[KOBE] Nunobiki Waterfalls and Herb Gardens: a Model Course!

View from Nunobiki Herb Gardens

Known as “Nunobiki no taki” in Japanese, it has been a famous sightseeing spot in Japanese Heian Period and it is even mentioned in traditional tales and literary works, such as Ise Monogatari (The Tales of Ise) and Heike Monogatari (The Tale of the Heike).

Nowadays, it has regained popularity among Japanese locals due to its proximity to the center of Kobe and to various leisure spots, including Nunobiki Herb Gardens (the photo above). Here you can savor a delicious tea break or lunch while enjoying the breathtaking scenery and Fresh aroma of flowers!

• Table of Contents
• A path for everyone
• Recommended bus ticket
• How to get there
• Herb Gardens!
• To Nunobiki! A light trekking.
• Nunobiki Dam: the Water we Drink
• The four waterfalls
• The Legend of Nunobiki
• Return to Kobe

A path for everyone

Hi, I am a foreigner living in Japan and I like traveling and discovering underrated or less known places.

Today I want to present a one-day trip Idid this autumn at Nunobiki Waterfalls and Nunobiki Herb Gardens.I recommend it to people who are planning to stay in Kobe even for just one dayand who like walking in Nature: the trekking path is not so hard; in fact, you can see many families (both Japanese and foreigners) and elderly people undertaking the same walk as you.

If you want to see everything (HerbGardens, Café, Nunobiki`s Dam and Nunobiki Waterfalls) as I did, it will takearound half a day , so you'll still have time to go back to the center of Kobe(around 15 minutes by bus from Shin Kobe station) and explore some other placeslike China Town, the Port, or Mosaic (ideal for shopping and having dinner).

Recommended bus ticket

Kobe 1-day ticket

9:25 Departure from City Loop Bus Sannomiyastation for North (CL7)

Suggested bus ticket: “ Kobe one day loop bus ticket ” (700 yen for Adult, 350 yen for Child per day).

Recommended for those who are planning to travel within Kobe area.

Kobe 1-day bus ticket purchase site

Hyogo Amazing Pass

Suggested bus ticket: “ Hyogo Amazing Pass ” (1,000 yen for Adult, 500 yen for Child per day).

Recommended for those who are planning to visit Kobe area and Himeji area.

Hyogo Amazing Pass purchase site

How to get there

City Loop Bus (isn't cute!!!)

9:36 Arrive to Nunobiki Herb Garden &Ropeway Station (CL11)

9:40 Get on the Ropeway (it's very close to the bus stop)

From the Ropeway you can see all Kobe.

Honestly, I am a bit afraid of heights, butI really wanted to see this scenery, and I think I did the right choice,because I had so much fun!

After around 10 minutes, you will finally arrive to NunobikiHerb Gardens!

I took a photo of one of the Gardens' Mapsjust to give you an idea of ​​the structure of the place. You will start your walk from the top and go all the way down till you arrive to another Ropewaystation.

Here, I recommend not to take the Ropeway, but to continue your walk outside the Gardens to Nunokiki Waterfalls.

Herb Gardens!

When you get off the ropeway you enter in the firstarea: it is called the View Plaza and it take inspiration from Wartburg Castle(Germany). From here you can go to a cute photo spot in “Rose Symphony Garden” and to the Museum of Fragrances (where all perfumes and essences are producedwith the plants grown in Herb Gardens).

I went during the second half of November, so as you can see the Christmas' spirit is already in the air!

The seasonal flowers were so pretty!!

For more details about Herb Gardens you can check this site: https://www.kobeherb.com/en/

The Veranda Café

You can enjoy some sweets and a delicious tea madewith the herbs grown in the Garden!

The view from the café is simply delightful.

The place is a bit pricy, but I think it's adequate to the perfect service and the high quality of the food.

I personally ordered a hot coffee and a fruit tart, but next time I will definitely try their famous herb tea!

Anotherspecialty of Herb Garden is Lavander Soft Cream! It only costs 400 yen and it'sserved in this little kiosk near Kaze no Oka Flower Garden (photo below) and thestation of the second Ropeway (the one that takes you down to the bus stop) .

To Nunobiki! A light trekking.

At the end of my exploration of NunobikiHerb Garden I decided to not take the Ropeway and descend to Shin Kobe bywalking.

After exiting the small gate at the end of theGarden you will see a sign.

Even if it says to go left for the NunobikiWaterfalls, I recommend following the indications for Ichigahara , because there are fewer cars and you can experience Nature in a peaceful very way (theduration of the walk is around the same). From then on, just follow the directionsfor “Nunobiki Waterfalls” and you will arrive without problems!

Directions to Ichigahara

Alittle jinja (shintoist shrine) in the mountain.

I did this path in autumn, which, as you can see from the pictures, is the season of the kōyō ( red leaves ). It was truly beautiful.

A little friend met along the way (Tanuki).

Nunobiki Dam: the Water we Drink

After around 30 minutes of walking in the frisky autumn air, I got to Nunobiki Dam.

Nunobiki Damis Japan oldest gravitational concrete dam, it was built more than 100 yearsago (in 1900) and it contains all the water that the inhabitants of Kobe drink every day!

I walked on a little bridge built on top of it, from where I saw the stunning contrast between the clear blue water that resembles a mountain lake and the redness of the trees.

The four waterfalls

After leaving behind the Dam, you will gradually reach the enchanting Nunobiki Waterfalls.

They are situated close to each other andcan be reached in approximately 30 minutes by walking if you depart from ShinKobe and around 20 minutes if you depart from Nunobiki Dam. However, peopleoften prefer to take some time to rest on benches and take pictures, making the complete journey (including the return) a bit longer. I encountered the fourWaterfalls in this order: firstly Ontaki ,the largest of the four Nunobiki Falls, standing at a height of 43meters.

Despiteits size, Ontaki falls gracefully into the transparent water, creating splashes that, according to many locallegends, resemble white pearls . The water accumulates in a small lake before forming another waterfall called Meotodaki .

Meotodaki, or “the Married Couple Waterfall”, derives its romantic name from its peculiar conformation: in fact, it is constituted of two streams of water (divided by a rock), which are said to represent two partners.In the same area you can find also Tsutsumigataki ,known as “the Drum Waterfall”. After descending the mountain, you will finallyfind the first waterfall, Mentaki ,the smallest of the four, surrounded by a blanket of trees.

The Legend of Nunobiki

The waterfalls are also called “The Palace of the Dragon”.

In fact, it is said that in a very distant past, a young girlwho used to live in the woods with her grandfather became a dragon after yearsof training under the waterfalls! After gaining fame for her deeds across the whole country, the girl, then called Otohime, returned to her old house and stood for hours in front of the waterfalls, remembering nostalgically hergrandfather. In the end, Otohime stopped going around Japan and built her owncastle right there, where she had her most precious memories. The waterfallswere then named “The Palace of the Dragon”.

Return to Kobe

After seeing all the Waterfalls, the pathleads naturally to Shin Kobe Station, where you can hop on the net City LoopBus and continue your journey in Kobe.

CityLoop Shin Kobe Station

I went with my friend to have a late lunchin China Towa (Nankinmachi), but you can also stop in Sannomiya(the center of Kobe) and take a look at the city center.

Thank you for reading this article, I hopeyou have a lot of fun in Kobe!

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