Kobe Port Tower — Attraction in Kobe

The trip to Japan was supposed to be wonderful until we visited the Kobe Tower on August 29th... It was 4:30 PM, and I excitedly rushed to the Kobe Tower hoping to see the Miffy exhibition. Unsure where to find the exhibition and how to purchase tickets, I asked a male staff member on the first floor. He spoke extremely fast, and his tone and gaze were very cold and rude. After quickly saying something in Japanese, he immediately turned to the window and started chatting with a female staff member.

We were still uncertain whether we needed to buy the 1,000-yen or 1,200-yen ticket, so we politely asked him again. However, he kept talking with his colleague and deliberately ignored our presence. Even though his colleague noticed us and repeatedly reminded him that customers were waiting for help, he continued chatting... From the look in his eyes, it was clear that he was both dismissive and impatient.

This male staff member’s attitude was clearly highly unprofessional... We had no choice but to go to the second floor and ask another female staff member. Fortunately, we got the answers we needed. Kobe is a very beautiful city, but this experience left me with a very bad...

What you see from the outside (especially at night) is much better than what you see from the inside. It's not very high and the way they try to force you to make your way thru souvenir shops and eateries on the way out is VERY AGGREVATING and AGGRESSIVE. From the upper level 3 (the view floor) they almost force you to walk down steep stairs to level 1 before you can take the elevator down to ground floor as they shut elevator entry from the in-between floors.Totally unethical in my used for view. View out from the observation deck is thru tiny windows built in between heavy steel columns used because of earthquake fears (remember, this city was ravaged by a large earthquake). The port area around the tower is great for sightseeing and enjoying an evening out. Light show at night around 8 pm) illuminates the tower and adjacent museum building with its striking roof beams in changing colors. Went during "Golden Week" and the city was not crowded with tourists, as most of them bypass this place for nearby Osaka and Kyoto. If you have the time, it's worthwhile to take a side trip to Kobe. My low rating applies only for the tower, not the...

The tower just reopened last April, and so I decided to visit the observation deck and rooftop. I bought the tickets 1 month prior to my trip to Kobe, with a time slot of 4:00pm. Unfortunately, that time it rained and I decided not to go to the rooftop floor because only raincoats are allowed.

On the observation deck, you can view the cityscape of Kobe and there is a spot where you can avail of their photo service for a minimal fee. For those people like me who loves to collect souvenir medals when visiting a tower, there are no available souvenir medals at that time.

Under the observation deck, there is an interactive museum, a cafe and bar (only available if you purchase a ticket with a "Cafe and Bar" option), a souvenir shop, and a gallery.

The lines can be long, so I suggest to come here 15mins earlier than your designated time. Book your tickets in advance as well because sometimes, the tickets with the time of your choice can be sold out plus it can save you a...