JPN: Meriken Park

2-2 Hatobacho, Chuo, Kobe, Japan

Built on a reclaimed land, Meriken Park is Kobe's most popular waterfront park. Once devastated by the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, it's now home to some of the iconic landmarks of the port city. The word 'Meriken' was how the Japanese referred to an American during the Meiji period, simply because there used to be a US Consulate General near the park.


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Established in 1887, the park has become a spot for relaxation and jogging among many locals.


Fish in the Forest is a nice-looking restaurant, though I didn't get a chance to try it.

Eagle and Salmon: a sculpture donated by Port of Seattle in the USA
Look at the two interesting wall paintings.



A section of Meriken Park is dedicated to Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park.


Measuring 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale, the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake
claimed close to 6,500 lives. About 70% of them were from Kobe.


Imagine what happened at the highway...


It was such a sunny morning when my BFFs and I were there, though there were some dark clouds hanging in the skies.



“Hope holds you fast like an anchor so you don't give way.” ~ Philip Pullman


Did you know that the Port of Kobe handled the most containers in the world in the 1970s?

Kobe Port Tower and Kobe Maritime Museum are two recognisable structures that are often used as the background image when it comes to the weather forecast of the city.

Kobe Maritime Museum first opened its door in 1987 to mark the 120th anniversary of the port.


Standing at 108 m, the sightseeing tower was completed in 1963. We didn't go up to the observatory floor, but we did take a look at its first floor where there are images of the various towers of Japan.



Would you like to stay at Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel (4*) that's shaped like a luxury liner, or perhaps enjoy a cup of Starbucks coffee at the park?

BE KOBE monument and the 4* hotel in the background


Don't ask me what's that structure that looks like a phallus.

There are sculptures that somehow reminded me of Moai statues that can be found in Easter Island at first. Those are dedicated to the young people who passed on during their time in the Naval Training Centre in Onohama, Kobe in the past.



There's also another popular hotel within the park, which is Hotel Okura Kobe (4*) located behind Kobe Maritime Museum.

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