Today I’m going to guide you around Kobe Kachoen, Kobe Flower and Bird Park, located at the Port Island.
Port Island is an artificial island in the off shore of Kobe. The Port Liner, an automated guided transit, connects Port Island and Kobe Airport with downtown Kobe.
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| from the window of Port Liner |
When the sea comes in sight, I always get excited.
The second to the last stop, 京コンピュータ前, is where you get off. Passengers are protected by the dual door system (door of the train and that of the platform) from falling to the track.
Once you walk down from the station, you’re right there, Kobe Kacho-en. The entrance doesn’t look like a conservatory but a Japanese shop of something, so I almost passed by it.
The whole complex of Kobe Kacho-en is like a huge green house consisitng of aviaries both indoors and open-air where you can feed or play with birds, a spacious water lilies pond, a cafeteria with numerous flowers of hanging baskets, and so on. I do love flowers, but this is a rare chance for me to take photos of various kinds of birds, so let’s go in avairy first.
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| モモアカノスリ ( Harris's Hawk ) |
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| オオバタン (Salmon-crested cockatoo) |
There are several varieties of toucans with their colored long beaks. The staff will give you small cups of food to feed to the birds. You can let the toucans perch on your arm by using this food.
They have amazing collection of species of owls, too, however I didn't feel like taking picture of them as most of them were just displayed mostly chained that day.
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| a grey crowned crane, scarlet ibises, and American white ibises |
In the open-air Courtyard capped with net, there are a rectangular pond and its little island surrounded by corridor with eaves. It is filled with birds’ chatter and children's shouts and laughs and is a pretty area to walk through if you can brave the winter chills. There are ducks, swans, cranes, peacocks, and so on.
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| This is not heron but マナヅル (white-naped crane). |
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| black swan native to Australia |
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| キンケイ （錦鶏, or Golden Pheasant） |
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| アカツクシガモ （赤筑紫鴨、or Ruddy Shelduck) |
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| ショウジョウトキ (猩猩朱鷺, or Scarlet Ibis ) |
Chilled to the bone, I took a refuge to the Water Lilies' Pond.
The facilities are basically Japanese style. You pass through the “noren” printed with owls to enter the public rest room. The room is designed old-Japanese-looking, too, but never mind, the inside is not old Japanese style but equipeed with high-tech "Washlet", warm-water cleaning toilet seat with array of functions including automatic flush, which is maybe known as "Super Toilet" in English.
How about having lunch or tea surrounded by the flowers? Be sure to wash your hands elaborately with soap and gurgle after playing with birds.
(to be continued, maybe....)
