English House and other Ijinkan, Kitano-cho, Kobe

The English House—Detective Costumes

Rhine House + Rokko Cafe  

We took a day trip to Kobe, which isn't far from Himeji. We'd taken a trip focused on the Kitano-cho district in Kobe the first time we were in Japan, and while we'd passed through the area a couple of times since returning, we hadn't gotten around to really exploring it again since our first visit. We decided to finally return for a second Kobe visit focused on this area.

Kitano-cho is famous for its ijinkan, homes originally built mainly for foreigners when the city opened up to international trade during the Meiji Period. We spent most of the day visiting a handful of ijinkan we'd never been to before, although there are still others we didn't get around to visiting.

The Rhine House was our first major destination for the day. It was built in 1915 and had recently received renovations, as there was damage from a previous earthquake. The first floor had a small gift shop and photo area, while the second floor had a few displays and one room with a temporary gallery of a local artist's work. Admission to this residence is free! Next to the residence is Rokko Cafe, a cute spot to stop by and eat some dessert. We tried their pistachio ice cream, a new flavor for us!

The English House

Across the street is the English House, maybe one of the more famous ijinkan in the neighborhood. The admission fee is 750 yen per person. Its theme is particularly focused on Sherlock Holmes, with a replica of his room on the second floor. Before you enter, there is an area where you can choose a detective outfit to wear while exploring the house. It may be a bit cheesy, but it's also fun for the inner child! 

Hilltop House 

 

From the English House to the Hilltop House is only an 8-minute walk, with a bit of an incline appearing close to Hilltop House. This building used to be where the Chinese consulate was based in, but now it functions as a small museum with different Chinese items and artwork displayed throughout the house. There is an admission fee. Some of the houses in Kitano-cho have a combined ticket that includes admission to various places, or you can pay the individual fee per place. Since we were only visiting a handful of ijinkan, we didn't get a combined ticket. Afterwards we grabbed dinner and dessert. We usually like to grab taiyaki whenever we are in Kobe. This time we tried a new stand before heading back home. You can't go wrong with taiyaki, a Japanese fish-shaped cake with a (usually sweet) filling. 

 

Taiyaki Street Food