Relax - Snow blanket in Kobe

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It's a lovely Saturday morning with a pleasant winter temperature of between 3°C to 5°C.

Nonetheless, the bright morning fails to stop us from leaving our comfy lodging at the Rihga Royal Hotel in Osaka, Japan for an hour's drive to Mt. Rokko Artificial Ski Resort in Kobe. It has an artifical winter ski slope with fake snow in designated spots.

For most of us in the media group on an AirAsia familiarisation trip to Osaka, it will be our first snow experience. But not for me.

I had experienced snow while in the UK and Korea, but those snow showers were not as thick as that in any ski resort.

So I promise myself to really experience the thick snow while skiing down the slope in brightly coloured ski gear.

Though thoughts of falling and bruising certain body parts did cross my mind several times, I push these aside and instead focus on the fun that I'll be having at the resort.

The journey

The drive from Osaka to Kobe usually takes about 40 minutes but our destination, Rokko Cable Shita Station in Takaha, takes an hour to reach.

From there, the Rokko Cable Car will take us up 493m to Rokko-sanjyo Station at Rokkousan-chou, the summit. The ride takes about 10 minutes and covers a distance of 1.7km.

Lush greenery and the seasonal beauty of Mt. Rokko take our breath away and make us forget about the sheer height.

Things get better as snow starts to fall when we're halfway up. When we finally reach Rokko-sanjyo Station, the drizzle has turned to a shower. The feel of soft snowflakes brushing my face is simply wonderful.

Snow adventure

There was already a crowd when we reach Mt. Rokko Artificial Snow Ski Resort. Since we are pressed for time, we don't get to ski but we settle for a sledding adventure at Snow Wonderland instead.

After a couple of hours of fun - and no, we did not make any snowman - we move to our lunch stop, Genghis Khan Palace at Rokko Garden Terrace. The terrace is one of the finest viewing spots on the summit of Mt. Rokko.

The crowd at the sled area of the Snow Wonderland.

Across from the restaurant, up on a small hill, is Rokko Shidare Observatory, which is a unique observation platform within the Rokko Terrace Garden area.

Designed by architect Hiroshi Sambuichi, it was completed in 2010 and has become another landmark in Kobe. With an admission fee of 300 yen (S$4.80), visitors can enjoy a magnificent view of Kobe city.

The observatory is built almost entirely of hinole wood and is powered by solar and wind energy. The structure is composed of hexagonal frames that are imprinted with images of leaves. The frames are designed to attract frost in winter and in summer, air is drawn in and goes into an ice room to help cool the air.

Our snow experience only lasts while we're at Mt. Rokko.

>>Next: Kobe Mosque and Injinkan village

Kobe Mosque and Ijinkan village

We leave the mountain to visit Kobe Muslim Mosque, or Kobe Mosque, situated in the Kitano-cho foreign district of Kobe. Across the road is a grocery shop, Kitano Groceries Store, that stocks halal goods.

Also within walking distance are a number of halal restaurants, such as Naan Inn and Eopatora Restaurant.

Street artists (left) and the entrance of The Weathercock Mansion at Kitano Ijinkan Area.

From the foreign district, we move to Kobe's historical district, Kitano Ijinkan Area. Located on a hill overlooking the port in the northern part of Kobe, the district is made of Western-style residences of early foreign settlers.

It is a popular tourist spot in Kobe where they can experience both the historical and international cultures.

During the Meiji Era, after the opening of Kobe Port in 1868, foreign merchants and diplomats began to enter Kobe and many decided to settle here, marking the start of ijinkan. Each building has its own unique characteristics and features.

Ferris wheel in Mosaic Garden.

Back then, there were more than 200 ijinkan but today only 60 of the Western-style architecture remain, with 20 open to the public such as Weathercock House and Moegi House which have been designated as important cultural assets. Some of the residences have been turned into coffeehouses and restaurants.

Mosaic shopping

Next on the list is shopping. After a historical and multicultural experience in Ijinkan, we head for Mosaic Shopping Complex.

The mall is one of two largest shopping centres situated along the waterfront of Kobe Harbourland, a shopping and entertainment district located in the eastern part of Kobe Bay Area. It houses small fashion boutiques, restaurants and a movie theatre, with many overlooking the harbour.

Next to it is Mosaic Garden, a small amusement park with a ferris wheel.

The shopping area is surrounded by walking paths and promenades including a waterfront boardwalk and Gaslight Street. In the evening, the street is lit with old-fashioned gas street lights.

>>Next: Fast facts

Kobe is the capital of Hyogo Prefecture and one of Japan's 10 largest cities. Situated between the sea and the Rokko mountain range, it is considered one of Japan's most attractive cities.

An important port city for many centuries, it was among the first to be opened to foreign trade in the 19th Century alongside the ports of Yokohama, Nagasaki, Niigate and Hakodate.

Mt. Rokko Artificial Snow Ski Resort

The resort is the nearest ski ground to Osaka and Kobe. Located within the Rokkosan Country House, it is the largest recreation area on Mt Rokko.

Here, you can enjoy skiing and snowboarding (only in the evening) at the ski area, and sledding at Snow Wonderland, an exclusive ski slope for sledding and other activities in the snow. The facility is open until March 20.

Rokko Cable Car

The Rokko Cable Car, which started operations in 1932, is a single track, steep funicular line with two cars - one heading up the vertical interval and the other, down.

One is known as Classic style, painted in festive colours of green and red.

The other is called Retrospective style that carries the image of former streetcars of Kobe, with green as a base and gold as accent colour.

Each observation car is window-less but a see-through roof allows passengers to enjoy the views and the natural breeze of Mt. Rokko.

The one-way fares for the cable car are 570 yen for adult and 290 yen for children, while the return fares are 1,000 yen and 500 yen.

Kobe Mosque

Built in 1928 and opened in 1935, the mosque is the first built in Japan, befitting the English translation of the word Kobe, which is Gate Of God or God's Gate.

The mosque was built in traditional Turkish style by Czech architect Jan Josef Svagr, who designed a number of Western religious buildings in Japan. Its was funded by donations collected by the Islamic Committee of Kobe.

During the Second World War in 1945, Nagasaki and Hiroshima were bombed by the US, and Kobe was also razed to the ground but not Kobe Muslim Mosque which only suffered broken glass windows and cracks on the exterior walls.

Photos: NST

Snow blanket in Kobe

By Suryani Dalip, New Straits Times | Fri, Feb 17 2012

Apart from the magnificent views, Mt. Rokko Artificial Ski Resort offers a host of activities.

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