Kitano Ijinkan-gai (Town of Western style residences)

It will take 10 to 15 minutes on your foot from Sannomiya or Motomachi in the central Kobe city. Keep walking the little hill and then you will reach the "Ijinkan" (former residences of early foreign settlers), Kitano area. It used to be the town where the people who came from oversea and they thought about their countries from the hill viewing the sea. Kazamidori (a weathercock) is the symbol of the town. You can enjoy both culture and taste of Kobe in here.

The home of Kazamidori (a weathercock) / Used to be Tomas house

The house was built by Tomas Gottfried who was German and a merchant. It is the symbol of the town now due to its appearance. It's the only building made by bricks and there is Kazamidori (a weathercock) on the top. The house is National important cultural properties.

[Opening hours] 9:00am - 6:00pm (Entrance: Till 5:45pm)
[Regular holiday] Closed: First Tuesday of June and February (If it is bank holiday, it will be the following day.)
[Admission fee] 500yen / The entrance fee for Moegi home and Kazamidori home : 650yen
[Address] 3-13-3 Kitano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo

Moegi home / Moegi no Yakata

It was built as the house for Hunter Sharpe who was working at American embassy.
The exterior wall is Moegi-colour (light-green) as it is named. You can view beautiful scenery of Kobe port from the balcony on the second floor. The house is National important cultural properties.

[Opening hours] 9:00am - 6:00pm
[Regular holiday] Third Wednesday / Third Thursday in February
[Admission fee] 350yen / The entrance fee for Moegi home and Kazamidori home : 650yen
[Address] 3-10-11 Kitano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo

Kitano Foreigner's Club / Kitano Gaikokujin Kurabu

Kitano Foreigner's Club

It used to be the social meeting place for foreigners and re-constructed in Kitano area. You can remind the scenery how it used to be through the fair place, gorgeous furniture and so on. There is horizontal well (it is rare for European style garden) and small church.
- Kitano Foreigner's Club photos

[Opening hours] (From April to September) 9：30～18：00 / (From October to March) 9：30～17：00
[Regular holiday] 7 days a week
[Admission fee] 550yen
[Address] 2-18-2 Kitano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo

Uroko House and Uroko Museum / Uroko no Ie

It was firstly opened as Ijinkan in Kobe. It is the most expensive rent-house and called "Uroko (scales) House" due to the looking of its slate the roof made by natural stones. Valuable antiques and potteries of old Meissen etc are remarkable when you see inside building. The house is National important cultural properties and also one of the best 100 housings in Kobe. In the museum next to the house, you can find not only various European drawings but also Japanese art from Yu Horie who is a representative of Kobe's painter and received Yasui Award are always exhibited in "Scale House". On the third floor, you can see beautiful Kobe port.
- Uroko House and Uroko Museum photos

[Opening hours] (From April to September) 9：30～18：00 / (From October to March) 9：30～17：00
[Regular holiday] 7 days a week
[Admission fee] 1,050yen
[Address] 2-20-4 Kitano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo

French house

The building is quite unique as it has a pair of European style houses together, which are made by woods. There are 2 floors in both. It used to be the apartment for the people from oversea. Inside the house has French related works including furniture and equipment’s in art nouveau style and some of them are from 19 century.

Ijin-kan on the top of hill / Sakano ue no Ijinkan (Former Chinese Consulate)

It was built Taisho period (1912-1926) and used to be used as Chinese embassy.
It has all works of art, from ancient to modern, in this facility were made in China and full of exotic and oriental mood, which is different from others.
- Ijin-kan on the top of hill / Sakano ue no Ijinkan (Former Chinese Consulate) photos

Parastin House

It was built for Mr.Parastin who was a Russian trading merchant to live around the end of Meiji period (1912) but is opened now as a café. The dish used Organic vegetables or hone-made herbs tea are very popular for women.

[Opening hours] 11:00am - 6:00pm
[Regular holiday] Tuesday (If it is bank holiday, it will be the following day.)
[Address] 2-10-12 Kitano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo

Booking.com