Museum sights in Kōbe
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Tezuka Osamu Memorial Museum
While it's a bit of a hike from downtown Kōbe, the Tezuka Osamu Memorial Museum is a must for serious fans of Japanese manga (comic books). Located in the town of Takarazuka (a short train ride from Kōbe's Sannomiya Station), it celebrates the life and work of Tezuka Osamu, the father of Japanese animation and manga, and a man of such legendary output that his last words were rumoured to be 'I'm begging you, let me work!'.
Tezuka's creations include Tetsuwan Atomu (Astro Boy) and Black Jack and Rion Kōtei (Jungle Emperor Leo, which Disney adapted to make the film The Lion King). The museum details Tezuka's life and has several of his childhood drawings and diagrams fro…
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Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum
The Nada-ku area of Kōbe is one of Japan's major sake-brewing centres and the dominant brewer here is the famous Hakutsuru company. The Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum provides a fascinating look into traditional sake-making methods. There is not much in the way of English explanations, but the free English pamphlet should get you started. Free sake tasting is possible after you tour the facilities (ask at the counter).
Take the Hanshin line eight stops east from Sannomiya (¥180, seven minutes if you switch train at Mikage, 15 minutes if you take the Hanshin honsen train; express trains do not stop) and get off at Hanshin Sumiyoshi Station. Exit the station, walk south to …
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Kōbe City Museum
This museum has a collection of so-called namban (literally 'southern barbarian') art and occasional special exhibits. Namban art is a school of painting that developed under the influence of early Jesuit missionaries in Japan, who taught Western painting techniques to Japanese students. The entrance is on the building's east side.
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Kōbe Fashion Museum
An artificial island, the main attraction here is the Kōbe Fashion Museum. The museum's collection of mostly foreign fashion is not quite up to the dramatic building in which it's housed but it's worth a look if you're interested in fashion. To reach the museum, take the Rokkō Liner monorail from JR Sumiyoshi (four stops east of Sannomiya) and get off at the Island Centre stop.
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Kōbe Maritime Museum
The Kōbe Maritime Museum has an extensive collection of high-quality model ships and displays with some English explanations.
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