An aquarium located in Suma Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. It is a new aquarium that opened in 2024 on the site of the closed Suma Seaside Aquarium, which closed in 2023. Visitors can enjoy both killer whale and dolphin shows. I visited as part of the activity of the Hankai University Museum Club. The admission fee was quite high, and the inside was quite crowded, especially on weekends. In addition to freshwater and marine fish, they also keep penguins and seals. It is adjacent to Suma Seas... Show more

Kobe Suma SeaWorld is a rare facility in Japan where you can see orca shows. With a backdrop of Suma's beach, there are seats for the audience to enjoy the orca show, including seats where you can get soaked by the powerful orca performances. Below the audience seats for the orca show, there is a room where you can learn about orcas, in addition to a restaurant. The room features skeletal specimens of orcas, as well as videos about orca research, breeding, and ecology. If you come to Kobe, how a... Show more

This is a dolphin show. The audience seats for the dolphin show also face towards Suma Beach. The dolphins not only jump and swim in the pool, but also perform tricks such as making sounds. Below these audience seats, there is a spot where you can observe the dolphins swimming through the glass.

In a small tank, jellyfish swim around gracefully. This mysterious sight can be enjoyed. Several types of jellyfish can be observed. There were also some types that could be seen in the Osaka Bay facing the aquarium, but there was a different way of enjoying it from viewing it from the sea.

There is also a tropical fish corner where coral reefs and tropical fish swim. Fish such as angelfish and clownfish are kept. There are many beautiful tropical fish tanks.

There is also a tank for sea turtles, where you can enjoy watching them swim leisurely. In another tank, there are freshwater turtles along with freshwater fish.

Penguins are also among the inhabitants of Kobe Suma Aqualife Park. You can see them walking and swimming.

In this aquarium, there were creatures such as octopus, horse mackerel, and sea bream that inhabit the waters near Suma. In particular, octopuses were hiding all over the aquarium. In other tanks, fish like red snapper, black porgy, wrasse, goby, and mullet, which also inhabit the waters near Suma, were living. Among them are fish used in Japanese cuisine. There are also creatures like garden eels and starfish.

A seal sleeping in the corner of the tank. It's cute to watch. There are also sea lions being kept. Some of the fish and other aquatic animals being kept were hidden in the tank and it was unclear where they were.

Museum located in Nishinomiya-hama, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture. Despite its small size, it exhibits shells collected from Japan and various parts of the world, as well as fossils such as shells. The exhibits range from shells heavier than humans to those smaller than sesame seeds. Visitors can also encounter rare finds such as heart-shaped aogai shells and tenshinotsubasagai shells resembling angel wings, in addition to spiral and bivalve shells. Snails are also on display. The exhibits... Show more

Visitors will receive a small shell as a gift upon entry. It can be obtained for free. By answering a visitor survey, additional gifts can be received. There are also exhibits about scientists involved in shell research and the yacht 'Mermaid IV' used by Kenichi Horie for his adventures. Additionally, the museum introduces the history of human use of shells from around the world and showcases artistic works made from shells. The building, designed by Tadao Ando, evokes the image of a yacht sail.... Show more

Located in Meriken Park in Chuo-ku, Kobe, facing Kobe Port, this museum features Kawasaki World alongside the Kobe Maritime Museum. The Kobe Maritime Museum showcases the history and function of Kobe Port, as well as exhibits on the history and structure of ships. Visitors can experience operating a gantry crane for loading and unloading cargo from container ships in the small ship and harbor area. In addition, Kawasaki World is a museum about Kawasaki Heavy Industries, which was founded in Kobe... Show more

You can learn about the process and history of making anko. In the bean exhibition, you can see beans from all over the world. There are many things that even adults can learn about.

A cafe that can only be used by people who have entered the museum. The menu lineup is irresistible for red bean lovers.

The Genbudo Museum is a geological museum located in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture. Genbudo is a cave of basalt with characteristic columnar jointing formed by volcanic activity about 1.6 million years ago. Visitors can learn about Genbudo at this museum. The museum features extensive exhibits on geology and rocks, allowing visitors to deepen their understanding of the formation of Genbudo and the natural history of the surrounding area. There is also an area nearby where you can actually visit... Show more

The Genbudo Museum is a geological museum located in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture. Genbudo is a cave of columnar jointed basalt formed by volcanic activity about 1.6 million years ago, and this museum allows visitors to learn about Genbudo. The museum has extensive exhibits on geology and rocks, providing a deeper understanding of the formation of Genbudo and the natural history of the surrounding area. Additionally, there is an area nearby where you can actually visit the Genbudo cave, so it... Show more

A museum located in Ako City, Hyogo Prefecture. It faces the Bizen Kaido, a road that passes near the graves of the 47 Ronin at Hikarigaoka-ji Temple. Inside the small exhibition room, there are plenty of Beatles albums, photographs, books, and other merchandise, allowing visitors to enjoy the world of the Beatles. It also provides explanations about the reactions of people during the Beatles' active period and the art of the Beatles. A must-visit spot for Beatles fans.

A museum located in Ako City, Hyogo Prefecture. It faces the Bizen Kaido, which passes near the Honkaku-ji Temple where the graves of the Ako ronin are located. Inside the small exhibition room, there are plenty of Beatles albums, photos, books, and other merchandise, allowing visitors to enjoy the world of the Beatles. It also provides explanations about the reactions of people during the Beatles' active period and the art of the Beatles. It is a spot not to be missed for Beatles fans. Addition... Show more

A museum located in the southern part of Ashiya City. It is located in the Ashiya Culture Zone. This museum introduces the achievements of Jun'ichirō Tanizaki, a Japanese literary master with connections to Ashiya, who left works such as 'The Makioka Sisters.' In addition to the exhibits, there is a rock that flowed into his home during the Great Hanshin Earthquake when Tanizaki was living in Kobe, which is displayed at the entrance. The restroom also reflects the worldview of Tanizaki's essay '... Show more

The literature museum located in Nada-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. It is situated to the southwest of Oji Zoo and admission is free. It was originally built in 1904 as a chapel for Kwansei Gakuin University. The Vories-designed chapel, which remained after 1929, was transformed into the literature museum in 2006 (from the official website). The permanent exhibition introduces 40 writers associated with Kobe, including Lafcadio Hearn, showcasing their works, manuscripts, and personal belongin... Show more

When I visited, there was a collaboration project with 'Bungo and Alchemist'. It features eight writers and poets with connections to Hyogo Prefecture. For example, it introduces 'In the Castle of the Hills' by Naoya Shiga, who visited Kinosaki Onsen for recuperation after a train accident. Only some parts of the exhibition allowed photography.

The Physical Education Museum located in Chuo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. It features a life-size figure of Yu Darvish, a Major League Baseball player from Habikino City, Osaka Prefecture, as well as an introduction to his baseball career, and displays of the uniforms, spikes, gloves, trophies, and more that he used. Additionally, there are quotes from Yu Darvish displayed on the walls. Furthermore, there is a corner where visitors can play a batting game against Yu Darvish. It is located b... Show more

The Sports Museum located in Chuo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. It features a life-size figure of Major League player Yu Darvish, who hails from Habikino City, Osaka Prefecture, as well as an introduction to his baseball career, and displays of the uniforms, spikes, gloves, trophies, and other items he used. Additionally, there are quotes from Yu Darvish displayed on the walls. Furthermore, there is a corner where visitors can play a batting game against Yu Darvish. The museum is located betw... Show more

A museum exhibiting the works of Tadanori Yokoo, an artist from Nishiwaki City, Hyogo Prefecture. It is located on the south side of Oji Zoo in Nada Ward, Kobe City. It is attached to the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, Oji Branch. There is a discount on the admission fee when visiting in conjunction with the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art. https://ytmoca.jp/

Art museum located along the sea in Nada-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. It is a large art museum designed by Tadao Ando. There are several sculptures outside the museum. A part of the museum is designated as a free area. https://www.artm.pref.hyogo.jp/

Art museum located in the southern part of Ashiya City. Inside the colorful building in Ashiya Cultural Zone, it exhibits artworks (regularly changing exhibitions) and introduces the history of Ashiya, known as one of Japan's leading upscale residential areas. There is a discounted entrance fee set with the Ashiya City Junichiro Tanizaki Memorial Museum, and a café is also available.