Tag Archives: kobe

Akashi Kaikyo Ohashi
Hyogo, Kansai

Awajishima

Awajishima, famously known for being an island between Kansai and Shikoku, makes for a beautiful journey by car and a fantastic way to break up a journey traveling around the major cities of Kansai; for example Kobe, Osaka and Kyoto.
A drive to Awaji Island will still take the best part of an hour plus from Osaka and 30 minutes from Kobe, but when arriving at this island that is a part of Hyogo Prefecture, you will be able to cruise along the longest suspension bridge in the world, Akashi Straits Suspension Bridge (Akashi Kaikyo Ohashi).
From one end of the bridge to the other takes around 10 minutes and is rarely that busy so you will have a relatively quick journey across. If traveling from Kansai to Awajishima, immediately on the other side of the island is a small port with numerous excellent seafood restaurants and even a Starbucks if you need a quick coffee fix.
The area is well known for earthquakes and Awaji is believed to be the epicentre of the great Kobe earthquake of 1995 that killed thousands of people. The bridge itself is believed to have moved more than a metre during the quake and was actually in the middle of construction during this time.
When on Awaji Island, there is plenty to see and do and the area is known for its agriculture and beaches. There is the famous Ohama Beach on the east alongside Goshiki Beach, and both can be reached quite easily by vehicle.
If you are in Kobe for a day trip, a ride along the bridge to Awaji is highly recommended – a must do!

Hyogo

Around Kobe to Himeji and back

One of my favourite trips in Japan so far has been a trip to Hyogo and the cities within the prefecture. Hyogo, for many, is well known for the city of Kobe (which is thus famous for beef and for the 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake), and the neighbouring Osaka prefecture.

Kobe itself is a beautiful city. The Harbour (Harbourland, Mosaic, Kobe Port) area is easy to drive around and there is plenty of parking on offer. In addition, driving through the centre of Kobe couldn’t be easier. The roads are designed in a typical American standard (blocks) and thus are well organised and less busy. The most famous part of Kobe city is probably Sannomiya, this area is generally where you’ll find most restaurants, bars and general entertainment.

Kobe
Kobe

On my trip to Kobe, I decided to venture from around the Kobe-shi area and head to the famous Himeji Castle, before heading back along the coast to view the world’s longest suspension bridge, Akashi Kaikyo.

The first option you can take is the Sanyo Expressway. This road is generally quiet, expensive and there is little to see in the way of scenery. That will set you back more than 2,500 yen but is a sure fire way to avoid the traffic.

Once you arrive in Himeji, the most famous sight, of course, is the castle. This is Japan’s biggest and most famous castle and was actually closed for renovation at the time of writing. Still, it was stunning and worth the visit.

Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle

From there, it was decided to visit the stunning suspension bridge, the Akashi Kaikyo. This connects Hyogo with Awajishima island, which in turn connects to Shikoku prefecture. As you’ll see from the pictures, this bridge absolutely blows the San Francisco Golden Gate bridge out of the water, it is that stunning. The journey along the coastline back to Kobe (and through the suspension bridge area), takes you through countryside areas and there is again not much in the way of scenery, but it is worth it once you get to the bridge. From the bridge, a swift 20-30 minute journey should put you back in Kobe.

Akashi Kaikyo bridge
Akashi Kaikyo bridge

All in all, if you have time to visit Hyogo, I would indeed recommend Himeji. I would also recommend finding time to visit another prefecture to make the most of your trip.