Rokko-Shidare Observatory

This observatory was built as a landmark of Kobe and Mt. Rokko in summer 2010. It was designed by architect Hiroshi Sambuichi, who has won many awards such as the Japan Construction Grand Prize and is receiving attention in Japan and abroad. In this observatory, which concept is “a big tree on top of Mt. Rokko,” you can experience cool air in summer by making use of natural ice, which was collected and kept during the winter season, and wind. Various efforts have been made to make you feel seasonal nature of Mt. Rokko such as observing frost-covered trees and icicles in winter. At night, LED with more than 10 million colors are projected on Japanese cypress frames, which are designed with the image of leaves covering the entire building of the observatory. Please enjoy fantastic scenery of this seasonal illumination effects together with a 10 million dollar night view.