Kitano Ijinkan Foreign Settlement in Kobe

As part of our resources for visitors to Kobe, we present a brief history of Kitano-Ijinkan Town in Kobe, Japan, along with a list of the famous Kitano Ijinkan-Gai houses.

Kitano Ijinkan-Gai Neighborhood

— What is Kobe’s Kitano Ijinkan?
— History of Kitano-Ijinkan
— List of Foreign Houses in Ijinkan Kobe
— How to Get to Kitano Ijinkan Street
— Shrines in Kitano-Ijinkan Town, Kobe
— Starbucks in Kitano-Ijinkan Town
— Co-working Space in Kitano-Ijinkan Town, Kobe

What is Kobe’s Kitano Ijinkan?

Kitano Ijinkan is a old neighborhood on the north side of Kobe City, that has become a popular tourist attraction. The Kitano Ijinkan-Gai features several former homes and buildings constructed in European-style architecture (Ijinkan means “foreigners building”). This neighborhood has become a popular place to explore, for sightseeing, to tour the old houses, and to enjoy beauitful views of Kobe.

History of Kitano-Ijinkan

Kobe has a long history of hosting foreign residents. As these foreigners came to the city of Kobe, in some cases they built homes in the style of their home countries. The Kitano-Ijinkan neighborhood has foreign-style homes dating back to the early 1900s.

Prior to 1968, the Kobe Port was not officially open to visits from foreign ships. Beginning in 1968, the port in Kobe began to allow foreign ships from countries including the US, the UK, France, Russia, and Netherlands. As Japan had treaties with those countries (such as the Treaty of Amity and Commerce), more and more foreigners became residents of Kobe, with many of them living in the special settlement areas (where both Japanese and foreigners are co-living).

At first, many foreigners lived close to the harbor, near Kobe City Hall. As the foreign population expanded, the Kobe government encouraged foreigners to live between the Ikutagawa River and Ujigawa River. A lot of foreigners preferred the area near the mountain (overlooking downtown Kobe), which is the current Kitano-Ijinkan location; the view of Kobe city from the Kitano area is very beautiful.

Many of the foreigners settled in a neighborhood in Kobe that came to be known as Kitano-Ijinkan foreign settlement (sometimes called the Ijinkan Gai, European settlement, or foreign concession). There were almost 200 foreign buildings in Kobe City. During this time, many foreign government officials established foreign consulates in this neighborhood.

The foreigners living in Kobe brought influences from their home countries, changing the local culture of parts of the city. The new international settlers to Kobe built some house and structures, often using European-style architecture. These houses are located throughout the neighborhood, with many located on the main Kitano Ijinkan street called Kitanodori (北野通り). After World War II, only the buildings in the Kitano area remained.

This history of international influence in Kobe is one reason why Kobe is home to restaurants representing more than 30 countries. The neighborhood of Ijinkan Town in particular offers many choices, including Chinese, French, Italian, Swiss, and Indian cuisine. Since the Kobe Port opened, foreign chefs who settled here have influenced food in Kobe, allowing visitors to enjoy authentic traditional cuisine from around the world.

In autumn, visitors can also enjoy listening to live jazz during the Kobe Jazz Street festival. Every October, jazz musicians from Japan and abroad gather, filling the streets with lively jazz sounds.

List of Ijinkan Houses in Kitano-Ijinkan Town

There are 16 Ijinkan (buildings) in Kitano-Ijinkan Town, each with a different style. Below we provide some details about the most important Kitano foreign houses in Kobe’s Ijinkan, including the addresses and the cost of tickets for Kitano Ijinkan houses.

— Weathercock House
— Moegi House
— Rhine House
— Italian Pavilion-Platon Decorative Arts Museum
— Kobe Kitano Museum
— Kobe Trick Art Museum
— Yamate 8-Bankan
— Yokan Nagaya (French House)
— Kitano Foreigners Association
— The English House
— Uroko House and Uroko
— Ben’s House
— Hilltop House
— Holland House
— Wien Austrian House
— Denmark House

Weathercock House

Price: Adults: 500 JPY, Children: Free
Website: https://kobe-kazamidori.com/
Address: 3 Chome-13-3 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
The Weathercock House (Former Thomas Residence) was built around 1909 as the private residence of Gottfried Thomas, a German trader. The building was designed by Georg de Lalande, a German architect. Its brick walls and the top of the building have been a symbol of Kitano Ijinkan, which is one of the Important Cultural Property of Japan.

Moegi House

Price: 400 JPY
Address: 3 Chome-10-11 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
Moegi House was built in 1903 as the residence of Hunter Sharp, the Consul-General of the United States. It was designated as an important cultural asset of the country in 1980. The building is a wooden two-story with light green exterior, featuring two different bay windows. The windows allow visitors to look at the wonderful view of Kobe City.

Rhaine House

Price: Free
Website:https://kobe-kazamidori.com/rhine/
Address:2 Chome-10-24 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
Rhine House, the two-story wooden building, was built in 1915 by J.R. Drewell. The design is the classic architectural style of Western residences from the Meiji era in Japan. While the second floor exhibits the history of Rhine House and other Kobe ijinkan buildings including the time of Kobe earthquake, the first floor has a souvenir shop and some furniture exhibitions.

Italian Pavilion-Platon Decorative Arts Museum

Price:800 JPY
Address:1 Chome-6-15 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
Italian Pavilion-Platon Decorative Arts Museum (Italian House) exhibits European furniture, paintings, and sculptures from the 18th and 19th century (with primarily Italian art by Corot and Millet). In addition, the Western-style garden on the south side of the house features a swimming pool, and visitors can enjoy having a lunch by the poolside.

Kobe Kitano Museum

Price:500 JPY
Website:https://www.kitano-museum.com/
Address:2 Chome-9-6 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
Kobe Kitano Museum has a history as the residence of the American Consulate. Kobe Kitano Museum was modernized and reopened one year after the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake in 1995, with new the earthquake-resistant construction. Today the museum plays a role for international artistic collaboration such as Kobe Kitano–Yamamoto District × Paris Montmartre. Currently, the site hosts an art gallery, and offers photo sessions for weddings.

Kobe Trick Art Museum

Price:880 JPY
Website:https://kobe-ijinkan.net/md/trick/
Address:2 Chome-10-7 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
The building used to be used as the Panamanian Consulate after World War II. Currently, the building offers what is called “trick arts” – where visitors can pose for photos in combination with background scenes.

Yamate 8-Bankan

Price:550 JPY
Website:https://kobe-ijinkan.net/md/yamate/
Address:2 Chome-20-7 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
Yamate 8-Bankan exhibits western and eastern sculpture, including masterpieces by the three great sculptors Rodin, Bourdelle, and Bernard. “Chair of Saturn” (said to grant wishes to those who sit in it) is one of the famous works hosted Yamate 8-Bankan.

Yokan Nagaya (French House)

Price:550 JPY
Website:https://kobe-ijinkan.net/md/france/
Address: 2 Chome-3-18 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
The French House used to be an apartment of foreign residents. The house features French interior design, with glass art and furniture exhibits, including an early Louis Vuitton trunk and other works that travelled to Japan from distant countries.

Kitano Foreigners Association

Price:550 JPY
Website:https://kobe-ijinkan.net/md/club/
Address:2 Chome-18-2 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
Kitano Foreigners Association is a two-story wooden house, featuring a half-timbered style on the second floor. The grand dining room showcases elegant furnishings along with a wooden fireplace originally from a 17th-century French noble residence. On the second floor, the antique organ room displays a manuscript of Gregorian chant, compiled for church use in the 6th century.

The English House

Price:880 JPY
Website:https://kobe-ijinkan.net/md/england/
Address: 2 Chome-3-16 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
This Colonial-style Western residence was designed by a British architect. The father of modern design, William Morris, decorated the room with fabrics. A theme of the second floor is Sherlock Holmes and visitors can tour the house wearing Holmes’s outfits, allowing them to take memorable photos.

Uroko House and Uroko Museum

Price:1,100 JPY
Website:https://kobe-ijinkan.net/md/uroko/
Address: 2 Chome-20-4 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
The Uroko House was the first Ijinkan in Kobe to be opened to the public. The name came uroko means “fish scale” in Japanese; the design of the exterior walls resembles fish scales. The Uroko museum exhibits a collection of European modern and contemporary paintings.

Ben’s House

Price:550 JPY
Website:https://kobe-ijinkan.net/md/ben/
Address: 2 Chome-3-21 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
The Ben’s House is made with red bricks imported from Germany. The house is a unique museum where visitors can enjoy rarely seen animal taxidermy, butterfly specimens collected from around the world, and wonderful artworks on the walls. Ben’s House in Kitano Ijinkan is recognized as a Cultural Property by Kobe City.

Hilltop House

Price:550 JPY
Website:https://kobe-ijinkan.net/md/sakanoue/
Address: 2 Chome-18-2 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
The Hilltop House is the only Ijinkan that features East Asian culture. The furniture and artworks are from China, dating from the 14th to the 20th century. In the courtyard, a pair of guardian lion statues stand with both mouths open in the “A” shape. It is said that walking between them brings good fortune in love and affection.

Holland House

Price:700 JPY
Website:http://www.orandakan.shop-site.jp/index.html
Address: 2 Chome-15-10 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
The Holland House is the former home of the Dutch Consulate, beloved for its nostalgic atmosphere. In 1987, the house reopened as the “House of Fragrance, Dutch Pavilion.” Visitors can make their own original perfume that is inspired by the Netherlands (known as the land of flowers).

Wien Austrian House

Price:500 JPY
Website:http://www.orandakan.shop-site.jp/austrianhouse.html
Address: 2-15-18 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
Wien Austrian House is a museum themed around the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and introduces Austrian culture through exhibits related to his life and works. The interior shows the atmosphere of an 18th to 19th century aristocratic residence. On display are replicas of instruments Mozart used for composing, including a piano. Visitors can also enjoy and purchase Viennese chocolate cake and other treats shipped directly from Vienna, Austria.

Denmark House

Price:500 JPY
Website:http://www.orandakan.shop-site.jp/denmarkhouse.html
Address: 2-15-12 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0002
Denmark House is a museum that showcases the history and culture of Denmark and Scandinavia, in cooperation with Denmark’s Viking Museum and Andersen Museum. It has a half-scale replica of a Viking ship, as well as a recreated study of the fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen, displaying his personal belongings and favorite items.

How to Get to Kitano Ijinkan Street

There are mainly two ways to go to Kitano-Ijinkan town area: One way is to come from Nunobiki Garden & Ropeway/Shin-Kobe Station; and the other one is from Sannomiya Station.

From Nunobiki Garden & Ropeway/Shin-Kobe Station to kitano-Ijinkan Town

The Shin-Kobe Station is located nearby, and provides convenient public transportation to this part of Kobe. The Nunobiki Herb Gardens and Ropeway are located next to Shin-Kobe station. Visitors to these attractions can access Kitano-Ijinkan on foot.

From Shin-Kobe, visitors can walk along the “Kitano Yuhodo” path (past the Nunobiki Herb Gardens and Ropeway) to Kitano-Ijinkan. The Kitano Yuhodo path is moderately difficult, and takes 15 minutes to arrive at the Kitano-jinkan area (with a great view along that path). For an easier, faster route, visitors can walk via Kitano Street (it will only take 10 minutes).

From Sannomiya Station to Kitano-Ijinkan Town

Another popular route to Kitano-Ijinkan town is from Sannomiya Station. Visitors can take the “city loop bus” from Sannomiya station to the Kitano-Ijinkan bus stop (260 JPY and 15 minutes). You can, of course, also walk to the town area from the station, which will take approximately 15 minutes (entirely uphill).

Shrines in Kitano-Ijinkan Town, Kobe

You can find a famous shrine in the Kitano Ijinkan area called Kitano Tenman Shrine. It is located next to the Weathercock House, up a steep concrete staircase, to the top of the hill.

In 1180, when the capital of Japan was moved from Kyoto to Kobe temporarily, Taira no Kiyomori, a Japanese Shogun invited the deity from Kitano Tenmangū Shrine in Kyoto to Kitano Tenman Shrine in Kobe, praying for the protection of the new capital. Today, the shrine is known for bringing blessings of academic success and good fortune in love.

There is also a small shrine called Sambommatsu Fudōin, located along Kitanodori Street. The name Sambommatsu comes from the Japanese words san (three) and matsu (pine tree), meaning “three pine trees.” According to local tradition, three pine trees once stood here and served as a resting place and landmark for travellers passing through the area.

Starbucks in Kitano-Ijinkan Town

Website:https://store.starbucks.co.jp/detail-940/
Address: 2 Chome-9-19 Yamamotodori, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0003

There is a Starbucks coffee shop in Kitano-Ijinkan Town that has a different atmosphere from other Starbucks in Japan. The Kitano Injinkan Starbucks was originally built in 1907 as the residence of J. Shea’s. The building is a two-story wooden structure and has been designated as a registered Tangible Cultural Property of Japan. Visitors can enjoy the western-style architecture’s Starbucks on Kitanozawa street in the Ijinkan area.

Co-working Space in Kitano-Ijinkan Town, Kobe

Address:2 Chome-9-19 Yamamotodori, Chuo Ward, Kobe, 650-0003
Website:https://mediumtei.com/
There is a co-working space in the Kitano Ijinkan area called Kitano Medium (北野メディウム邸コワーキングスペース2F). This two-story building is believed to have been built in the 1880s for Russian merchants, and is one of the oldest buildings in Kitano Ijinkan Town.

Today, the building has been known for a multi-purpose space that includes a café and bar, a rental studio, and a co-working area. The café and bar are located on the first floor, where visitors can also enjoy afternoon tea. The building itself can be rented for purposes such as a location for movies, photo shoots, or music events.

The second floor is also used as a co-working space, available for 2,200 JPY (which includes unlimited tea refills). Membership options are available for those who wish to use the space more frequently, but non-members are also welcome to use the co-working facilities.

Kitano-Ijinkan Foreign Settlement in Kobe, Japan