Visit HYOGO

This park lies on the easternmost edge of Honshu’s lowest central watershed (1,250 meters long). It holds a man-made waterfall; Miwakare Pond, which symbolizes a watershed; an outdoor stage; and a children’s plaza, enabling visitors to experience nature while becoming familiar with water. Deeper inside the park you’ll find a forest “bathing” route with untouched nature and murmuring streams—this park is also home to abundant wild birds.

Lavender Park Taka is one of Kansai’s best lavender gardens, spread over a gently sloping hill in a valley. The whole surface of the park is dyed purple in the early summer, gently enveloping visitors in a fresh scent. Take a leisurely walk along the pathways and spend a soothing time here as your mind naturally unwinds.

The lavender is at its peak from mid-May to mid-July. The French lavender (Lavandula stoechas) blooms first (mid-May), followed by the English lavender (Lavandula angustifolia, around June) and then the lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia, end of June to mid-July), each creating a different vista for your enjoyment: one of the great charms of this park. There are around 20,000 lavender plants here, and the whole hillside is engulfed in a gradation of purple.

The park is also full of experiences that will help you put your memories into physical form. The lavender-picking experience allows you to dry the flowers that you pick and create a sachet with them. In Cafe Lavender, you can savor original products such as lavender cream soda, with a slight lavender aroma. Gohantei, which makes use of local ingredients, offers its all-you-can-eat Japanese tamago kake gohan egg-on-rice made with Banshu-jitamago eggs from within Taka Town and Koshihikari rice.

Even outside the lavender season, you can enjoy the landscape of blooming seasonal flowers and terraced rice fields, as well as snowy winter scenery. There is even a wide area for children to play as they please in this vast park, so we also recommend it for families.

People have known about these hot springs since the Heian period (794–1185), giving them a history of 1,300 years.

Kinosaki Onsen, together with Arima Onsen and Yumura Onsen, are the representative hot springs of Hyogo Prefecture.

Staying in a traditional ryokan inn in this hot spring resort enables you to visit the open-air baths free of charge. You can enjoy strolling the streets in a yukata (an informal kimono) here.

Genbudo Park in Toyooka City in Hyogo Prefecture is a special place designated as a national Natural Monument.

Visitors are captivated by its magnificent landscape, formed around 1.6 million years ago by volcanic activity.

Its greatest appeal is the overwhelmingly impactful columnar jointing.

Formed when magma cooled and hardened, the regular hexagonal columns stretch out in an innumerable row: truly art shaped by nature.

Within the park, the Genbudo (basalt) Cave (the cave after which the park is named) stands out for its vastness and the beauty of the splendid columns spread along the inside. Stand before them and you’ll certainly feel the power of the Earth for yourself.

In addition to the Genbudo Cave, there are four other caves in the park: Seiryudo Cave, with a mysterious blue-tinted rock surface, Byakkodo Cave, with white columns, and the impressive North and South Suzakudo Caves. New discoveries and inspirations await each time you explore them.

In the nearby Genbudo Museum, you can have fun learning about the story of the creation of Genbudo, globally important ores, and fossils. It also houses a restaurant, cafe, and souvenir corner, so make sure you drop in for a visit.

Why not experience a trip to cleanse your heart, away from the hustle and bustle of the everyday, where you can listen to the beat of the Earth?

Did you know that there’s a place called the “castle in the sky” in Hyogo Prefecture?

In the early morning of a late autumn day, shrouded by a thick morning mist, the castle ruins on top of the 353-meter-high mountain appear as a solitary island floating in a sea of clouds. This magical vista that has captivated so many people has led to the castle being known as “the castle in the sky” and “the Machu Picchu of Japan.”

You’ll see this wondrous view from late September when the temperature is particularly low to early December. Fine, cold mornings offer the opportunity to discover the cloud sea. For the best way to appreciate the castle ruins floating in the clouds, we recommend viewing them from a place called Ritsuunkyo, located across the way.

However, Takeda Castle’s charms don’t stop with the cloud sea. It appears completely different in each season. In spring, cherry blossoms bloom along the stone walls, enabling you to enjoy the contrast between the powerful stone walls and the brilliant flowers. In summer, you can see the imposing castle ruins against the backdrop of a blue sky as the greenery flourishes. Then there’s winter. On snowy days, the castle transforms into a snowscape. The monochrome scenery possesses a calm, mysterious beauty different to every other season.

The Takeda Castle Ruins are full of a historical spirit that will make you feel as though you’ve slipped back in time. Simply standing by the stone walls, which have carried the castle’s original appearance down over 600 years to the present day, enables you to feel the weight of their history and magnificent spirit.

Whichever season you visit, you’re sure to find unforgettable views. Why not choose Takeda Castle Ruins as a destination on your next trip?

The Tonomine Highlands in Kamikawa Town in Hyogo Prefecture is a magnificent plateau stretching across an elevation of 900 meters and known for its mass of silver grass. Its awesome scale and fairytale-like beauty has made it famous as a location for movies and NHK’s long-running “Taiga” drama series.

The Tonomine Highlands‘ greatest appeal is its silver grass. In the fall, it is completely covered by masses of silver grass that sway and glimmer in the wind, creating breath-taking loveliness. Walking through the highlands, colored with gold, is like being lost in another world!

These highlands boast an expansive area around the size of 19 Tokyo Domes, but there are wooden trails to make walking easy, enabling you to take a leisurely stroll. Make sure you bring a coat or other clothing to keep off the cold during the silver grass season.

You should also drop in to the Tonomine Shizen Koryukan when visiting the highlands. The attached terrace offers wonderful sweeping highland views, and you can also enjoy superb charcoal-cooked dango (salty-sweet rice dumplings). The neighboring single-story soba eatery Koryuan serves freshly made and cooked soba noodles.

It's not just the silver grass in the fall; the Tonomine Highlands are attractive all year round, throughout the four seasons, with new greenery from spring to summer and snowscapes in the winter. The highest point offers extensive 360-degree views that only visitors to the highlands can enjoy, and depending on when you visit, its appearance is beautifully transformed by the morning sun, sunset, and starry skies. If you visit at night, we recommend the Tonomine Highlands as an astronomical observation point.

Enjoy a stunning and deeply moving landscape in a place where you can experience the beauty of the four seasons.

These hot springs flow in an area that holds historic remains, including famous locations connected to the 47 Ronin such as Oishi Shrine and Ako Castle. In 2000, as the quality of the spring waters decreased, a new natural hot spring source was unearthed from 1,600 meters underground to supply hot water, and the area took the opportunity to rename itself “Ako Onsen.” Here, you can enjoy leisure activities such as swimming in the sea and golf, as well as the scenery from the cape, with stunning views.

Cherry blossoms bloom along the tourist road from Ako Misaki in Setonaikai National Park to Sakoshi. Approximately 1,700 Yoshino cherry trees grow in this park. The blossoms, blooming with the color of the sea behind them, offer a beautiful contrast.

Hyogo Ako Seaside Park charms with its beautiful environment, offering harmony with the sea and natural world. Here, you can enjoy a variety of activities and leisure time, including picnics, sports, and camping. It also holds a science museum, where you can have fun learning about the mechanism of the ocean and salt, appealing with experiences that stimulate intellectual curiosity.

The excitement doesn’t stop for children or adults in Tateho Wakuwaku Land, a popular area with an abundant variety of play equipment. The cycle monorail, which overlooks the whole park from the sky, allows you to enjoy an exhilarating ride through the air as you feel the sea breezes. Make the most of an exciting moment where you can return to childhood as you ride wonderfully individual bicycles.
We also recommend the Wanpaku Square for small children. They can move around and play to their hearts’ content on the athletic play equipment, separated by age.

The large lake that lies in the center of the park is the place to enjoy rowing or paddle boats. The landscape of the park is still fantastic when seen from the surface of the water. Savor a special time with family or friends as your boat gently rocks. Once you tire of playing, we recommend enjoying a picnic on the wide lawn area. When the sun starts setting, head to Taiyo no Oka (Hill of the Sun). The spectacle created by the orange-dyed sky and sparkling sea makes for a romantic atmosphere, and will surely become an unforgettable memory.