When traveling in a foreign country, have you ever felt that something important was lacking as you looked around the various tourist sites? If you have ever thought so, and your schedule would allow it, spending some leisurely time in a place outside of the city might not be such a bad idea.
Suma Rikyu Park is the ideal place for you to make your escape from the stress of hopping from one location to another. From downtown Kobe, getting over to the park is a simple and short trip.
There is a bus, but it is probably best to avoid the hassle of getting on and off. I suggest you go by car, but if that's not possible, another option is to hike from either Sumadera or Tsukimiyama station on the Sanyo Line. Both stations are around 20 minutes from Sannomiya in the center of Kobe.
Once inside this quiet, exotic park, the expansive green space will greet you with a sort of elegant mood that lingers from past times when the park was used as a villa for the Japanese Emperor.
The park consists of the main garden as well as a botanical garden. The main garden is a beautiful European style garden set around a water motif and fills about 190 acres. The water that springs out in front of the rest house becomes a cascading waterfall that runs through the rose-lined canal before ending with a large spouting fountain.
Take your time to enjoy the natural beauty of the park and quite literally smell the roses. If you are lucky, the roses around the fountain will be in full bloom! Regardless of when you go, you can enjoy a variety of beautiful seasonal flowers and wonderful trees throughout the year spread all over the garden.
In addition to enjoying the natural beauty, you could have a meal in the restaurant at the rest house. On a clear day, you can catch a wonderful view of the ocean through the forests.
Should you continue across the connecting bridge, you will discover the botanical garden. In comparison to the main garden, the 13 acre botanical garden seems quite small. However, there are over 300 kinds of trees and flowers for you to explore. Additionally, there is a traditional Japanese house among the trees representing Japan at one corner of the garden. If you’re interested in Japanese culture like me, I am sure that you will love this part of the garden.
