Kobe · Kitano-choNo.132★★Open in map →
Kitano Ijinkan
— Western merchant houses on the hill
A hillside district in Kobe lined with the preserved former homes of foreign merchants, built after the port opened in 1868. Its landmark is the red-brick Weathercock House.
Kitano-cho sits on the slope beneath the Rokko mountains, a short walk north of Sannomiya. After the Port of Kobe opened in 1868, foreign traders settled on this hillside overlooking the harbour and built Western-style residences that came to be called ijinkan — literally, foreigners' houses. Several dozen survive today, described as one of the best-preserved ijinkan districts in Japan, with roughly twenty houses open to the public alongside cafes, shops and small museums. The most recognisable is the Weathercock House, whose brick walls and rooftop weathervane have become the symbol of the quarter. The steep cobbled lanes between the mansions open out onto views over the port and Osaka Bay.
Background & history
The Weathercock House was built around 1909 for the German merchant Gottfried Thomas and designed by the German architect Georg de Lalande — a two-storey timber structure faced in brick. It gained wide fame after featuring in a 1977 NHK television drama, and in January 1978 it was designated a National Important Cultural Property under its formal name, the former Thomas Residence.
What to look for — in walking order
- Weathercock House
- the district's icon, a 1909 brick residence topped by its namesake weathervane, open 9:00–17:00
- Moegi House
- the former home of an American consul, another Western mansion open to visitors
- Hillside lanes
- sloping streets between the ijinkan that open out to views over the port and Osaka Bay
- Cafes and shops
- several of the surviving mansions now hold cafes, boutiques and small museums
How to enjoy it
Start at the top of the hill at the Weathercock House when the houses open around 9:00, then wander back down the slope past the other ijinkan. The lanes are steep and partly cobbled, so wear shoes suited to a slope. Some mansions close on the third Tuesday of the month — check the venue you want before you go.
How to actually get there
- Kyoto Station -> Sannomiya Station (JR Special Rapid toward Kobe/Himeji, ~50 min; ~20 min from Osaka Station).
- Sannomiya Station -> Kitano-cho (walk north and uphill, ~15 min; or City Loop bus CL8 -> CL10, a few minutes).
- Start at the Weathercock House at the top of the hill, then walk the cobbled lanes downhill through the Ijinkan quarter.
- JR to Sannomiya, then a 15-min walk uphill
- Kyoto Station -> (JR Special Rapid toward Kobe/Himeji, ~50 min; from Osaka Station it is ~20 min) -> Sannomiya Station -> walk north and uphill to Kitano-cho, about 15 minutes. Total about 65-70 minutes from Kyoto, or about 35 minutes from Osaka. Shin-Kobe Station is also about a 15-minute walk. If you prefer to ride, the City Loop sightseeing bus stops at Sannomiya (stop CL8, for North) and reaches the Kitano Ijinkan stop (CL10) in a few minutes, running roughly every 15-20 minutes; from that stop it is still a short walk up the slope.
- Walk back down to Sannomiya
- The simplest return is to walk downhill to Sannomiya Station (about 15 minutes), where JR trains toward Osaka and Kyoto run frequently until late. The City Loop bus is an option too, but its last buses leave in the early evening (around 18:45 on weekdays), so if you plan to ride back, check the return times at the stop when you arrive.
Before you go
- Cash
- IC cards (ICOCA, Suica and other national cards) work on JR and on the City Loop bus. The City Loop single fare is about 260 yen; a one-day loop pass (about 700 yen) is sold at the Sannomiya and Shin-Kobe tourist information desks. Bring some cash for the Ijinkan admission counters.
- Closing days
- Some mansions close on the third Tuesday of the month, so check the venue you want. The lanes are steep and partly cobbled, so wear shoes you can walk a slope in.
- Another way
- If you would rather not walk up, take the City Loop bus from Sannomiya (stop CL8) to the Kitano Ijinkan stop (CL10); it runs roughly every 15-20 minutes.
- After you get off
- From the Kitano Ijinkan bus stop, it is a short walk up the slope to reach the Weathercock House near the top of Kitano-cho.