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 from his time as a doctor. A small theatre plays an original anime film every 20 minutes (no spoken dialogue) and the 2nd floor has booths where you can watch a variety of old episodes such as the original 1960s Astro Boy pilot. First editions of his publications are also on display, and large manga collections are available to peruse.

The museum is a five-minute walk east of Hankyū Takarazuka station. To get to this station, take the Hankyū Takarazuka line from Nishinomiya station, which is on the main Hankyū line between Osaka and Kōbe. From Kōbe's Sannomiya station, the ride takes around 45 minutes with good connections (be sure to take the tokkyū). After exiting the station, follow the scenic Hana-no-Michi (Flower Ave); when this floral pathway ends, keep going east. Look for the building capped with a glass globe.