[Kobe City] The symbol of Kitano city! ``Weathervane House'', a residence filled with the attention to detail of a German trader

• Table of Contents
• Convenient access is via City Loop.
• great value bus tickets
• "Weathervane House" was the home of German trader Thomas.
• Each room has a different design! Points of interest inside the facility
• Original goods that can only be purchased here
• basic information

Convenient access is via City Loop.

The Weathercock House is located on a hill about a 15-minute walk from Sannomiya Station or Shin-Kobe Station on each line. If you use the City Loop, you can easily travel uphill from Sannomiya Station, and it is a 5-minute walk from the Kitano Ijinkan stop.

great value bus tickets

Kobe 1-day bus ticket

This is a bus ticket that allows you to ride the City Loop and Port Loop that run through Kobe city as much as you like for 700 yen a day. If you want to visit sightseeing spots in Kobe, use this ticket for an easy and comfortable trip.

"Weathercock House" does not have its own parking lot. If you go by car, please use the nearby coin parking.

Click here for purchase and details of Kobe 1-day bus ticket

This ticket is recommended for those who are considering touring around Himeji and Hyogo prefectures other than Kobe! Kobe 1-day bus ticket contents + A mobile ticket that allows you to ride unlimited Shinki Bus routes for 1,000 yen per day. *Limited to foreign visitors tourists visiting Japan

Click here for purchase and details of Hyogo Amazing Pass

"Weathervane House" was the home of German trader Thomas.

Kitano Ijinkan There are a number of Ijinkan remaining in the town, but the ``Weathercock House'' is one of the most symbolic of the town. It is even introduced in guidebooks as a ``must-see'' spot when visiting Kitano Ijinkan-gai.

“Weathercock House” was built around 1909 (Meiji 42). The architect was Gottfried Thomas, a German trader, and the architect was Georg de Lalande, a German who was active in Japan from the late Meiji period to the Taisho period.

Thomas family photo

For Mr. Thomas, who was a trader, this building also served as a guesthouse where he could invite his business partners. Starting with the exterior, which is said to be a symbol of the city, if you take a closer look inside the building, you'll see interesting structures all over the place.

The first thing you should pay attention to is the appearance. The brick-decorated exterior is the only one of the existing foreign houses in the Kitano/Yamamoto area. The bricks are designed to look like British brickwork, and were constructed using the latest construction methods at the time.

In addition, four styles have been adopted: the neo-Gothic style for the roof, the half-timbered style for the tower below, the half-timbered style for the second floor, and the classic style for the semi-basement stonework.

One of the features of ``Weathercock House'' is the weathercock that stands on top of the spire. This weathervane has the meaning of warding off evil spirits, and it is said that for Mr. Thomas it also served as a landmark for his residence.

The brick-decorated exterior and weathervane on top of the spire were said to have been easily visible from the sea at the time, and were meant to be easy to understand for guests visiting the mansion by boat.

``The House of the Weathercock'' became famous when it became the setting for the NHK TV drama series ``Kazamicock'' that aired in 1977-1978. In 1978, it was designated as a nationally designated important cultural property.

Please note that the museum is scheduled to be closed for an extended period from October 2023 to March 31, 2025 (tentative) due to seismic retrofitting work. You can take a closer look at the interior of the building as it was originally built until September 30th, so why not take this opportunity to visit?

Each room has a different design! Points of interest inside the facility

When you step inside the building, the luxurious structure on the first floor, with each room having a different design, catches your eye. As I mentioned earlier, this mansion also served as a guesthouse where Mr. Thomas invited business partners and entertained, and you can feel Mr. Thomas' attention to detail throughout the interior of the first floor.

For example, this cafeteria has a design that seems to be based on Thomas's hometown of Stolzenfels Castle in western Germany. The jagged design on the top of the wainscoting that protects the wall is inspired by a castle wall, and the chandelier overhead is inspired by a crown.

castle wall design

On the other hand, the second floor, which contains the breakfast room, bedroom, and children's room, has a very simple structure. Since the second floor is the family's private space, it is designed to be simple rather than extravagant.

Comparing the first floor and the second floor, you can see that the lighting and doorknobs are different, which is an interesting point that reveals Mr. Thomas' policy.

Chandelier in the living room on the 1st floor (left) and lighting for the pool table on the 2nd floor (right)

Nameplate hung at the main gate

By the way, the ownership of this building has changed nine times. The 10th current owner is Kobe City, but the previous owner was Zhonghua Tongbun School, a private elementary and junior high school for overseas Chinese.

Currently, the interior is a reproduction of the time when Thomas lived there, based on past photos, but it was once a dormitory with bunk beds and housing about 50 children. That's it. You can see from here that the mansion was large enough to accommodate many people.

There are explanations posted throughout the museum introducing the highlights of the Weathervane House, so if you take the time to read them carefully, you'll enjoy your visit even more. Additionally, if you would like to learn more about the Weathercock House, we recommend taking a tour (starting at 500 yen each, admission fee not included).

Attic that can be seen on backyard tour

Until the end of September 2023, in addition to the "Art Tour" that introduces the arts and crafts that remain in the museum and the "Butler Tour" that introduces the way of life of the Thomas family, there is also a "Weathervane" where you can see non-public areas of the Hyogo Terroir Travel Special Tour. The ``Kobe Kitano Ijinkan Weathervane House & Line House Night View Tour'' will be held, allowing you to tour the inside of the building after the museum has closed. This is a must-see for those who want to enjoy a special experience.

Reference: Hyogo Terroir Trip in KOBE

Kobe Kitano Ijinkan “Weathercock House”

Original goods that can only be purchased here

There is a shop on the second floor, where original products of ``Kazami Chicken House'' are also displayed. If you are looking for souvenirs or souvenirs to commemorate your visit, please stop by.

This "coaster" (420 yen) is a product made by Kobe Motomachi's leather brand "STUDIO KIICHI." The original logo of "Weathercock Hall" is engraved on the luxurious leather.

The great thing about this is that there is a wide variety of colors, making it fun to choose.

Engraved with a weathercock, which is the motif of the building.

``Tote bags'' with simple designs are also popular. There are two sizes: small (2,000 yen) and large (2,800 yen), and the small bag comes in two colors, navy blue and white, and the large bag comes in three colors, navy blue, white, and brown.

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"Original sticker" (380 yen for 2 stickers)

Weathervane House will be closed for an extended period of time from October 1, 2023 to March 31, 2025 (tentative) due to seismic retrofitting construction (subject to change depending on construction progress, etc.) Possible).

Until the end of September 2023, there will be a "Closing Event ~Until we meet again~" and a countdown photo spot will be set up, as well as an "Exhibition of Thoughts on the Weathervane House," a "Weathercock House Promotion Course," and a closing ceremony titled "The Day We Meet Again." We are also planning to hold events such as "Look forward to it."

Don't miss this opportunity!

(Writer Nakata/West Plan)

*This article is information as of July 2023. Prices include tax. Product contents and prices may change.

basic information

Weathervane house

Address: 3-13-3 Kitanocho, Chuo-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture

Phone number: 078-242-3223

Business hours: 9:00-18:00 (Last entry is 17:45)

*There are no toilets in the building. Please use the restroom at the Kitano Tourist Information Center.

Closed: June, the first Tuesday of February (if the regular holiday falls on a holiday, the next day will be closed) Admission fee: 500 yen for adults, free for high school students and younger

*450 yen for those who bring a one-day City Loop ticket.

Access: ・15 minutes walk from Sannomiya Station or Shin-Kobe Station on each line ・5 minutes walk from City Loop “Kitano Ijinkan” stop

Parking: None

HP: https://kobe-kazamidori.com/

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