Kobe Rokko Meets Art 2026 beyond, a contemporary art festival held on Mt. Rokko in Kobe, has announced all 60 participating artists for its 2026 edition, running from August 29 to November 29. Advance viewing passports will go on sale from June 1, 2026.
About Kobe Rokko Meets Art 2026 beyond
Kobe Rokko Meets Art is an annual contemporary art festival held on Mt. Rokko in Kobe. Visitors can explore artworks while strolling through the mountain's rich nature and sweeping views. Mt. Rokko draws many visitors for sightseeing and leisure, offering both locals and tourists a chance for unexpected encounters with contemporary art. This year, 60 artists engage with the mountain's natural environment and layered stories, presenting a diverse range of artistic expressions. (As of June 1, 2026)
The lineup comprises 58 exhibiting artists, one special exhibition, and one specially loaned work.
Participating Artists (listed in Japanese syllabary order)
Event Overview
Event Name: Kobe Rokko Meets Art 2026 beyond
Dates: August 29 (Saturday) – November 29 (Sunday), 2026
Open throughout the run. Note: Rokko Mountain Silence Resort is closed every Monday (if Monday falls on a public holiday, closed on the following weekday instead).
Hours: 10:00 AM–5:00 PM (varies by venue)
Venues:
- Museum Area (ROKKO Mori no Oto Museum, Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden, Shinike Pond)
- Rokko Cable (Lower Station and Mountaintop Station)
- Tenrandai Observatory
- Hyogo Prefectural Rokko Mountain Visitor Center (Kinenhi-dai)
- Banno Sanso
- Kaihatsu-san no Koya (near the Athletic Park GREENIA uphill bus stop)
- Rokko Garden Terrace Area
- Natural Experience Observatory Rokko Shidare
- Wind Church Area
- Rokko Mountain Silence Resort (former Rokko Mountain Hotel)
Night Event: Hikari no Mori – Yoru no Geijutsu Sanpo (Forest of Light – Nighttime Art Walk)
Dates: Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, September 19 – November 29, 2026
Hours: 5:00 PM–8:00 PM
Venues: ROKKO Mori no Oto Museum, Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden
Organizers: Rokko Mountain Kanko Co., Ltd. / Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
Co-organizer: Rokko Maya Tourism Promotion Council
Special Grants & Sponsors: City of Kobe / Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc.
Message from the General Director
Kobe Rokko Meets Art is a contemporary art festival held annually on Mt. Rokko in Kobe. Since 2010, approximately 650 artists have participated in total. Now in its 17th edition, the festival aims to bring together the mountain's distinctive charms — a symbol of Kobe — with art and people, generating new stories from their encounter.
Shaped by geological activity spanning roughly one million years, Mt. Rokko rises steeply with abundant waterways, and has long served as the foundation for the development of Kobe Port and the region's culture. The mountain has had deep ties to people across every era: it was once an object of mountain worship; in the pre-modern period, excessive logging for daily materials left it barren; then with the port's opening in the Meiji era, foreign residents of the settlement developed it as a summer retreat. Later, with the Showa-era additions of cable cars, ski slopes, and observation decks, the mountain became a beloved leisure destination. For the people of Kobe, Mt. Rokko is an everyday landscape — one whose presence has shaped people's sensibilities and values in a way that could be said to run to a cellular level.
For the 2026 edition, the festival approaches this mountain's many layers of history and memory with care, while keeping an eye toward perspectives that open into the future. The word "beyond" carries an intention: to deeply understand the stories embedded in this land, then embrace the unknown sensibilities, intercultural exchanges, and new questions that lie beyond.
It is the hope of the festival that walking Mt. Rokko, touching its landscapes, and encountering diverse expressions will awaken dormant sensibilities within visitors, sparking new discoveries and dialogues.
— General Director: Yoshino Yamakawa
Key Initiatives for 2026
1. Sharing the Appeal of Nature and Culture Rooted in the Local Community
Through works born from engaging with Mt. Rokko's layered history and landscapes, visitors are invited to rediscover the natural environment and cultural richness this land has nurtured — alongside the pleasure of art appreciation.
2. Cultural and Artistic Advancement Through a Rich Artist Lineup
Sixty artists active both in Japan and abroad, bringing diverse perspectives, will present their work. In the open-call section, the work of next-generation artists exploring new forms of expression is realized and introduced.
3. Strengthening the Flagship Exhibition Area
Centered on ROKKO Mori no Oto Museum, where visitors can encounter art throughout the year, and the adjacent Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden, work continues to develop the area into a richly layered multi-work exhibition space.
4. Creating Opportunities for Children to Engage with Art
Workshops and other programs enabling children to experience contemporary art in nature — through their bodies, hands, and all five senses — will be held, broadening opportunities to nurture the next generation of arts and culture.
Attractions of the Mountain Venues
From the gateway "Rokko Cable Lower Station," visitors can ride the Rokko Cable to the mountaintop in about 10 minutes. The dynamic scenery from the observation facilities scattered between 730 and 880 meters above sea level is a view uniquely possible on Mt. Rokko, given its proximity to the city. Other highlights include the Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden — which cultivates alpine plants from around the world and native Rokko species, taking advantage of temperatures 5–6°C cooler than the city — ROKKO Mori no Oto Museum, where pleasant music fills not only the concert hall but also the expansive garden, and Rokko Garden Terrace, where visitors can dine and shop with panoramic views.
Festival Highlights
Works by a Diverse Range of Artists
In addition to Peace Head by Yoshitomo Nara, which became a permanent installation in 2025, this year a large-scale sculpture — Pumpkin by Yayoi Kusama, one of Japan's most iconic artists — is on specially loaned display from March 2026 in the SIKI Garden (Oto no Sansakuro) at ROKKO Mori no Oto Museum. A total of 60 artists from Japan and abroad present diverse expressions within Mt. Rokko's natural setting.
Natural Experience Observatory Rokko Shidare Returns After Four Years
The Natural Experience Observatory Rokko Shidare — conceived as "a single large tree standing atop Mt. Rokko" — is an observation deck where visitors can experience the mountain's changing seasons, from cooling breezes and "cold air experiences" in summer to ice harvesting and rime ice in winter. Designed by architect Hiroshi Sambuichi, internationally recognized as a pioneer of environmental architecture, it was completed in 2010, the festival's inaugural year. In 2026, Rokko Shidare returns as a festival venue for the first time in four years. Along with the Church on the Water (Kaze no Kyokai), designed by Tadao Ando and open to the public only during the festival period, visitors can take in these landmark architectural works atop the mountain.
Programs for Children
A variety of programs give children accessible ways to discover artistic expression — through interaction with artists and participatory works.
(1) See You in Kobe! Ryo Inoue Concert
A concert by Ryo Inoue — popular for Bijutsu-tsune!, the NHK E-tele program introducing world art through song and animation — will be held at the festival.
Date: September 12 (Saturday), 2026
Morning session: 11:00 AM–12:00 PM / Afternoon session: 2:00 PM–3:00 PM
Venue: Kobe Fashion Museum, Orbis Hall
Admission: ¥1,000 (A Kobe Rokko Meets Art viewing passport is also required separately.)
Application Period: Priority lottery: June 15 (Monday) – July 5 (Sunday), 2026
(2) Free Admission for 2,000 Children
Children aged 4 to 12 can receive a free viewing passport through the "Free Admission for 2,000 Children" campaign.
Application Period: June 1 (Monday) – August 28 (Friday), 2026
(3) Children's Program
Every Sunday, a children's program is held where children can experience various forms of expression — contemporary art, music, and more — through their bodies, hands, and all five senses amid nature.
See the official website for details on individual programs.
Viewing Passports
Passport Types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Day & Night Pass | Access to all paid venues and the night event "Hikari no Mori" |
| Day Pass | Access to all paid venues |
| Night Pass | Access to the weekend/holiday night event "Hikari no Mori" (also includes access to Tenrandai Observatory's late-night hours on the day of use) |
Paid venues: Museum Area (ROKKO Mori no Oto Museum, Rokko Alpine Botanical Garden, Shinike Pond), Tenrandai Observatory, Banno Sanso, Kaihatsu-san no Koya, Natural Experience Observatory Rokko Shidare, Wind Church Area
Adults = junior high school age and above; Children = ages 4 through elementary school; under 3 enter free
The Natural Experience Observatory Rokko Shidare is open 10:00 AM–9:00 PM. Day Pass and Day & Night Pass holders may enter from 5:00 PM–9:00 PM. Night Pass does not include access to this venue.
Where to Buy
Advance viewing passports go on sale at 12:00 AM on June 1, 2026 (Monday) at the following outlets:
- HHcrossTOWNS: https://towns.hhcross.hankyu-hanshin.jp/ticket/?flg=t011
- Asoview!: https://www.asoview.com/channel/tickets/7gLA1zW7Lz/
- Artsticker: https://artsticker.app/events/118571
- e+: https://eplus.jp/sf/word/0000055642
- Ticket Pia: https://t.pia.jp/pia/event/event.do?eventCd=2608211
- Lawson Ticket: https://l-tike.com/event/mevent/?mid=574771
- Triplabo: https://www.triplabo.jp/activity/ja/LINKTIVITY-U20NI
- Rakuten Travel Experiences: https://experiences.travel.rakuten.co.jp/experiences/35353
For more information, visit the official Mt. Rokko portal site: https://www.rokkosan.com/
