“KOBE ROKKO MEETS ART 2024 beyond” is a contemporary art festival held every year on Mt. Rokko. This article will tell you how to enjoy the artworks in an efficient and satisfactory way, including how to get to the top of the mountain, what to wear, and some recommended spots.

1. What is “KOBE ROKKO MEETS ART 2024 beyond”?

This is a contemporary art festival where visitors can enjoy artworks exhibited on Mt. Rokko in Kobe while hiking around the area.

Since 2010, a total of more than 520 artists have participated. In 2024, for the 15th time, the event was reborn as “Kobe Rokko Meets Art 2024 beyond” with the theme of “Find new perspectives”.
In today’s world of dizzying information exchange, everyone seems to have a tendency to judge things from existing perspectives and rush to conclusions.
Just as you can have a heightened view after walking up the mountain and through the forest, a landscape of contemporary art created with various expressive techniques unfolds beneath you, expanding your field of view.
Kobe Rokko Meets Art is to create an art festival with artists, where you can leave your daily life behind and encounter a variety of values on a journey through the attractions of Mt. Rokko.

Date: August 24 (Saturday) – November 24 (Sunday), 2024

Hours: 10:00-17:00 (varies by venue)
*No closing day. Only the Rokkosan Silence Resort will be closed on Mondays between August and October (except when Monday falls on a national holiday, in which case the museum is closed the following day).

Kobe Rokko Meets Art 2024 beyond will continue focusing on the following 4 initiatives from last year.
1. Enhancing the lineup of exhibiting artists
More than 60 artists, both invited and publicly recruited, are scheduled to participate—the highest number ever. The festival will feature works by Japanese and international artists representing a diverse range of perspectives.

2. Enhancing the symbolic site of the art festival
The Outdoor Art Zone established in 2023 at the Rokko Musical Box Museum & Gardens MORINONE will be further enhanced to allow visitors to view artworks all year, not just during the exhibition period.

3. Expansion of the Trail Area
The Trail Area, where artworks are displayed along mountain walking paths, will be further expanded, allowing visitors to enjoy art while discovering the charms of Mt. Rokko.

4. Creating opportunities for children to engage with art
Opportunities will be increased for children to interact with contemporary art in nature through workshops and other activities to nurture the next generation of leaders and supporters of art and culture.

2. Access to Mt. Rokko and Ticket Deals

Mt.Rokko is conveniently accessible from Kobe Sannomiya and Osaka Umeda area. Get off at either Hankyu Railway Rokko Station, JR Rokko-michi Station, or Hanshin Electric Railway Mikage Station, and take Kobe City Bus No. 16 or 106 from in front of the station to Rokko Cable Shita Station, the entrance to Mt. It takes only 10 minutes to the top of the mountain by Rokko Cable.

Viewing passports and special train tickets can be purchased at the Rokko Cable Shita Station.
If you purchase an Artwork Appreciation Passport, you can enter the four paid facilities (Rokko Musical Box Museum & Gardens MORINONE, Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden, Chapel of the Wind Area, and Trail Area) for a discount compared to purchasing tickets at each facility. Passports for viewing artworks can also be purchased at the station on the mountaintop.

●Adult (13 years old and older) 3,000 yen
●Child (4 to 12 years old) 1,200 yen

On Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from September 21 to November 24, a light-up event called “Hikari no Mori – Night Art Stroll ” will be held at Rokko Musical Box Museum & Gardens MORINONE and Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden. Prices with Night Pass are different.

●Adult (13 years old and older) 4,000 yen
●Child (4 to 12 years old) 1,700 yen

Besides, Omote-Rokko Round Trip ticket is recommended, which includes both the Rokko Cable and the Rokko Sanjo Bus. Since you will need to get on and off the bus frequently to visit each facility, buying this ticket will allow you to get on and off the bus many times without the need for coins, and the fare is very economical. The ticket can be purchased only at the Rokko Cable Station, so be careful not to forget to buy it.

• Adult (13 years old and older) 1,500 yen
• Child (4 to 12 years old) 750 yen

Rokko is located near Arima Onsen, one of Japan’s “Three Famous Hot Springs.” We recommend that you incorporate a visit to the hot springs before or after your visit to Mt. Rokko Arima Ropeway, one of the venues, is available for access.

3. How to visit facilities on Mt. Rokko

The Rokko Sanjo Bus operates between the various facilities on the mountain. Bus schedules are available at each bus stop and on the MAP distributed at the site. Some areas do not have many buses, so we recommend that you check the bus schedule and decide how long you will stay. If you have trouble figuring out bus times, please refer to the model course to get around the area.

IC cards are not accepted on the Rokko Sanjo Bus. If you are not comfortable with this, we recommend you purchase a “Rokko Sanjo Bus 1-DAY Ticket”. The ticket can be purchased at the Rokko Cable Sanjo Station.

●Adult (13 years old and older) 500 yen
●Child (4 to 12 years old) 250 yen

4. Recommended Clothing and What to Bring

It is about 5 degrees cooler on top of Mt. Rokko. It is fine during the hot August to early September, but from mid-September onward, it is recommended to bring a piece of clothing that is easy to put on and take off, as the weather in the mountains is changeable.
Also, please wear shoes that are easy to walk in, such as sneakers, etc., as the trail area is on forest roads and some of the paths in the facilities are hilly or difficult to walk on. A backpack or similar bag that allows you to keep both hands open is also recommended.

The following is a report of Kobe Rokko Meets Art 2023 and please wait for the latest report of 2024.

5. Recommended artworks and time required for each area

The work that greets us at the Sanjo Station is “Pierrot” “roulette” by Masaomi TODOROKI. This work makes us feel a strong sense of discomfort.

Approximate viewing time: 20-30 minutes

The works submitted to “Rokko Meets Art 2023 beyond” will be awarded on August 25, the day before the opening of the event. This year’s grand prix winner is Kaoru SOTOME’s “food landscape”. The five cows made of nets look as if they are really eating. Kaoru Gogetsujo said that visitors are encouraged to look out from behind the cows, enter the cows, and try to feel how the cows feel.
*You can get close and take pictures only when the artist is there.

Approximate viewing time: 15-20 minutes

The artwork is displayed in the restaurant “Sora no Dining” across the street from the main building. It is possible to enter the restaurant only to view the artworks, but since this is a special opportunity, we recommend that you dine in the space where the artworks are located.

Approximate viewing time: 10 minutes

“Moon Plants” by YUGO KONISHI (Tama plant s) catches the eye as soon as you enter the outdoor area of the Rokko Musical Box Museum & Gardens MORINONE. The most attractive thing about this work, which was created based on the assumption that plants were born here, is that visitors can experience the space inside themselves. We invite you to enter the space and experience it for yourself. This work is made of a material with fluorescent paint kneaded into it, so it emits light at night, making it very beautiful.

The work shown here is “Princess Dorian” by Nobuo MITSUNASHI. The stone pavement beneath the work is made of paving stones from the Hanshin Electric Railway tracks. The paving stones are scheduled to remain after the closing of the exhibition, and we look forward to seeing how the work will be utilized long after Princess Dorian is gone.

In addition to the artworks scattered throughout the museum, there are many other places to enjoy the nature of Mt. Rokko, such as hammock areas and tree houses.

Lemonade with the label “Rokko Meets Art 2023 beyond” is available at the Mori no Café in the museum. The lemonade, made with natural water from Mt. Rokko, has a refreshing taste perfect for hot days.

Approximate viewing time: 90-120 minutes

Single tickets: Adults 1,500 yen, Children 750 yen

After walking a little further in the park, you will see Kazuya KITAURA’s “Picnic on Circle Circus” in the middle of the pond. The motifs are based on the three monuments associated with Mt. Rokko: the pheasant monument on the Tenran Observatory at the Sanjo station, the urinating boy in the alpine botanical garden, and the character on the signboard of the Mt. If you are a first-time visitor, look for the Pissing Little Boy in the Alpine Botanical Garden.

This is “Camouflage Print” by Mao SHIBATA. The image of a beech tree on Mt. Rokko is used as the inspiration, and the actual size of the beech leaf is printed digitally on the canvas. Mr. Shibata said he created this work to blend in with the nature of Mt. Rokko, and he is looking forward to seeing how it will look in the future as the mountain changes color.

This is “overflowing” by Miisa KATO. This work is made of about 700 highly transparent and strong water blocks. The impression changes completely depending on the weather and time of day, so it is fun to visit several times at different times. Also, observe the people and scenery reflected in the blocks.

Approximate viewing time: 60-90 minutes

Single tickets: Adults 900 yen, Children 450 yen

The new trail area is an area where visitors can walk and view the artworks on foot. Walk from Rokko Cable Yamagami Station or from Rokko Musical Box Museum & Gardens MORINONE. Please note that there are steep slopes on the way, so please be careful if you are not confident with your legs. Although the official time estimate is 120 minutes, the minimum viewing time is 60 minutes.

Tohru NAKAZAKI’s “Sunny Day Light/Haru & Teru” is a traveling installation utilizing an old mountain villa that has remained on Mt. Rokko since prewar times, and tells the story of two people, Hal and Tell, who visited the villa as a summer retreat.

Approximate viewing time: 60-120 minutes

Single tickets: None

One of the works you should not miss is Noboru TSUBAKI’s “Daisy Bell” at Tadao Ando’s “Chapel of the Wind”. The Chapel of the Wind is one of a trilogy of chapeles designed by architect Tadao Ando, along with the Chapel of Water and the Chapel of Light.

The approach to the building is nice.

A large air sculpture is installed inside the church building. Its size and the movement created by the air are overwhelming. The motif is a gorilla with daisy flowers. With this work, whose title is taken from the song “Daisy Bell,” which is believed to be the world’s first song sung by a computer, Tsubaki has presented “a fundamental question about homo sapiens running amok as a pawn of technology.

You can push past the sculptures and walk deeper and deeper into the museum.

Seven other works can be viewed at the nearby Rokkosan Art Center.

Approximate viewing time: 90-120 minutes

The Rokko Garden Terrace area has three restaurants and one food terrace, making it a convenient base for lunch and souvenir shopping. On display on the terrace overlooking not only Kobe but also Osaka is Masayoshi TAKEDA’s “case”. It is named “case” because it is hollow inside.

Although it is not included in the passport to view artworks, the Shidare Museum, a naturalistic observatory Rokko Shidare, is also a must-visit spot.

Nature Experience Observatory Rokko Shidare “Shidare Museum”

●Adult (13 years old and older) 1,000 yen
●Child (4 to 12 years old) 500 yen

Scattered throughout the area are NOSEREINA’s “PYONCOS”. She says that the discomfort and inexplicable feeling of discomfort between the photographs and the scenery, when shared with others, generates new discoveries and ideas about everyday life. Please talk with people in your neighborhood about what you find strange in the works.

Approximate viewing time: 30 minutes

The Rokko-Arima Ropeway Sancho Station is about a 5-minute walk from the Rokko Garden Terrace area.

On display on the first floor is “HIRAGANA CIRCUS” by Sayaka TSUCHIYA. The concept of this work is “46 poses of hiragana characters that you can’t help but want to imitate”.

On display on the second floor is Miki WANIBUCHI’s “Beyond the FUKEI”. The concept of this work is the abstraction of landscapes, and although from a distance it looks like mere dots, up close you can feel the traces of manual work and the realism of objects. They are raising the issue that although we live in a world of convenience with the development of social networking and the Internet, they want us to look and think carefully.

Approximate viewing time: 15-20 minutes

6. Recommendations for places to eat

This dining room overlooks Osaka and Kobe. Lunch is mainly courses, and is recommended for those who can take their time. It is also open until 8:00 p.m. (last entry at 7:00 p.m.), so it can be used as a dinner after sightseeing.

Located inside the Rokko Musical Box Museum & Gardens MORINONE, this café offers semi-self-service one-plate lunches and café menu items. There is also seating outside, so it is pleasant to eat on the terrace when the weather is nice.

Other plans include a reservation plan with lunch for a private use of the park’s 360-degree transparent “SIKI Dome,” which is recommended for those who want to spend a relaxing time at the Rokko Musical Box Museum & Gardens MORINONE.

Click here for details of SHIKI Dome Reservation Plan

There are two entrances to the Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden, and Café Edelweiss is located near the east entrance. We recommend the terrace seats overlooking the trees of the botanical garden.

This semi-self-service restaurant offers a casual Western menu of curry rice, hamburgers, stews, and other dishes. Seats by the window overlook the cityscape of Kobe.

This food court is perfect for those who are hungry for a bite to eat, offering not only udon and ramen, but also local delicacies such as Yamamitsu Curry Bread and Rokko Miso Dango. You can dine outdoors on the terrace.

Many Japanese people probably associate Mt. Rokko with Genghis Khan. It has been a specialty of Mt. Rokko since ancient times. Enjoy the view from the mountain while eating Genghis Khan.

This café offers chef’s special dishes and sweets made with seasonal ingredients. The view is perfect here, too.

There are not many places to eat, so all the restaurants are crowded during lunchtime on weekends and holidays. Try to eat well by staggering your meals or using take-out.

7. Model route

Finally, for those who have trouble figuring out bus connections, or would like to go but access is a bottleneck, here is a model route on the mountain.

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Rokko Cable Sanjo Station (Departure: 10:35)

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Memorial Monument (10:38 arrival / 10:58 departure)

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Rokko Garden Terrace (11:04 arrival / 12:55 departure)

Lunch is also available here.

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Alpine Botanical Garden (12:57 arrival / 13:17 departure)

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Museum mae (13:18 arrival / 14:58 departure)

For those who are tired, we recommend spending a relaxing time at the Café or in a hammock.

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Rokko Cable Sanjo Station (15:00 arrival)

Rokko Meets Art is an autumn-only event that can be enjoyed along with the beautiful nature of Mt. The artwork changes every year, so be sure to visit this annual autumn event.