Fun things to do in Hyogo-ken

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Kobe is the capital of Hyogo-ken and is one of Japan's major port along with the ports of Yokohama,Osalka, Nagoya, Hakata and Tokyo.

Kobe is also the home of world famous Kobe-beef.

Wedged in between the coast and the mountains (Rokko Mountain), the city of Kobe is long and narrow. The landmark of the port area is the red steel Port Tower.
A giant ferris wheel sits in nearby Harbor Land, a notable touristpromenado, and offers spectacular views of the surroundings including the bay area, especially at night.
Two artificial islands, Port Island and Rokko Island, have been constructed to give the city room to expand.

Away from the seaside at the heart of Kobe lie the Motomachi and Kokashita arcades as well as Kobe's Chinatown Nankinmachi, all well-known retail areas.
A multitude of train lines cross the city from east to west.
The main transport hub is Sannomiya Station, with the eponymous Kobe Station located towards the west and the Shinkansen Shin-Kobe Station to the north. Nankinmachi is Kobe's Chinatown , and is particularly lively at night.

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In the Genbudo Park, the regular columnar joint which consists of basalt made when the magma which blew off on the ground got cold and solidified by volcanic activity on the surface of the earth a long time ago also of about 1,600,000 can be seen, and it is specified also as the natural treasure of the country.

Many Tajima hydrangeas are planted in the park and it is famous as a famous place of a hydrangea.
The middle of June is the best time to see of the flower of a hydrangea.

Mt. Rokko overlooks Kobe with an elevation of 931 metres: during the autumn season, it is famous for the rich change in colours of its forests. Mt. Rokko is also the site of Japan's first golf course, established by the Englishman Arthur Groom in 1903.

Hanshin Koshien Ball Park, one of the biggest ball-park in Japan, is home-ground of HANSHIN Tigers which is japanese famous baseball team.
You can see 53000 exited people who is cheering Tigers and their favorite player.

In the bottom of 7th inning, which we call 'Lucy seven', all the people who cheers Tigers stands up, dancing with balloons in thier hands, and release the balloons simultaneously into the air!

It is difficult to get a ticket. Ticketting stores in Umeda at Osaka sell the tickets. Internet Auctions are the easiest way to get the ticket if you understand the japanese character.