Nankinmachi Shunsetsu Festival – Lunar New Year Day

Kobe Nankinmachi Spring Festival 2026 — Opening Day Report [Feb 17, 2026]

February 17, 2026 marked the Lunar New Year and the opening day of Nankinmachi's Spring Festival. Even joining in the evening, we caught live music by Makiko Naruo & Ding Ding Dong and a full acrobatics show by the Tokyo Chinese Song & Dance Troupe. Plus highlights for the upcoming weekend performances.

UCC Coffee Museum Reopens After Six Years: Hands-On Experiences and New Exhibits from July 1

Japan's only dedicated coffee museum returns to Kobe's Port Island on July 1, 2026 after a six-year closure. New interactive exhibits plus four paid experience courses including roasting, blending, and 3D latte art. Admission: ¥880 adults, ¥440 children. Fully reservation-based; Aug/Sep bookings open July 1 at noon. Museum shop: no reservation needed. Entirely indoors.

Hydrangeas in Bloom at Kakogawa's Enshoji Temple | ~90 Varieties, Peak Through Around July 5

At Enshoji Temple in Shikata-cho, Kakogawa, more than 350 hydrangea plants of around 90 varieties are in bloom. The city says the peak lasts through around July 5, the staggered bloom relay through early July, and the overall season through mid-July. A rain-friendly flower temple, home to rare varieties like Hakujuko, which shifts from white to red.

Halal-Friendly Japanese Restaurant 'Honolu Premier Kobe' Opens in Sannomiya on May 26

Honolu Premier Kobe, a halal-friendly Japanese restaurant, opened in Kobe’s Sannomiya area on May 26, 2026. The restaurant offers authentic Japanese cuisine including rich chicken paitan ramen, premium wagyu dishes, vegan options, and more — all prepared to halal standards.

The Veranda Kobe: 4 New Spots Open with Forest-Floating Terraces and a 5m Hammock Net

The Veranda Kobe, the mountaintop resort above Shin-Kobe, is renewed in April. The terrace area roughly triples in size with four new spots — Garden Terrace, Emerald Lounge, Sky Bar and Hammock Sanctuary — featuring terraces that float above the forest, water mirrors reflecting sky and greenery, and a hammock net suspended about 5m above the ground. About 10 minutes by ropeway from Nunobiki Ropeway 'Herb Garden Sanroku Station'.