Clayton C.
Yelp
I was in Kobe trying to find a souvenir shop, to no avail. After stumbling out of a mall that was oddly devoid of actual businesses, I found these signs for a nearby herb garden.
Figuring that it couldn't hurt to have a look, I took the trek up the multiple flights of stairs, and purchased an 1800 yen daytime round trip cable car ride to the top of the Herb Garden. One warning, this thing starts moving wit surprising velocity. Once it gets going, look behind you for a stunning aerial view of the Kobe area. Was pleasantly surprised. I had apparently once again stumbled into another fun diversion.
Once I reached the top station (the midway station only takes you to the lower half of the Herb Garden), I took in the view of this odd Alpine-esque village, and then tried to get some food. I dunno why, but the people running the Honeymade counter ignored me for a good 5 minutes, and there wasn't any kind of bell to get their attention.
I ordered a currywurst and a softserve ice cream. The currywurst had a great smell, but was kind of lacking in taste. Same thing went for the ice cream. Very mild flavors. However, it was pretty light, which meant I didn't feel laden down when I started my walk down the hill.
My first stop was upwards, though, to the Concert Hall and scent section of the garden. There's a section with a number of bottled, concentrated scents, so if you've ever been curious about what people are talking about when they say it smells of "Rosewood", you can help develop your olfactory toolbox.
The herb garden section was a bit disappointing. It's all laid out to be a great, very Instagrammable spot, and it you want to chill super hard, they've got benches, hammocks, tables, and cafes galore, but I can't help but feel that the herb and garden parts of this herb garden weren't as impressive as I was hoping.
The ride down from the herb garden cable car was another spectacular view, and I decided to buy some gifts from the shop. I grabbed a couple boxes of their curry, as well as their 3-pack of scented herbal bath bags. Once again, these had a disappointingly mild impact. I feel like if I just made a pot of rose tea or lavender tea to drink in the bath, it would have had the same level of scent.
So, my overall take: Amazing views, pretty interesting walk that is casual enough for you to enjoy it at your own pace, probably eat before, and stay away from the souvenirs.