“There is an oddness in humanity where we seek to preserve our scars for all others to recall.” – Old Sean
Stormwalker
When I first arrived in Japan, I spent some time loitering around Osaka before spending a day visiting Nara. The next day, I slept in a few more hours than were strictly necessary and finally nudged myself out of my Osaka bed to head to Kobe.
I had a very pure reason for heading to Kobe and that purity is due to beef. If you haven’t heard of Kobe beef, you probably need glasses or a hearing aid, because it’s something of an icon.
I wasn’t hungry when I first arrived, however, so I ended up doing a big circuit of the city to work up an appetite. I walked south first, staying ahead of angry storm clouds and arriving at Kobe’s Meriken Park.
I’ll say this for Kobe: It’s really pretty, though I can’t quite place my finger on why. Osaka and Nara are nice enough. They’re buildings are neat and clean, but I would never call their skyline pretty. Kobe, however, has something about it that makes it appealing to look at and walk through.
I ducked past Kobe East Park, which is beautifully put together and walked down some streets showing off expensive name-brand clothing before passing Nankin-Machi, a cool little iconic square in a shopping district.
Recollections
When I visited Merken Park, I did so with the intention of visiting the Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park. In 1995, a devastating earthquake rocked Japan. The shoreline, shattered and crooked, remains broken behind a memorial facing the ocean.
Not alone, the park has numerous other pieces of art and statues, most of them famously celebrating Kobe’s 200th year of world trade with sister-port-cities around the world (such as Seattle). Kobe was one of the first locations in Japan to begin international trade (though not necessarily willingly).
Regardless, there are also giant fish statues, images of people gazing into the sunset, towering, oddly-shaped bell towers curved outside of Starbucks and architectural marvels of beams and pillars for a modern look. Overall, the park is certainly worth a visit.
After spending an hour in the park, I continued to check out different parts of the city. I was particularly charmed by the vintage umbrella shops found tucked away in long shopping corridors and I thought the Ikuta Shrine was beautiful. The streets and buildings became even nicer and more regal around Kitano Ijinkan-Gai and I made a special point of seeing the city overlook in the Rhine House.
Hunger Hunter
Finally, with my visit nearly complete and my stomach nudging me with accompanying whines, I found a great Kobe beef option. After a brief 20 minute wait at Genkichi Kobe Beef, I tucked in. It was delicious, though the texture is a bit different than what I was expecting. I suspect that has something to do with the marbling.
Anyway, by this time the sun was looping low and my feet were feeling sore, so I hopped back on the train, covertly flashing my JR pass to the ticket-master before wandering back to Osaka.
Tomorrow, I’m going to try visiting Kyoto, provided I can wake myself up in a timely manner.
Wish me luck.
Best regards and excellent trails,
Old Sean
Written January 21st 2020
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