Kobe no Tobira (神戸のとびら) is a platform of destination-based tourism programs run by the Kobe Tourism Bureau (神戸観光局). Sales have now started for two new programs: a night tower-top experience at the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge "Bridge World" (ブリッジワールド), and a bus tour in Kita Ward where participants cook new rice in a kamado, make a mini kadomatsu, and prepare Hokushin Miso (北神みそ).
Night Tower-Top Tour of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (Kobe no Tobira Exclusive)
This Kobe no Tobira exclusive tour guides participants to the top of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge tower at a time that is not normally offered, from dusk into the night. It is a special program that lets participants enjoy scenery quite different from the daytime view.
- Dates: December 3 (Thursday) and December 5 (Saturday), 2026
- Capacity: 6 people (first come, first served)
- Participation fee: ¥26,800
What the Tour Includes
- From the tower top, about 300 m above sea level, take in the panoramic view of the evening and night scenery of Kobe and Awaji Island on opposite shores.
- Travel by car along the maintenance road that is walked on foot in the regular tour, then take an elevator and stairs up to the tower top at the end.
- Learn about the appeal and an overview of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.
Monitor Tour: Experience Satoyama Life in Kita Ward
This is a monitor tour that takes participants to a thatched-roof old farmhouse in Kita Ward, Kobe, for new-harvest rice cooked in a kamado, mini kadomatsu making, and Hokushin Miso preparation. It is a bus tour for experiencing "food" and "daily life" in the satoyama countryside of Kobe's Kita Ward, and through programs that make use of the satoyama nature and local resources, participants can get a feel for the charm of the area.
- Date: December 12 (Saturday), 2026
- Capacity: 18 people (first come, first served)
- Participation fee: ¥6,800
What the Tour Includes
- Try cooking pesticide-free new rice harvested at Aina Satoyama Park (あいな里山公園) in a kamado, a traditional cooking stove.
- Have lunch at the thatched-roof old farmhouse "Shirabeshi House" (白拍子の家), with freshly cooked new rice, miso soup with dumplings made with Hokushin Miso, and wild herb tea.
- Learn about bamboo grove maintenance and efforts to make use of bamboo resources, and try making a mini kadomatsu (a New Year pine decoration).
- Prepare miso while hearing about the characteristics of Hokushin Miso and how fermentation works. The miso you prepare can be taken home to age.
How to Book
Applications are made through the reservation form on the official website of Kobe no Tobira. Enter your name, phone number, number of participants, and other details to apply.
- Official website of Kobe no Tobira: https://kobe-door.feel-kobe.jp/
- Applications cannot be made by phone or fax.
- Cancellation fees apply after the specified date.
