Kitano Ijinkan in Kobe

I visited an area in Kobe called Kitano Ijinkan or the first Western houses in Japan, mostly built right after the Kobe Port reopened in 1868. There were 200 of these houses then, of which 60 still remain and 20 can be visited. Old houses are always charming no matter, but these really beautifully match the scenery of Kobe. This one is called Moegi House, resided by a U.S. consul general back in the day.


Uroko no ie, aka the Fishscale House sits at the highest point overlooking the Kobe Bay. Over time, this was occupied by different delegates from Portugal and Germany. Interesting to see pictures from those days when Japan could have possibly become another colony...


We stopped by a shrine with very pretty plum trees that have started to blossom.


Finally, we had tea at a Starbucks that occupied a real Kitano house from the past. It was definitely the coolest Starbucks ever.