I went to Kobe for a class reunion.
Come to think of it, I lived in Kobe for less than 10 years in my relatively long life, but perhaps because I spent my impressionable junior high and high school years (there were times like that, lol) in this city, I still feel a strong sense of belonging to Kobe as my hometown.
The reunion was a lot of fun, and it was a great opportunity to take a photo walk around the city again after a long time. I brought along my usual gear, prioritizing portability: the G9 PRO II and the Leica DG 12-60mm F2.8-4.
Setting aside the actual order in which I walked, let’s start with this photo.
The daytime view of the city from the 24th floor observation lobby of Kobe City Hall, with the mountains (north) and the sea (south) on either side. It’s just a chaotic cityscape, but for someone who grew up seeing this view of the Rokko Mountains and Kobe Port every day, it holds a special charm as the landscape of my hometown.
By the way, the weather was cloudy with poor visibility, but this was actually the best weather of the trip. Although it hardly rained during my two-day stay, the overcast skies made for disappointing photo walks.
The main street of the city center, surrounded by trees in fresh green. The nostalgic feeling of Kobe’s unique sense of geography, where “no matter where you are, you can always see the mountains” and “if you can see the mountains, you know which direction you’re facing (mountains = north).”
Head south from the city hall adjacent to downtown toward the port, and you will see the historic Kobe Customs House.
The front of the building has a nice, dignified appearance, but it looks too much like a brochure photo, so I skipped it and took a close-up of part of the entrance.
For a detailed history of the customs building, please refer to the official website. The current third building, which was partially preserved and expanded from the second one completed in 1927 including the east entrance, was designed to resemble a giant ship, with the upper part resembling a ship’s bridge.
The container truck in the lower right corner was intentionally included in the composition. I thought it looked like a customs office (lol). However, I wish there was something I could do about the flat, white, cloudy sky.
There is an exhibition room open to the public inside the government building, and you can visit and take photos of the imposing clock tower and courtyard.
In the exhibition room, I was shocked by the methods used to smuggle firearms and drugs, confused by the fake brand-name goods displayed alongside the real ones, and thoroughly enjoyed learning about the customs authorities’ efforts to prevent illegal imports.
That said, it’s difficult to capture in photos, so here’s just a little bit.
The last photo I took at customs. I looked up at the back of the clock tower from the courtyard. The pillars remaining at the bottom are said to be the original ones from the old building, which gives a sense of the history here.
This article has become quite long. I think I’ll stop here for now.
My photo walk in Kobe will continue.
