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A Side of Kobe You Didn’t Know 2: An Artistic Walk Through Rokko Meets Art

Mount Rokko is widely known as a Kobe sightseeing spot that’s rich in nature. Every autumn, Mount Rokko is also home to the modern art event “Rokko Meets Art.” This year the coronavirus has had a huge influence, but “Rokko Meets Art” 2020 is being held safely. I made the trip to the event as one of our Kobe Study Abroad members, and today I’d like to share with everyone about this perfect autumn activity!



Rokko Meets Art is a modern art exhibition event that displays the works of many different artists all around the peak of Mount Rokko. The exhibition space is quite large, so it’s better to get a map, so as not to miss seeing any of the pieces, and so as not to get lost!

I’m not especially knowledgeable about modern art, but even for someone like me, there were many pieces that were charming or fascinating.



From the cute, to the strange, to the shocking, there was a great variety of different types of art on display, and I strongly recommend the event!




There were also several locations in which to eat. I had a delicious meal at the “Mount Rokko View Palace,” that looks out over some of Rokko’s stunning scenery!



This year, the event will be held until November 23rd (Monday, a national holiday). Why not head out to Mount Rokko to enjoy an artistic autumn? To make sure you can really get your fill both nature and art, it’s a good idea to set up a plan for the day!

→Recommended day plan information https://www.rokkosan.com/art2020/course01 ←

Finally, I’d like to explain how to get to the top of Mount Rokko, where the event is held. To get to the top of the mountain, first take a bus to Rokko Cable-shita Station from either JR Rokko-michi Station, Hankyu Rokko Station, or Hanshin Mikage Station. From there, it’s ten minutes to Rokko Sanjo Station via cable car, for 600 yen one way. You don’t need a reservation, so it’s easy to get to the top!

→Information on how to get to the top of Mount Rokko https://www.rokkosan.com/top/access/?lang=en ←


Buses run from Rokko Sanjo at the top, but depending on the distance you’ll travel, the fee can be between 170-260 yen. There is also a 1,370 yen “Rokko Area Leisure Ticket” that includes the Rokko Cable (both ways) and the Rokko Sanjo bus (ride as much as you want) as a set, so you can save some money when you ride. These tickets are on sale at Rokko Cable-shita Station, so please be sure to use them!
An even better deal is the Art Appreciation Passport. An entrance fee is requried for 6 of the Rokko Meets Art exhibition areas, and entering all of them would cost 3,960 yen, but with the Art Appreciation Passport, you can enter all of the areas for 2,500 yen (*), so this ticket is quite a steal.

→Information on the Art Appreciation Passport https://www.rokkosan.com/art2020/ticket ←

(*) The price of the Art Appreciation Passport may differ when purchased online versus around the city. For details, please see the URL above.
 

Mount Rokko is also an extremely photogenic location. When you upload your photos to social media, be sure to use the hashtags, #kobestudyabroad and #rokkomeetsart2020!

Let’s tell everyone about Kobe! 🙂





Kobe City’s September issue of “Kobe PR Magazine” also includes information on Rokko Meets Art 2020, so be sure to check it out!

・Kobe PR Magazine September Issue, 8 pages, “A day of sightseeing in Kobe: Rokko Meets Art 2020, Kobe Harbor Cruising” (PDF) https://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/documents/36712/2009kobe08.pdf

・Kobe PR Magazine Overview Page (Kobe City Website)
https://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/a57337/shise/koho/kouhoushi/index.html

→See here for the Rokko Meets Art Official Website: https://www.rokkosan.com/art2020/