We look forward to exploring Kobe. In 1995, Kobe was decimated due to an earthquake which was considered the strongest, deadliest and most costly to ever strike Japan. Considering Japan’s history of frequent earthquakes this is significant. It registered 7.0 on Richter scale and within 20 seconds the damage was done. It’s estimated that there was a death toll of 6400 people, 240,000 damaged homes, 400,000 buildings destroyed, numerous road and rail bridges, over 400 fires, etc. What we have seen today in Kobe is an impressive rebuild with the new combined with old where possible. We saw modern high rises built into the remnants of older destroyed buildings. The result is a very attractive rebuild of a bustling dynamic city. We arrived in Kobe absolutely done in. A combination of jet lag and 3 hours of assembling our trikes in heat and humidity, plus a 40 km ride reminded us that we aren’t “spring chickens” anymore. Suffice it to say, we arrived at our hotel, enjoyed the blissful feeling of air conditioning and called it a day.
We went for a ride the next day to explore Kobe, and what a lovely city it is.
A design element of the hotel is stained glass throughout. These panels are on the exterior windows of the dining room. I (Mary Ellen) used to do stained glass and staying here has inspired me to get back into it.
An example of new a building designed to resemble the architecture of a building destroyed in the earthquake. The devastation in Kobe was surprising as the buildings were built to code. As you can imagine, that earthquake has changed the building code in Japan.
Barry and I love visiting bike shops and outdoor stores. This is an exceptional bike shop with an impressive range of bikes, including Pinarello from Italy, Bianchi, Colnago, folding models like Brompton and Dahon…..and many more. Everything you can imagine in terms of clothing, bike accessories were available. Barry left behind a phone mount and he found what he needed.
Daimaru and Hankyu are two of the incredible department store in Japan that we love to visit. They are usually about 10stories high and offer a unique glimpse into life in Japan. We particularly enjoy the floors showcasing the beautiful glassware and handmade items. Imagine stands in front of a wall of exquisite hand made Japanese knives..somehow Japan has been successful in keeping these department stores a viable business, unlike at home where this style of store is struggling to survive.
Luxury fruit is special gift that is very popular. How about a1600¥ apple for someone special.
Small cafes are tucked into the food floor and are always good. Today we are trying Soup Stock Tokyo.Barry’s choice is apple juice, pumpkin and minestrone soups with a bowl of sesame rice.
Whether or not you enjoy shopping, stores like this give you an insight into Japanese customs and lifestyle. It brings back memories of when we were young and department stores like Eaton’s, Simpson’s and the Bay were still in their hey-day.
In Japan, cycling is a big thing and most people ride in cities and towns. We see moms riding their momma chariots that hold 2 or 3 children, business men dressed in their suits and large groups of kids riding home from school. There are many parking facilities for bikes and if you try to park on an area where it is not allowed, you will be fined. Note the pink paper on the handlebar….that is a fine.
These dogs are being trained to be service dogs. They have set up on the street to increase awareness and raise funds. Liked the Halloween costume on this lab. We happily stopped to visit with the lab and leave a donation to their cause.
We love that in Japan, there are amenity bars in the hotel lobby that provide everything you will need…toothbrushes, haircare, coffee and tea, plus different types of pillows.
