TID Travel Journal "M.V. Explorer Welcome Tour"   By TID, Spring 2006 update

On November 23 last year when the m.v. Explorer (24,318 tons) entered into the port of Kobe, the Kobe City Government and The Hyogo Prefecture International Tourism Promotion Committee invited the students of "Semester at sea on University of Pittsburgh" to tour Kobe City.

In the morning, Kobe city staff and Hyogo Tourism Association TIDs welcomed them at the Port Terminal of Kobe Port. Many voluntary guides joined the students groups to interprete. We divided the students into two groups and each TID joined in two groups separately.

We showed them the following tourist spots in the City of Kobe.

[Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution
(The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Museum)] (groups A & B )

The students from the U.S. saw video clips from after the great Hanshiln-Awaji Earthquake. First we entered into the "1.17 Theater" and went through "City Just After the Earthquake". Then we watched the documentary films that showed the states of towns and people in recovery and reconstruction process after the earthquake. After that we saw actual-earthquake materials and actual data displayed in the hall.

[Sakagura: Hakutsuru Sake Brewery] (groups A & B)

Hakutsuru Sake Brewery has been making sake since 1743. The museum shows the traditional sake brewing with life-sized figures and tools. We saw a video in English about old and modern sake brewing. After seeing inside the museum we were allowed to taste the final product. All the participants enjoyed this very much.

[Mt. Rokko Memorial Monument] (group A)

In the afternoon group A went up to the top of Mt. Rokko (911 m) by bus via Omote-Rokko Driveway. The surrounding scenery of the road was very beautiful because the scarlet maple leaves were displaying their autumn colors. They watched the scenery quietly as if it reminds of their home towns. When they arrived at the monument of Arthur Haskth Groom the cultivator of Mt. Rokko, they looked down calmly at the wonderful scenery of Kobe City from the top of the mount.

[Kitano Meister Garden] (group A)

In this workshop they were able to find Kobe brand goods. This garden founded as a base for local industries reusing the abolished primary school. The students experienced to make a Japanese round fan by themselves using traditional Japanese paper. They folded a piece of paper to smaller and smaller squares. Then they partly put the paper into the 4 kinds of special paints. They made each in their own way, and I saw the final products made in various kinds of design. This was a very unique and fun experience for them. Until these fans were dry they visited a booth where they earnestly watched how Japanese paper is made. When the fans were dry they visited a confectionery booth with chocolate, cake. They also visited the booths of shoes, handicrafts such as pressed flowers.

[Akashi Kaikyo Bridge/Maiko Marine Promnade] (group B)

The next destination was Maiko. They were able to gazeout at a beautiful view of the coast of Kobe City and the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge (3,911 m) that connects Kobe and Awaji Island. They appreciated the splendid view of this bridge. The Maiko Marine Promenade is 150 meters long and located just beneath the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge 47 meters above the sea. They could enjoy the scene of both Kobe and Akashi Cities through windows from the tea room as they sipped coffee and ate ice cream.

[Sumadera Temple/Ichigenkin] (group B)

The last destination was the Sumadera Temple. This is an old temple related to the battle between the Genji and Heike Clans in the 12th century. They watched a performance of the unique Japanese "Ichigenkin" (a one-string 110 centimeter long musical instrument). During the 9th century a man called Ariwara-no-Yukihira, a noble man working at the Imperial court, was banished from Kyoto to Suma. He made a Japanese harp with a small piece of driftwood and a string from his hut while he walked around Suma beach. This is the origin of Ichigenkin, the one string musical instrument. It's been designated an important cultural property of Hyogo Prefecture.

As written above the students could enjoy their trip in the city of Kobe and left late at night from the Port of Kobe.