We took a summer break! This post is from June 24, 2025. Even though things have been busy lately, I’ve been trying to finish most of my assignments ahead of time so I can explore new places and try different things on the weekends. Over the past few weekends, I’ve gone to Kobe, attended an orchestral concert, and even hiked with friends. Here’s a quick recap of some of those adventures.
Day Trip to Kobe
Since Kobe is about 1–2 hours away, we left around 8:30 a.m. to make the most of our day. We visited a few gardens, starting with a small one that I honestly don’t remember, but it was peaceful and a nice way to start the trip.
Our next stop was the Nunobiki Herb Gardens and Ropeway. We stayed there for nearly two hours since the area was beautiful. You can either hike up to the gardens or, like we did, take the gondola. I’d definitely recommend riding the gondola up as it has an amazing view of Kobe, then hike back down.
At the top, we wandered through flower gardens and small shops before heading into the greenhouse. There was a nearby cafe where we treated ourselves to something sweet. On the way down, we passed by colorful hydrangeas, roses, and daisies and even relaxed for a bit in hammocks (which we didn’t want to get out of).
Continuing our way down, we visited Nunobiki Falls or also known as Ontaki/Meotodaki. Since it was already along the trail, it made for a great stop before heading back into the city.
After that, we explored Kobe Chinatown Nankin-machi. Along the way, we stopped at a shrine, visited a well-known chocolate shop, and grabbed some lunch. When we finally reached Chinatown, it was bustling with people and there were many food stalls around. One of my friends tried a red bean paste bun called Piyo-man which looked really good and cute. Honestly, there were so many food options that I got overwhelmed and didn’t end up trying anything. I kind of wish I had looked up what people recommended beforehand.
Near the end of the day, we headed to Kobe Port as it was said to be really pretty around sunset. We saw the Kobe tower, watched a small performance nearby, and even saw some unexpected fireworks. We’re not sure what the occasion was, but it was a fun surprise.
Osaka Orchestral Concert
The following weekend, we went back to Osaka for a concert. We went on a Friday, a day my friends had class, so I waited for my friend’s class to finish before we headed to Osaka. When we arrived, we went to a place to make our own key charms, tried some interesting looking croissants, and wandered around a mall before heading to the orchestra.
The concert was conducted by Joe Hisaishi, the main composer for Studio Ghibli films, which is why we were excited to go as we thought it would feature Ghibli music. While it turned out to be a general orchestral performance instead, we still really enjoyed it.
Hiking Mt. Atago
Another weekend adventure was hiking Mt. Atago, one of the tallest mountains in Kyoto. The full hike is about 4–5 hours long, with the summit being about 3,031 feet and even having a shrine at the top. My friends and I ended up going when it was raining, which I highly don’t recommend doing. The only reason we still decided to hike Mt. Atago was because we had already planned to hike Mt. Fuji soon, so this was a way for us to train up for that.
We started early because of the long hike and limited bus service near the trail (there’s only one bus that comes about once every hour till about 5 p.m.). On the way up, we took our time, took plenty of breaks, stayed hydrated, and made sure everyone was doing ok. The rain definitely made it harder to hike up, but some of the views we saw during our hike were beautiful and we made it to the top in about two hours.
The hike down was even more difficult though because of the rain making everything slippering and muddy, which slowed me down a lot. My friends were great about waiting for me though, and we all finished the hike in a little over four hours. We were soaked by the end, so after lunch, I took a quick shower… followed by a six-hour nap.
It’s been a full few weekends, but I’ve loved the mix of experiences—exploring new places, seeing amazing views, trying new things, and even testing our limits a little. There is so much more we have been planning for the remainder of our time here that I am looking forward to.
DU Abroad 