This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.
The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/wardXn on 2024-04-26 15:39:20.
- This is a continuation post from Part 1 here (Day 0~9, Shikoku~Hiroshima) and Part 2 here (Day 10~18, Hiroshima~Shimane~Tottori/Misasa Onsen~Kinosaki Onsen)
- Refer to link for a map covering Day 19~23 here and Day 24 here.
- This post covers between Kobe (Day 19) to Osaka with multiple day trips out (Day 24).
- This trip occurred during Mid-November to Mid-December (autumn season).
Day 19 – Kobe, Maiko Promenade, Akashi-Kaikyo Exhibition Centre/Bridge (Hyogo)
Made an early rainy start from Kinosaki Onsen towards Kobe via the limited express Hamakaze. As it was a very early departure (~0712), the owner kindly prepared my breakfast in a bento setbox which I was appreciative of, so that I can have my breakfast on the train. The ride down to Kobe took ~2.5 hours which was pretty long, though by starting the day much earlier, I maximize the amount of productive time I have for the remainder of the day. After dropping my luggage at the hotel, I made my way backwards to Maiko to visit the Akashi-Kaikyo Exhibition Centre which details the construction process in making the longest suspension bridge in the world [until recently]. Engineering folks would be interested in the details of maintaining such a bridge. Just beside the exhibition centre, the Maiko Promenade provides access a small section of the suspension bridge lower deck– it is really windy (and noisy with traffic rumbling above you) there!
The main item for the day was to join the Bridge World exhibit tour, which consist of a safety briefing, a site walk along the suspension bridge maintenance deck and taking a lift up to the bridge pylon i.e. the tallest point of the bridge. The entire tour costed 5k yen and took about 2 hours. Although the tour is entirely in Japanese (it is chaired by their own engineers), there is an English audio guide provided for you to explain certain aspects. My own opinion is that while the audio guide covers the main aspects, the extra tidbits/trivia mentioned by the engineers are not included (so its an added bonus if you have some Japanese listening comprehension). Also, you will need to be able to climb up some stairs so if you are unable to, you’ll have to give this a hard pass. The exhibit tour runs between April to end-November so you’re out of luck if you come during winter [I asked one of the staff why there was no session planned between December and March, and his response was that it was “too cold” to conduct said tour].
After the tour, I took a highway bus back to Sannomiya/Kobe. Incidentally, it was dinner time and a friend suggested that I try out Kobe beef since I’m already there. Although most steak establishments there require a prior booking ahead of time, I managed to find one named Mouriya that accepted walk-ins. In a word, it was delicious– a pain to the wallet at 12k yen no doubt, but its worth trying out at least once for the experience.
After dinner, I walked around the area on the way back to the hotel. To the hotel in question for the night, the La Suite KOBE which had a direct view of Kobe Harbor. One thing I have noticed while planning this entire trip is that there are very few 5 star hotels in Japan, and when I saw this and the offer price, I just decided to go with it just for the experience. After staying here for a night, I now understand what it takes to be considered as one, from getting a personal room tour by the hotel staff to extravagant room sizes to bottled ‘designer’ mineral water to jacuzzis. I must disclaim however, by saying that 3-stars hotels in Japan are typically very good for the value proposition. A great place to crash the night, if you have the money to splurge.
Day 20 – Kobe Maritime Museum, Himeji Castle/Koko-en (Hyogo), Minoh Falls (Osaka)
Breakfast at this hotel is done differently from other hotels – instead of a buffet spread, the hotel staff wheels a table directly to your room and you get to eat it in solitary peace – that certainly was a first for me. Before checking out, I made a stop at the nearby Kobe Harbour to visit the [maritime museum](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOmqEb6bYO2zohNCAbWMIJy50PsQjYk37i_CNTrjiWUHIeGk7SmqLbnjHGi...
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