Mt. Rokko Pasture

Rokkozan is near Kobe (where the famous beef comes from) and a short trip from Osaka. There are a few ways up the mountain, but we wanted to check out the cable car route. There are a lot of hiking trails and some tourist attractions, we went to the Rokkozan Bokujo (Pasture).

Rokkozan Cable Car

We took a JR train from Osaka to Rokkomichi Station, then hopped on a bus to the Rokko Cable Shita Station. The train ride was 20-30 mins and the bus ride was about the same in terms of time. Once we reached the Cable Car station, we bought some round trip tickets to the station up the mountain. Interestingly, the cable car goes up a steep and steady slope, so the entire train car has seats set up on steps. The station is also basically a long stair case as well. There is a cable that runs along the ground over pulleys and wheels and the train cars get pulled up the hill by the cable, while the cars sit on regular looking rail tracks.

The whole Cable Car had a retro look to them, and preserved the look from the 1930s for when they were originally built. I didn’t think there were cable cars operating outside of San Francisco, but this 10 minute ride had some great views as we cruised up the mountain.

Rokkozan Bokujo (Pasture)

This is a small ranch with farm animals on display for young kids. The main highlights are the young calves, milk cows, goats and sheep that roam around the farm. Many can be touched and seem quite used to the crowds of kids feeding them. The decor was European style, and generally a fun vibe.

Mooo!

Luckily, the line was pretty short for the pony rides, so M got to do a short ride and wear a cool looking equestrian helmet.

They had some cheese themed foods, including a fancy fondue place. However, the must try item was the cheese flavored soft serve. It was a very light cheese taste, more like a fluffy cheese cake turned into an ice cream flavor.

Summary

We felt like we just scratched the surface of activities in Rokkozan and we may pay another visit to do some hiking and check out the other attractions. If visiting with a car, it seems like an easier way to check out more of the mountain in an efficient manner, but the cable car was a worthwhile experience.

There are probably many look out points, but this is from the top of the cable car station. Off to the left in the distance is Osaka, and along the coast on the right is Kobe.

We are planning a day trip to Kobe city soon!