Kobe (Osaka), Japan

Kobe is one of Japan’s ten largest cities and has a unique history. In January 1995, Kobe was hit by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake which killed over 5000 people. Tens of thousands of buildings were destroyed in the quake but a short decade later, the city is completely rebuilt and is considered one of Japan’s most attractive cities.

After disembarking the ms Volendam for the last time this trip, we loaded onto motor coaches for the tour of Mt. Rokko and the Hakustsuru Sake Brewery and Museum. Being a guest was quite strange after being the guide for so long, but it felt good to just sit back, relax and listen.

Mt. Rokko sits above the city and we had a spectacular ride as we weaved our way around the curves to reach the summit. The vegetation is lush and green with a few deciduous trees were beginning to turn fall colors. A deck on the front of the restaurant and gift shop gave us a terrific view of Kobe and the port. Behind the buildings were wonderful nature trails and a view of the mountain valley, complete with a lake and golf course. We were told that in order to be a member of the Mt. Rokko Golf Club, you have to pay the equivalent of 10,000 dollars per year…wow.
To make our way down the mountain we were loaded into a cog rail train; it was literally built like the shape of the mountain and that’s the way you board it. The stairs to the train run the length of it and you walk in and sit down with the next row about three feet below you and that seat three feet below it and so on and so on…fascinating. After boarding the motor coach again we make our way to the Sake Brewery.

When we arrive at the Brewery, much to my surprise and pleasure I see the logo on the tower. Their logo is the crane (which I adore of course) and this is one of my favorite sakes, when I can get it, in the US. They pride themselves on making sake the traditional way as their predecessors did since the brewery opened in 1743; although using modern machinery the process remains the same. The rice is washed, steamed, cooled and left to mold (yum). This culturing produces a seed mash that becomes the main mash which is then filtered, skimmed, pasteurized and then stored in large tanks. After aging until Fall, the clear sake is poured into Yoshino cedar barrels and wrapped in straw mats. The finished product is then marked, labeled and prepared for distribution. Just like Coors Brewery in Colorado there was a sample given at the end and it was delicious. Japanese sake packs a punch though so be careful.

I spent my last evening at a Hotel in Osaka and had a wonderful meal of Octopus, Squid, Eel and wonderful veggies cooked in traditional Japanese style. My trip to Japan was all that I thought it would be and more. If given the opportunity, I will go back.

Kyoto, Japan

The change in itinerary due to typhoon Malor allowed us to be in the Port of Kobe one more day, as a result I decided to use the first day to visit nearby Kyoto. Kyoto was the Japanese Capital from the 8th to the 19th centuries with the Imperial buildings dating back to the 1600s. When the capital was moved to Tokyo it remained the Japanese cultural center. Locals come here to visit the city for a vacation so I knew it was worth seeing.

The best and quickest way to Kyoto from Kobe is by bullet train, a top ten on my Japan bucket list. It was amazing; the train went 180 MPH and felt like flying in a plane on the ground. The usual 45 minutes by train to the first stop took us 7 minutes, incredible. I was taken by how clean the public transportation was, just like the city streets. None of the public places have trash or stains. Part of the cleanliness is due to the fact that when walking in public, eating and drinking are frowned upon. The only trash cans you will find are in restaurants and most of the bathrooms have no toilet paper or paper towels to become litter. It took some getting used to but it was completely worth the beautiful surroundings. In case you are wondering about no TP; the ToTo’s (Japanese western toilets) have many features that ours do not, including a spray of water.

Kyoto had a feel about it; historical, spiritual, the heart of Japan and it was wonderful. I walked the streets exploring and decided to go up the tower to see where I would venture to next. The view was fantastic; temples and shrines inter-mingled with more modern buildings, a Buddha on the hillside looking over the residents and the ocean, blue and beautiful.

I made my way to the Imperial Palace, the residence of the Imperial family until the capital was relocated to Tokyo in 1868. On the way, I walked along local streets just big enough for one car. Packages were being delivered by bicycles, rickshaws had right of way to walkers and the houses one next to the other were ornately carved in the wood that covered them. The palace itself was even bigger than it looked from the tower, spanning about 8 by 7 city blocks. The whole area was surrounded by a moat filled with Koi and beautiful water plants. As I entered the gates I couldn’t believe how large the structure was before me. Hundreds of pigeons flew in the square being fed by locals. To the left was a drinking well with an ornate dragon, like so many around Japan. I tried to imagine what it must have been like to live in such a place.

Kyoto was one of the highlights of my trip and I am grateful that I had an opportunity to visit, thank you typhoon Malor.

Tomorrow is my last day of the cruise and I will be touring Kobe.