Meriken Park

Meriken Park is a waterfront park on Kobe's harbor, a short walk south of Motomachi Station in central Kobe. It holds Kobe Port Tower, the Kobe Maritime Museum, the BE KOBE monument and a memorial to the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake. Entry to the park is free.

The park is built on reclaimed land at the site of Meriken Wharf, the first modern quay in Japan. "Meriken" is an old Japanese rendering of "American," and the wharf took its name from the American consulate that once stood nearby.

What to see in Meriken Park

BE KOBE monument

The BE KOBE letters on the waterfront are the most photographed spot in the park. They were installed in 2017 for the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Port of Kobe. The slogan itself was created for the 20th anniversary of the 1995 earthquake and expresses the idea that Kobe's real strength is its people. The monument is lit at night, and the spot is usually crowded. The BE KOBE monument listing on the city tourism site has a map.

Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park

At the east side of the park, about 60 meters of the original quay wall have been left as they were after the earthquake of January 17, 1995. You can see broken quay walls and street lights still leaning at an angle. Panels, models and video explain the damage to the port and how it was rebuilt. The memorial is free.

For the wider story of the earthquake, the Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum covers the disaster and the recovery in depth.

Kobe Port Tower and the Maritime Museum

The red 108-meter Kobe Port Tower has observation floors and an open-air rooftop deck. Next to it, the white roof of the Kobe Maritime Museum is shaped like the sails of a ship. Admission is 900 yen for adults and 400 yen for students up to high school, and the ticket also covers entry to Kawasaki World. The museum is closed on Mondays.

The park also has open lawns for a picnic and a large Starbucks with harbor views.

How to get to Meriken Park

• Minato Motomachi Station: Kobe Municipal Subway Kaigan Line, about 8 minutes on foot

• Motomachi Station: JR and Hanshin lines, about 10 minutes on foot

• Hanakuma Station: Hankyu Kobe Line, about 12 minutes on foot

• By car: the Meriken Park car park charges 210 yen per 30 minutes after a short free period

Chinatown and Harborland are both a short walk from the park, so the three fit easily into one afternoon. A half-day Kobe tour with a guide can cover the waterfront along with Kitano.

Come back after dark for the harbor lights, which this Kobe and Osaka three-day plan schedules as its Kobe evening.