JPN: Rokko Cable Car

8-2 Takaha, Nada, Kobe, Japan
Daily: 7.00am - 9.00pm

The reason why my BFFs and I couldn't spend a longer time Kobe Oji Zoo was that we'd be going up to Mount Rokko to enjoy the panoramic view of Kobe and Osaka. Rokko Cable Car is a funicular that has been in operation since 1932. The difference in elevation between the lower and the upper stations is 493 m.


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Before going to the lower station, it's advisable to get a Rokkosan Tourist Pass that costs ¥1,200 (~S$15.60) per person. You can get it from a few places in the Kansai region, including Kansai International Airport in Osaka, but not at the lower station itself. We purchased ours at Hanshin Electric Railway Service Centre at Sannomiya railway station.


Even if you don't use it to enter any of the paid areas at discounted rates at Mount Rokko, you still get a good deal as it includes a return bus trip to and from the lower station that costs at least ¥380 (~S$4.95), as well as a return trip on the funicular that costs ¥1,100 (~S$14.30) per adult. In addition, you can hop on and off the buses plying at Mount Rokko as many times as you want without having to pay an additional yen.


To get to the lower station, we took Bus 16 from the bus stop outside Rokko train station, which is just one stop away from Ojikoen train station.


Our journey took approximately10 minutes.

We reached the lower station just before 4.30pm, in time for the 4.40pm departure.



On average, the funicular runs at 20 to 30-minute intervals.
The funicular is the only railway line operated by Rokko May Railway, which also operates bus lines. The first departure from the lower station is at 7.10am.



We went all the way to the frontmost compartment facing up.

An advantage of being the first in line would be to take this particular photo.
 


The funicular ride takes about 10 minutes.


Somehow, I've always enjoyed the sight of a passing loop.
 


The track length is 1.7 km.
Below is a 20-second video clip.


After enjoying the view up there and getting pretty chilly, it was time to go back. Again, we happened to be the first people in the queue. 



We got our VIP seats!
What's the opposite of up, up and away? Down, down and...?



Thank you for the ride!
Here's a slightly longer video clip that I took on our way down.



From Mount Rokko, it's possible to go to Arima Onsen, a hot spring town within the city limits of Kobe, via Rokko Arima Ropeway.

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