Nunobiki Herb Garden

photo by 663highland · CC BY-SA 3.0

Since 26 April 2026 an octagonal terrace at 400 m has looked out over the port between pools of water.

The ropeway leaves five minutes from Shin-Kobe Station and climbs in ten to the garden at 400 metres: twelve themed areas follow one another along the slope, from the greenhouse with its rose garden of sixty varieties to the lavender field that flowers between late May and early July, up to the new octagonal terrace ‘Emerald Lounge’, opened in April 2026, with reflecting pools and a view over the port.

The garden opened in 1991 together with the ropeway, built to give access to a slope of Mount Rokko that until then had been reserved for hikers: it started with 142 varieties of herbs and today grows about 200, for 75,000 plants in all (including 1,000 English lavender and 200 lavandin), across twelve themed areas. In the central greenhouse there is also a statue of love, a gift from Terni, the Umbrian city that considers itself the home of Saint Valentine. The ticket always includes both the ropeway and garden admission: the official prices page does not list a fare for the cabin alone.

ℹ️ Seasonal hours: it closes at 17:00 on weekdays for most of the year, but stays open until 20:30 at weekends and on public holidays from mid-March to early November, and every day in high summer (11 July–30 August). After 17:00 the evening return trip alone costs 2,000 yen instead of 2,500 (adults). The ropeway stops for maintenance on some days between late August and early September and for about three weeks between January and February. There is also a footpath from the station (35–60 minutes uphill) that avoids the ropeway ticket; check on the official site whether only garden admission is payable from that side.

🚉 Shin-Kobe · 28 min walk

Sources: kobeherb.com · kobeherb.com · city.kobe.lg.jp · kobeherb.com · ja.wikipedia.org · kobeherb.com · kobe-np.co.jp · fashion-press.net

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