Meriken Park

Meriken Park is Kobe's main waterfront park, sitting between the harbour and the city on reclaimed land. The park is home to the Kobe Port Tower, the Kobe Maritime Museum, and the preserved section of earthquake-damaged quayside that serves as the Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial. It is a pleasant place for a walk, with good views across the harbour to Port Island and beyond, and a scattering of cafes and facilities.

The park is also the starting point for harbour cruises and ferry connections to Port Island. The Kobe Port Tower — recently renovated, with a distinctive red lattice structure — is visible from many parts of the city and offers a panoramic observation deck at 108 metres. The Maritime Museum next to it charts the city's trading history through ship models, navigational instruments, and exhibits on the port's development.

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"Meriken" is a Japanese rendering of "American" — the park takes its name from the American Consulate that once stood near the old wharf. The park was built partly on reclaimed land, and a section of the original sea wall destroyed by the 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake has been preserved in place, twisted and shattered, as a permanent memorial. Walking past it, you understand in a way that photographs don't quite convey what a magnitude 7.3 earthquake does to solid concrete at 5:46 in the morning.

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