Maya Sky Shuttle Bus (六甲摩耶スカイシャトルバス) and get off at Rokkōzan Bokujō (六甲山牧場).
- Refer to our Mt. Rokkō article for the mountain’s access information.
Tip: For those who plan to drive, keep your receipt after paying for parking. With the receipt, you should be able to park at the other car parks in the pasture.
Discover Other Attractions in Mt. Rokkō 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!
