Visit HYOGO

This is a main station for the Shinkansen and regular train lines, connecting Kansai with the rest of the country. It offers easy access to Kyoto, Kobe, and Kansai International Airport, and is convenient as a base for tourism and business.

This station is the gateway to the different parts of the Tajima area, including Kinosaki Onsen and the Takeda Castle Ruins. It’s also convenient if you are hiring a rental car, and is used by large numbers of travelers as a hub for sightseeing in the northern Kinki area.

This ropeway connects Kinosaki Onsen resort town and the top of Mount Daishi. From the observation deck, you can look out over the hot spring resort and the Maruyama River as far as the Sea of Japan, and enjoy seasonal landscapes.

Sozoro aruki (the act of strolling around) and visiting the open-air baths are popular activities in this hot spring area. The wooden ryokan inns and willow trees lining the river create wonderful scenery, and the town bustles with large numbers of visitors throughout the four seasons. Enjoy a Tajima beef or crab dinner at your accommodation.

Kinosaki Marine World is more than just a place to see marine creatures!

Here, you can feel excitement that transcends an aquarium through experiences that you can enjoy with all your senses.

You can watch the dynamic swimming shows by the dolphins and sea lions with popcorn and drink in hand, as if you’re in a movie theater. There’s also an area where you can learn about the fascinating ecology and secrets of these creatures as you listen to audio guides created by their keepers.

The park includes plenty of exciting experiences for adults and children alike—for example, there’s the “fish dance,” which enables you to watch the surprising and previously unknown behavior of the marine creatures from up close, and the “rock world” where you can directly touch starfish and sea urchins.

Once you get hungry from having so much fun, head to a cafe or restaurant inside the facility. Here, you can savor gourmet foods that you can only taste here, including soft serve ice cream made with salt from Takeno Beach and juicy hamburgers made from 100% Tajima Cattle meat.

After a full day of fun, relax and sooth the tiredness of your travels in the park’s attached hotel, Hotel Kinparo. Staying here grants you the privilege of re-entering Kinosaki Marine World multiple times during your stay.

“What could be more than an aquarium?” The answer lies in lots of excitement and discoveries. Why not visit and make your own unique, special memories?

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 historic Ikuno Ginzan silver mine in Asago City in Hyogo Prefecture is one of Japan’s best old mines, with a history that is said to have started in 807.

During the Sengoku period (the “warring states” period from the middle of the 15th century to the start of the 17th century when Japan experienced civil wars and social upheaval), this mine was a such an important source of mineral resources that powerful samurai such as Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu managed it directly.

One of the greatest reasons for visiting Ikuno Ginzan is the ability to tour the mine by actually walking through the tunnels, as some of the vast 350-km tunnel network is open to the public.

You’ll discover the marks of hand-excavation from the Edo period (1603–1868), while modern machine-excavation is reproduced using realistic human models. Experience the harsh work environment of the people who worked in the mines in the past and the passion of the people who supported the development of industry in Japan.

The temperature in the tunnels is a bracing 13 or so degrees all year round, a feature that makes them a comfortable place to spend a cooling time on hot summer days.

Ikuno Ginzan has also been designated as Japan Heritage as “the Silver Mine Carriage Road (Gin no Bashamichi) and ore road running through Bantan.”

This refers to the approximately 75-km road that connects Ikuno Ginzan and Himeji Port in Hyogo Prefecture. The ore was carried down this road, and this designation recognizes its value as industrial heritage that supported the modernization of Japan.

During its long history spanning 1,200 years, Ikuno Ginzan has continued to greatly influence Japan’s economy and culture. Make sure you visit this once-prosperous mine.

This station is the gateway to the different parts of the Tajima area, including Kinosaki Onsen and the Takeda Castle Ruins. It’s also convenient if you are hiring a rental car, and is used by large numbers of travelers as a hub for sightseeing in the northern Kinki area.

This is a main station for the Shinkansen and regular train lines, connecting Kansai with the rest of the country. It offers easy access to Kyoto, Kobe, and Kansai International Airport, and is convenient as a base for tourism and business.