Nunobiki Herb Garden and Ropeway

The Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden is one of the largest herb gardens in Japan, spread across a terraced hillside about 400 metres above the city and reached by a scenic ropeway that glides up from beside Shin-Kobe Station. Opened in 1991, the garden combines botanical variety, mountain scenery and one of Kobe's most accessible panoramic viewpoints, making it a favourite for a half-day escape that feels far removed from the city yet sits only minutes from the Shinkansen station.

The journey is part of the experience. The Nunobiki Ropeway rises about ten minutes over the wooded slopes of the Rokko foothills, passing above the Nunobiki Falls and offering expanding views over Kobe, the harbour and the sea as you climb. At the top, the garden unfolds down the mountainside in a series of themed terraces, twelve garden zones in all, planted with more than two hundred kinds of herbs and seasonal flowers, from fragrant lavender and roses to kitchen herbs and medicinal plants. Colour and scent change through the year, peaking in a glorious display of flowers in late spring and early summer.

Walking the garden is best done from the top down. From the upper Sanjo station, paths wind through the flower fields, past a glasshouse, a herb-themed shop and cafe, viewing terraces and a European-style plaza built to resemble a mountain resort. There are foot baths to soothe tired feet, a restaurant and cafe serving herb-infused dishes and teas, and plentiful benches to sit and take in the panorama. Interpretive signs explain the uses of the herbs, and seasonal events and workshops add to the appeal.

The views are a highlight in their own right. On a clear day the terraces look out over the whole sweep of Kobe, the port and Osaka Bay, and in the evening the garden and ropeway stay open on selected nights for one of the region's best night views, the illuminated garden in the foreground and the carpet of city lights below. This combination of flowers by day and lights by night makes Nunobiki a romantic and photogenic destination.

Energetic visitors can turn the trip into a gentle hike. A walking trail links the garden down to the impressive Nunobiki Falls, a set of waterfalls celebrated in classical Japanese poetry, and continues back to Shin-Kobe Station, so many people ride the ropeway up and walk down, or vice versa. A combined ticket covers the round-trip ropeway and garden admission. Easy to reach, beautiful in every season and crowned by sweeping views, the Nunobiki Herb Garden is one of Kobe's most rewarding natural attractions.