Why You Should Visit
A day of ships and harbour life at Kobe Port Terminal, timed to the call of the cruise ship Mitsui Ocean Fuji. Captains and operations directors take the stage, cruise lines set up information booths, and hands-on corners let you pose in a captain's uniform or learn sailors' knots. In the late afternoon the Kobe City Fire Department band plays the ship out of port, and UW signal flags — a wish for a safe voyage — are handed out. The following Sunday her sister ship Mitsui Ocean Sakura makes her first-ever call at Kobe. You cannot board the ships, but it's a week to see them up close.
Programs
Timetable & Map
Essentials
- location
- Kobe Port Terminal, 3F lobby
- period
- September 27, 2026 (Sun) - October 4, 2026 (Sun)
- Time
- Sun 27 Sep 12:00–17:00 (main festa) / Sun 4 Oct 9:00–13:00 (stamp point at Naka Pier Passenger Terminal)
- cost
- Free admission and participation (except some sales booths). Hands-on activities and giveaways are limited and end when supplies run out.
- Links
- Kobe · Gluten-free
- access
- Right at Port Terminal Station on the Port Liner; about 5 minutes from Sannomiya.
- TICKETS / REGISTRATION
- No application is needed. Just come to the venue in the 3F lobby of Kobe Port Terminal on the day.
- NOTE
Ships to watch
- Mitsui Ocean Fuji (entered service 2024)
- Mitsui Ocean Sakura (entered service 2026; first call at Kobe)
- Both 32,477 GT, 198.19 m long, 458 passengers, operated by Mitsui Ocean Cruises
- Other cruise ships are also due to call during Ocean Week, 27 September – 4 October
Parking and food
- There is a car park but spaces are limited; the organisers ask visitors to use public transport
- No dining facilities in or around the Port Terminal (the food truck at the venue sells only baumkuchen)
Rain
- Held in rain; may be cancelled in severe weather such as a typhoon
*You cannot board the ships.
*Arrival and departure times and berths may change without notice. Calls from October onward are due to be posted on the official site from September.
*Times and content may change; part or all of the event may be cancelled due to weather.
Basque cheesecakeBaked with rice flour, no wheat. Whole 12cm, serves 2-3¥4,700 incl. shipping (Japan only)FAQ
Can I go inside the cruise ships?
Do I need a reservation?
Is it good for families with children?
Is it cancelled if it rains?
Calendar
Add it to your calendar so you can check back on it later.
Events
Events nearby & around the same time
Other events happening around the same time or in a similar area.

7/30 - 9/30
Miffy × Kobe Port Tower: Night Time
Kobe Port Tower and venues across the Kobe waterfront
9/19 - 11/23
Kamen Rider × The Power of Nature
Kobe Maritime Museum, 2F Special Exhibition Room
4/11 - 10/4
Felissimo Chocolate Museum Special Exhibitions
Felissimo Chocolate Museum, Stage Felissimo 2F (Chuo Ward, Kobe)
9/12 - 11/30
Kitano Mystery Walk: A Letter from Holmes
Starts at Ichinomiya Shrine; Yamamoto-dori to Kitano area, Chuo-ku, Kobe

9/16 - 9/29
Charles Fazzino 3D Art Exhibition
Kobe Hankyu Main Building 4F Art Gallery
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Events
What to do in Kobe this weekend?

5/2 - 3/20
Kobe Port Weekend Fireworks 2026–27 | Weekend Fireworks off Meriken Park
Meriken Park

7/30 - 9/30
Miffy × Kobe Port Tower: Night Time
Kobe Port Tower and venues across the Kobe waterfront

8/1 - 9/30
KOBE MOON HOPPING 2026
Participating venues around Sannomiya, Kobe (one in Tarumi Ward)

9/19 - 12/26
EAT LOCAL KOBE Farmers Market
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10/3
Bshop Ongakusai 2026
Kobe (Venue TBA. Previous: Meriken Park)

10/3 - 10/4
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