自転車で神戸異人館Kobe is a 50-minute ride away on JR's Super Express from Kyoto Station.
However, it is a world away.
Kyoto, though cluttered and messy, makes an effort to retain much of its cultural patrimony. Tourism depends on it.
Kobe in contrast is a port city, and has always been more open to new ideas, new people, and new things than almost any other Japanese city.
In addition to US Air Force bombing during World War II, a horrific earthquake in January 1996 leveled much of what remained of the pre-War architecture of the city.
About the only part of the city that retains a pre-War vibe is the Kitano-cho area.
This is an area close to the base of Rokko Mountain where many foreign merchants and diplomats settled settled and lived at the end of 19th century.
Today, more than 12 of the former mansions - called Ijinkan (literally, "outside person house") - still exist and are open to the public as museums.
Admission fees range between 300 to 500 yen.
The area is ideal for strolling; cycling is possible but it will involve a climb at the end.
Access
A fifteen-minute walk from Sannomiya Station.
© CycleKyoto.com
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Japan
Touring
Kyoto
Cycle
Kobe Ijinkan
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