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The mountains surrounding Kobe look stunning in their autumnal colors

Kobe Tourism Bureau

It is easy to enjoy the spectacular displays of autumn leaves in the mountains near the port city of Kobe. The Rokko mountain range, laying to the northeast of the city, is rich in nature and is the location of the Kobe Municipal Arboretum. This 142-hectare botanical garden is famous for its more than 50,000 hydrangea plants, but it is also great to visit during autumn when its 3,000 trees, including metasequoia (dawn redwoods) and Japanese maples, are at their most spectacular. The colorful autumn leaves reflected in the Hase Pond at the center of the arboretum are also breathtakingly beautiful.

Riding the cable car that connects the top of Mt. Rokko where the popular local hot spring resort Arima Onsen is located also provides wonderful views of the autumn colors spreading across the mountains. At the highest point to the east of Arima Onsen is Zuihoji Park - where the maple trees can be viewed at their colorful best. To avoid the daytime crowds, and spend more time sightseeing, relaxing and enjoying the autumn scenery, it’s recommended to spend a night at Arima Onsen.

How to get there

It takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to reach the top of Mt. Rokko via train, bus and cable car.

Take the bus from Kansai International Airport (KIX) for about 1 hour to JR Sannomiya Station, then take the train, bus and cable car for about 1 hour to reach the top of Mt. Rokko.

1-32 Ichigatani Rokkosan-cho Nada-ku Kobe-shi, Hyogo-ken

Links

Feel Kobe

More Information

Kansai Region | JNTO Official Website

Hyogo Prefecture | JNTO Official Website