Kobe Diaries: Coffee, Awaji and Akashi

Nothing too thrilling here – just a few photos from the last couple of days of rambling around Hyogo.  First off is a smattering of shots from the UCC Coffee Museum (and one profoundly disturbing one from Aeon South Mall), including the very first canned coffee ever produced.  Now it’s available from jihanki on mountaintops and in temples and shrines all over Japan.  Also, this is the second beverage museum I’ve visited in Japan (the Ebisu Brewing one in Tokyo was the first) that’s played up the Evangelion connection.

The next group is from the ferry ride and visit to Awaji Island, long a quiet and isolated place but now one of the few rural areas in Japan that’a growing in population, thanks to the construction of the Akashi Bridge (longest central span of any suspension bridge in the world).  Much of my time on Awaji was spend and Matsuho no Sato onsen (so again, no pictures) which has an amazing view back to Kobe and the bridge from its rotemburo.  Afterwards a quick stop in Akashi itself, which has a very pleasant park (from which I snapped this when laid out flat after a little late hanami action) with the remains of its castle – all that’s left are two turrets, almost wholly intact, but they sure are impressive from the train…

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7 comments

  1. J

    For lack of any better place to put it for the moment (feel free to delete/move if you see fit) – Rest In Peace Isao Takahata.

    One of the very best.

  2. Sad, sad news. A non-animator making himself one of the foremost animation directors of all-time is truly remarkable.

  3. R

    Yes, very sad news. RIP Isao Takahata.

  4. Did you visit Awaji Yumebutai? It’s quite an amazing piece of constructed landscape, done by the great architect Tadao Ando. I hope to be able to see it one day!

  5. Not this trip, but I’m close by – I’m sure I will at some point.

  6. S

    Hello Enzo! I’ll be spending the better part of a week in Kobe, so I’m taking the time to go through all your Kobe posts in more detail (thanks for these!)

    If there’s anything cool going on in the area (Cool = Nature, Festivals, Culture, Jazz… & Anime) around 24th June -1st of July that you know of, then don’t be afraid to let a brother know! I’ve been looking around, but internet only takes me this far. For example, I’m pretty sad I’ll be missing this monthly tunnel concert: http://minatogawa-zuido.com/about/

  7. Welcome. I’ve found this site to be a pretty good resource:

    https://kansaifinder.com/events/

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