Kobe Maritime Museum

The Kobe Maritime Museum is a maritime museum located in Meriken Park in Chuo Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, themed around “experiencing the history and future of the sea, ships, and the port.” Its distinctive large roof features a white frame inspired by the sails of a tall ship racing across the open ocean and by waves. The contrast with the “green” of the Rokko mountain range and the “red” of Kobe Port Tower is striking, and the building is widely loved by Kobe residents as a symbol of Kobe Port. Access is about a 15-minute walk from JR Kobe Line / Hanshin Railway Motomachi Station, or about a 10-minute walk from Minato-Motomachi Station on the Kobe Municipal Subway Kaigan Line. From the era of Owada-no-tomari, said to have been repaired by Taira no Kiyomori, through to the modern port of Kobe, visitors can learn clearly about how the sea, ships, port, and city have changed over time through more than 200 exhibits—including navigation instruments, ship fittings, and diorama models—along with videos and graphics. The museum also preserves part of the Meriken Wharf that collapsed in the earthquake as the “Kobe Port Earthquake Memorial Park,” helping pass on lessons from the disaster to future generations.