Kobe

Kobe looks new and polished: elevated toll roads beside quiet electric trains, modern skyscrapers, busy but orderly traffic. In 1995 much of Kobe was wrecked by an earthquake, with over 40,000 casualties and thousands of downed buildings. So the city got a chance to realize its urban planning goals thanks to cooperative efforts from government and industry. 

We arrived on a Sunday and watched teams of teenagers practicing dance routines in the park. There would be a parade later that day celebrating Spring Equinox or Cherry Blossoms, I wasn’t sure which.  Internet is spotty so I couldn’t look it up. But watching the teens set up and practice was interesting in several ways. There was no adult coach. Their backpacks and bikes were lined up against a wall, unlocked and unattended. Unvandalized vending machines were everywhere.

They focused on rehearsal without too much obvious fooling around. Their outfits were familiar: black jeans, black T-shirts, black athletic jackets. I saw that the street would be closed later and was sorry to miss the performance. 

We walked to the Kobe City Museum. We put on face masks, kept quiet, and inspected the documents because that’s what everyone else was doing.

The exhibit on old maps and engraving captured only a sliver of my attention, but JG liked it better. Two impressions stayed with me. First, the star charts did not distinguish between astronomy and astrology. Those who mapped the stars also interpreted them. Second, maps of some Buddhist temple compounds were needed because they were as large as villages.

We paid admission and showed our tickets upon entry and, surprisingly, also on exiting the exhibition halls on request. The exhibition hall was too dim for good photos, but I can share excellent well-lit bathroom pictures.

I was impressed that the restroom for families accommodated mobility-impaired with plenty of room for an attendant. This is usually not the case in the US.

Then we walked to Merikin Park and sat on a bench. We watched the children happily playing in the fountain and enjoyed the fine weather. Young parents played with their kids, instead of directing them to go play and then scrolling on their devices. We saw doggies, prams, and doggies in prams.

We skipped the Maritime Museum because after teen dance teams, children playing in the fountain, and doggies in prams my happiness was complete.