Sorakuen Garden Kobe

 

As far as I can tell, Kobe only really has one Japanese garden of note, the Sorakuen.

Constructed during the end of the 19th century and the begining of the 20th, it was originally the mansion and garden of a wealthy businessman, Kodera, but was given to the city.in 1941.

The mansion and its buildings were all destroyed in a bombing raid in 1945, except the brick stable building which was built in 1907.

In 1963 the Former Hassan House was moved here from its original site in the  Kitano area.

Designed by Alexander Hansell, who also designed several other Western style residences in the Kitano district, it was built in 1902.

Unfortunately, it is rarely open to the public. The gas lamps in front are among the oldest in Japan.

Another structure moved into the garden is the Funaykata, the two-storey superstructure of a river barge built at the end of the 17th century and used for parties by the Himeji lord.

The hull has long since been lost, but it is registered as an Important Cultural Property.

The garden covers almost 20,000 sq meters and is primarily a pond-stroll type garden.

One of the best times to visit is in late April and early May when the azaleas are in bloom.

An unusual feature is the grove of cycads, not palms, but looking very similar.  There is also a huge camphor tree that has been here since long before the mansion and garden were constructed.

There is a modern reconstruction of a traditional teahouse, and looking out over the garden is a large, modern wedding and banquet facility called the Sorakuen which features a pricey  restaurant and cafe

The previous post in this series on my walk along the Kinki Fudo Myo Pilgrimage was on Nishinomiya Ebisu Shrine.

Kobe Earthquake Museum

The Kobe Earthquake Museum is the short version of The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Museum which is part of the Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institute.

It is near the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art along the waterfront in Kobe.

It was designed by Showa Sekkei, who also designed the nearby Fashion Museum and opened in 2002.

Supposedly the unusual double-skinned glass structure is built to withstand an earthquake of any magnitude..

Ando's Spiral Staircase revisited

One of the features of Tadao Ando's Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art is the exterior spiral staircase.

I posted some other photos of it previously here

Spiral staircases are extremely easy to take good photos of...... its in their nature....

But I was also fortunate to catch it with some strong light and shadows....

Other posts on the museum here and here

Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art part 2

The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art in Kobe is usually pictured from the sea front, but the entrance is at the back of ther building on the road and while it is less dramatic it is also interesting.

Photos of thye front can be found here

It was designed by tadao Ando and opened in 2002.

The museums collection is of modern art, both japanese and foreign, with special emphasis on sculpture and prints.

Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art revisited

The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art sits on the waterfront in Kobe and was constructed in 2002 as part of the cities post-earthquake revitalization.

Earlier I posted on one of the features of the architecture, the spiral staircase

The museum primarily consists of 3 glass structures each with an overhanging roof. The 3 structures are set on a base of white granite with steps that lead down to the waterfront.

The museum was designed by Tadao Ando and has more than a passing resemblance to his Fort Worth Museum he built a little later.

Sun Hiroba

Sun Hiroba is the name of the atrium-like space in the middle of the Kobe Fashion Plaza complex.

It's 50 meters across and rises to a height of 40 meters.

The Kobe fashion Plaza was designed by Showa Sekkei and opened in 1997.

It is located on Rokko Island, the largest man-made island off Kobe.

Kobe fashion Plaza

The futuristic-looking Kobe Fashion Plaza is located on Rokko Island, a man-made island connected to Kobe in Hyogo

The complex houses  the Kobe fashion Museum, Kobe Artists Museum, Orbis Hall (an auditorium), a shopping Mall, Atrium, and a hotel.

It opened in 1997 and was designed by Show Sekkei.

It is next to the Island Center station of the Rokkoliner.

Some views of Kobe in yellow

A series of 4 manhole covers from the city of Kobe.

Located an a narrow strip of land between the sea and the mountains.

The top left design shows the Kobe Port Tower and the Maritime Museum, both of which I have bloogged about previously. The top-right design shows the port of Kobe.

The view from Meriken Park

More views of the tower, one oｆ the ropewaｙｓ up Rokko Mountain, the bridge to Rokko Island, and various other sights I have no idea what...