Mount Rokko

Discover

About Mount Rokko

Mount Rokko is the highest point of the Rokko Range, the green backdrop of Kobe, at 931 meters. The range separates the coastal city from the Arima valley on the other side. In the late 19th century, foreign merchants from Kobe built summer houses on the heights, and one of them, the British Arthur Groom, opened Japan’s first golf course there in 1903.

The most used route is the Rokko Cable funicular, which climbs the slope from Rokko Cable-shita Station, connected to the center by bus. From the top, shuttle buses run to the viewpoints and attractions along the ridge, such as Rokko Garden Terrace, with restaurants and terraces facing the bay, and Rokko Shidare, a wooden-structured observatory designed by architect Hiroshi Sambuichi.

From the viewpoints you can see the coasts of Kobe and Osaka, the bay, Awaji Island and, on clear days, Kansai Airport. At night, the lights along the coast create one of Japan’s best-known night views, even more expansive from the neighboring Mount Maya at the Kikuseidai lookout.

The mountain also hosts the Mount Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden, with high-altitude plants, a small farm with sheep and trails that descend to Arima Onsen or to central Kobe. A ropeway usually links the mountain top to Arima Onsen. At the summit the temperature is a few degrees lower than in the city.