Meriken Park & Kobe Harborland

メリケンパーク・ハーバーランド

A harbor framed by the red Kobe Port Tower, the Maritime Museum and a Ferris wheel. The “BE KOBE” sign and the night views are Kobe’s signature picture.

Meriken Park lies between the Naka Pier and the Meriken Wharf in Kobe Port. This waterfront park was built on reclaimed land in 1987, and its name comes from the “America Wharf” that stood in front of the American consulate in the Meiji era. Landmarks in the park include the Kobe Port Tower (built in 1963, a red tubular tower 108 meters high, reopened in 2024 after renovation. Its observation deck and open rooftop deck offer 360-degree views of the harbor, with admission of about 1,200 yen). The Kobe Maritime Museum, with its white latticed roof, and Kawasaki World, which displays the history of Kobe Port and motorcycles, bullet trains and helicopters made by Kawasaki Heavy Industries (900 yen). The white “BE KOBE” sign by the water was installed in 2017 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the port’s opening and is the most popular photo spot. There is also the Great Hanshin Earthquake Memorial Park, which preserves a quay wall tilted by the quake, and the Oriental Hotel in Meriken Park. Across the water, Harborland is a shopping and entertainment district built in 1992 on the site of an old freight station. It includes the umie MOSAIC mall, with waterfront terrace restaurants and shops selling Kobe beef and desserts; a large Ferris wheel about 50 meters tall, lit up at night; the Anpanman Museum, suited to young children; Gaslight Street; and the Central Pier, where restored red-brick warehouses stand. From here you can take a harbor cruise (about 45 to 60 minutes, 1,500 to 2,000 yen), including dining cruises such as the Concerto. The waterfront walk between the two areas takes about 10 minutes and is Kobe’s classic dusk stroll. Start at Meriken Park to watch the Port Tower glow in the setting sun, then walk to Harborland to see the Ferris wheel light up and look back across the harbor at the Port Tower at night. Getting there: it is about a 10-minute walk from JR or Hanshin Motomachi Station to Meriken Park, and about a 5-minute walk from JR Kobe Station to Harborland. City Loop buses stop at both. Allow 2 to 3 hours for the visit. Notes: the Port Tower may close in strong winds. The MOSAIC terrace restaurants have queues in the evening. Harbor winds are strong at night, so stay warm in winter.

Opening hours

Park open all day; Port Tower 09:00–23:00; umie 10:00–20:00 (restaurants until 21:00–22:00)

Harbor · Night views · Landmark · Shopping · Ferris wheel

Nearby sights

Places to eat nearby

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