Today, I’d like to introduce HAT Kobe, a perfect area for walking and running along the seaside in Kobe. I heard that HAT Kobe stands for “Happy Active Town. The “Harbor Walk” is a 2.5-kilometer coastal promenade that stretches from east to west. With its beautiful scenery, it has been one of my favorite places for a long time.
On this particular visit, I started from JR Nada Station, although Hankyu’s Kasuganomichi Station is also conveniently close. From the south exit of Nada Station, I simply walked south toward the waterfront.
After walking through a small park in front of the station, you will see a large building on your left belonging to a company called Shimabun. It’s a beautiful building that also houses the BB Plaza Museum of Art and several restaurants. This time, I didn’t go inside but continued straight across the pedestrian bridge next to it.
Continuing a bit further, you’ll come to another pedestrian bridge with a large building on your right. This is the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art, which reportedly houses over 10,000 pieces of art. The building itself was designed by the renowned architect Tadao Ando, and you can feel the unique atmosphere of his signature exposed concrete. Proceeding straight from there will lead you to the seaside promenade, the Harbor Walk.
The Harbor Walk is a long promenade stretching east to west, and it’s often not very crowded. That’s why it’s been my favorite spot for a long time, a place I frequent when I want to take a walk and think things through. I have many memories there from times when I was struggling or feeling unsettled, so it holds a special place in my heart. Be careful, though: there’s not much shade, so it gets extremely hot if you visit in mid-summer.
The museum has a café on the side facing the sea, which I see is now the ROUND POINT CAFE. I was planning to take a rest there today, but what a surprise—it was closed!
クエリが正常に完了しました
アプリを使用せずにもう一度試す
In that case, I remember there is an area with several shops gathered on the eastern side of the Harbor Walk, so I decide to head that way. It’s still a bit hot, so I manage the walk while hydrating. When I reach the eastern end of the Harbor Walk, I can see a fishing tackle shop and other businesses. Heading toward them, I find a café run by Chocolat Republic, a famous Kobe confectionery shop, situated alongside a branch of the ramen shop “Ramen Taro” (which has several locations in Kobe), other restaurants, and diners.
Chocolat Republic often has shops in department store basement food halls (depachika) where you can buy delicious sweets to take home. However, at this cafe, you can eat your purchased items right there, and they also serve light meals like pasta. I went around a bit to enter the shop. It was air-conditioned inside and very comfortable.
This time, I had the Kobe Fresh Chocolate Mont Blanc and an iced coffee, which looked delicious. The Fresh Chocolate Mont Blanc was 550 yen, and the iced coffee was 500 yen, but they offer a set discount of 100 yen, making it a good deal. They also gave me a small baked sweet as a complimentary service. The interior of the shop is very clean and stylish, which made me feel great. Plus, there were only a few people, making it a relaxing space.
The Kobe Fresh Chocolate Mont Blanc was wonderful, with a rich, delicious chocolate flavor. Since it didn’t taste like chestnut, I believe the name “Mont Blanc” refers only to its shape. The baked sweet was also excellent; it contained dried fruit and had a slightly new and rich taste. I was very satisfied!
クエリが正常に完了しました
アプリを使用せずにもう一度試す
I was able to take a nice, long break, and as the sun began to set, I walked along the Harbor Walk again. The view on the way back, walking westward, is as the pictures below. It seems this area was historically an industrial zone, and across the water, you can see ships with a distinctive appearance, hanging tires on their sides. Seeing this scenery, which hasn’t changed from long ago, made me feel calm and settled.
Afterward, I headed toward the station to go home. However, since there is a hot spring facility called HAT Nagisa no Yu along the Harbor Walk, taking a dip in the onsen would also be a great idea. Unfortunately, it seems to be currently closed for renovation (until October 23rd, apparently). I’m thinking of visiting once it reopens.
Also, next to the hot spring, there was a sharing service called LUUP for electric kick scooters and electric bicycles. I think it might be fun to use one of those to travel along the seaside.
It was a lovely day! Why don’t you all try taking a walk around HAT Kobe when you need a moment to relax and think things through? It’s a great spot to enjoy the sea breeze, art, and a delicious treat!
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