[Kobe City] Not just a power spot where your wishes come true! "Yamate Hachibankan"

• Table of Contents
• Yamate Hachibankan: A distinctive Tudor-style building
• Saturn's chair that grants wishes
• Don't miss out! The charm of Yamate Hachibankan
• There are many exhibits on the second floor that will make you want to pray
• Makonde sculpture influenced Picasso
• Great value bus tickets
• Let's go to Yamate Hachibankan by City Loop Bus!
• basic information

Yamate Hachibankan: A distinctive Tudor-style building

Located on the highest point in Kobe's Ijinkan district is Yamate Hachibankan, operated by the Ijinkan Uroko Group. As it is quite a steep climb to get there, I should mention at the outset that, along with the neighboring Kitano foreign visitors' Club and the Ijinkan on the Hill, it is basically only open on weekends and holidays.

For more details, please check the official website of the Ijinkan Uroko Group to avoid any mistakes.

Yamate Hachibankan (formerly Sansen Residence) was built in the late Meiji period. It features a series of overhanging windows facing south overlooking the harbor, and adopts the half-timbered architectural style, with the wooden framework of pillars, beams, and braces exposed to the outside and the gaps filled with plaster and bricks.

The first floor of the building is made of bricks, and the entrance is made of stacked stones in an arch shape, giving it a stately structure. The Nio statues at the entrance seem out of place, but this feeling will disappear once you have looked around the exhibits inside the building and are about to leave.

When you pass through the door and look back, you will see beautiful stained glass with intricate and detailed paintings that will make you want to look at them up close.

Saturn's chair that grants wishes

On the immediate left as you enter the building is the room that approximately 70% of people who visit Yamate Hachibankan come to see.

Yes, this is the room that contains the "Saturn's Chair," which is said to grant wishes. Since the day after it was introduced as a power spot on a TV program, many people have been visiting, and at its peak, 2,000 people have lined up in one day to see the "Saturn's Chair."

Currently, it is not so crowded, with only a few people lining up in the afternoon, but many people still come from far away to seek help. Mornings are a good time to go, as they are relatively quiet.

So, what exactly is the "Saturn's Chair"? Saturn is the Roman god of fertility, Saturnus. He is considered to be the same as Chronos in Greek mythology.

This chair is said to have been made in the 19th century and originally belonged to a church in Italy. As it is decorated with a carving of Saturn, it is said to be a chair that makes wishes come true, named after the god of fertility.

It is unclear how long these mysterious chairs have been here, but we have heard that they are the chairs that grant wishes.

The left side is for men, and the right side is for women. There is no particular etiquette for telling your wishes. If I had to say, I would say to be honest with yourself, pray strongly, and trust that your wish will be granted. Even if you have many wishes, please be considerate of others when it is crowded.

It is also said that it would be good to take a photo and use it as your wallpaper. Everyone wonders, "Do wishes really come true?" However, from what I can tell, there are many stories of people who come to express their gratitude, such as a person who had foot problems being able to walk again, or someone who wanted to find a life partner being united with someone who was waiting in line at the same time.

There are probably some amazing stories that can't be told.

It may be difficult to see them when they are busy, but we recommend appreciating them as works of art. You will be amazed by the skillful carvings. If you compare the decorations on the two chairs, you will notice that the child-like carvings under the armrests are slightly different.

Photo courtesy of Ijinkan Uroko Group

A souvenir is the "Saturn's Chair Miniature Charm." It is a popular item and may be sold out. It can also be purchased from the official online shop, so if you want one, check the sales information on the official SNS.

Don't miss out! The charm of Yamate Hachibankan

Many people visit Yamate Hachibankan to see the Saturn Chair, but there are plenty of other things to see. In the room where the Saturn Chair is located, a bronze statue by Renoir in his later years is on display.

There are many sculptures on display in the museum. They are all masterpieces by the three great masters of sculpture: Rodin, Bourdelle, and Bernard. Except for a few, they are not placed in glass cases, but are displayed so that you can feel them up close.

There are also many prints and paintings by Rembrandt, Dürer, and others on display.

In the back room hangs "The Life of a Whore," a series of paintings by William Hogarth that was said to be "better read than seen," reflecting the social climate of the time.

There are many exhibits on the second floor that will make you want to pray

The exhibits on the second floor are also impressive and surprising.

In the room titled "Gandhara Buddha Statues and Reliefs," there are rows of old Buddhist statues from Gandhara, the origin of Buddhism, and Thailand. The seated Buddha statue at the front has a strong presence. You will be amazed by his handsome and well-groomed features.

There are also many other precious Buddha statues and Buddha heads, each with a different facial feature and expression. The Nio statues are also included, making the exhibit even more fascinating the more you look at it.

There are also exhibits that give a glimpse into the lives of the residents. The Western-style houses built on high ground were built in a relatively recent era and were developed by successful merchants. For that reason, the interiors are luxuriously designed.

There are buildings blocking the view to the harbor now, but when Mr. Sansen lived there, he would have been able to see straight to the harbor. The reason he built his house on high ground was because the settlement was limited, but it was also to check whether the ship carrying his cargo had arrived, and he probably also felt a sense of nostalgia.

Makonde sculpture influenced Picasso

There is also an exhibition on the first floor, opposite the room where Saturn's Chair is located, which fills the room with sculptures from the Makonde people of East Africa.

Ebony wood has a powerful and sacred meaning because, according to legend, the first Makonde man made a doll out of ebony wood, which came to life in the morning sun and became the first Makonde woman.

Although ebony is very hard and not easy to carve, unique techniques have been developed for over 300 years to carve it for ceremonies and festivals, and it is still made as a folk craft today.

If you look closely, you will see that it has a very unique and strange appearance. Doesn't it have an atmosphere similar to Picasso's "Guernica"? Picasso was influenced by the Makonde sculptures and went on to create his own unique Picasso art.

Great value bus tickets

Kobe 1-day bus ticket

This bus ticket allows unlimited use of the City Loop and Port Loop buses that run through Kobe city for 800 yen per day. If you're planning on touring Kobe's tourist sites, use this ticket for an easy and comfortable trip.

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

Hyogo Amazing PassThis ticket is recommended for those who are considering touring Himeji and Hyogo Prefecture in addition to Kobe! This mobile ticket includes the contents of the Kobe 1-day bus ticket and allows unlimited rides on Shinki Bus route buses for 2,500 yen per day. *Limited to foreign visitors tourists visiting Japan

Click here for details and to purchase the Hyogo Amazing Pass

Let's go to Yamate Hachibankan by City Loop Bus!

Yamate Hachibankan is famous for its Saturn Chair, which is said to grant wishes, but when you visit, you'll see that what may seem at first glance to be disparate - Buddhist statues from Gandhara and Thailand, prayerful sculptures from the Makonde people, and works by famous artists - all coexist seamlessly together in the calm, unified interior and historic furniture and furnishings.

I'm sure that people who come here with worries will leave feeling lighter in their hearts.

You cannot go directly to Yamate Hachibankan by car. There is no dedicated parking lot, so you will have to use a nearby paid parking lot. However, please note that the road is narrow and there are many tourists. We recommend using the public transportation city loop bus.

Shinki Bus CITYLOOP

If you get off at the "Kitano Ijinkan" bus stop, you will find the Ijinkan Uroko Group Visitor Center, which is a one-minute walk away. It distributes tourist guide maps of the area, has an information desk, and sells admission tickets.

There are also discounted ticket sets available, such as the Kitano 7-Theater Pass and the Yamanote 4-Theater Pass. Tickets can be purchased at the Ticket Plaza or at each facility. Yamate 8th Building is about a 7-minute walk from the Visitor Center. It's all uphill, but the experience is well worth the effort.

(Writer: Ryuji Tsukamoto)

*This article is current as of June 2023. Prices include tax. Product contents and prices may be subject to change.

basic information

Yamate No.8 Building

Address: 2-20-7 Kitano-cho, Chuo-ku, Kobe

Phone number: 0120-888-581

Business hours: 10:00-18:00 (Please check the official website as it may change depending on the season)

Closed: Weekdays (open only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, seasonal changes may occur, please check the official website)

Price: Single-theater ticket: Adults (junior high school students and above) 550 yen, elementary school students 100 yen, infants free Kitano 7 museums

Tour pass: Adults (junior high school students and above) 3,000 yen, elementary school students 800 yen, infants free

Yamanote 4-Center Pass: Adults (junior high school students and above) 2,100 yen, elementary school students 500 yen, infants free

Access: JR Sannomiya Station (West Exit) to the Ijinkan Uroko Group Visitor Center; Hankyu Kobe Line "Sannomiya" Station East Exit; Hanshin Main Line "Kobe-Sannomiya" Station East Exit 5 - 15 minutes on foot from City Loop "Kitano Ijinkan" stop; 7 minutes on foot from the Visitor Center to Yamate Hachibankan

Parking: None

Official website: https://kobe-ijinkan.net

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