10 Best Family Things to Do in Hyogo

Kobe Animal Kingdom is an animal park and botanical garden located on Port Island in Kobe City. It was originally a park of flowers and birds, and those are still the main features. Many of the birds in the glasshouse are free to move as they please, and they fly around without a care in the world, so this is really nice way to observe them. You can also interact with animals such as capybaras, alpacas, kangaroos, and giant tortoises, or even take a commemorative photo with an owl perched on your arm. There's also a bird performance show held at the beautiful water lily pond in the "Water Lilies" area, with brown wood owls and falcons impressive in flight. Kobe Animal Kingdom is located right in front of K Computer Mae Station, also known as Kobe Animal Kingdom Station.

Tojoko Toy Kingdom is a theme park that has 9 toy-themed rooms and about 20 types of vehicles, and in summertime you can also visit the "Water Park Acapulco", which is one of the largest pools in Kansai. Attractions include the "SL Tojo-go" steam train, which even babies can ride, the huge three-dimensional maze at Karakuri Maze Castle, and a Ferris wheel giving great views of the countryside. The toy rooms include the 130-square-metre "Licca-chan House" (based on the popular Licca doll) and "Tomica Plarail Land" where you can construct your own railway networks. There are also events held featuring popular TV characters. To get here, take a 30-minute ride on the free shuttle bus from Shin-Sanda Station on the JR Takarazuka Line.

Nesta Resort Kobe is a nature-themed adventure park packed full of fun activities. The vast site of about 2.3 million square metres features more than 30 activities, glamping, and hot springs. You can even take a two-seater buggy ride with your child across 5 exhilarating forest courses. Or for a more chilled out experience, try canoeing to visit floating islands. Even on rainy days, children can play at the "Kids Airgym" with its oversized bouncy playground equipment. The "Sky Jungle" area offers the thrills of ziplines and quick jumps. Plus, you can enjoy bouldering in any weather. And if all this play wears you out, you can always relax at the site's hot spring spa. Glamping overnight in a luxury will add yet more great memories to any family trip.

Sumaura Sanjo Amusement Park is a botanical garden and amusement park combined. Spread out across the peaks of Mt. Hachibuse and Mt. Hatafuri in Kobe's Suma Ward, the park offers amazing 360-degree panoramic views of the Rokko Mountains. You can get particularly good views from mid-air on the "Cycle Monorail" and "Sightseeing Lift". Children will have great fun in the "Chibikko Plaza" and "Mini Car Land" play areas. To get to the summit, hop on the Sumaura Ropeway and the funicular. The cable car seats 30 people and runs every 15 minutes. Suspended in mid-air when riding the ropeway, the views of the Kobe cityscape, the sea and the mountains are spectacular. Next, take the funicular to the summit. This may be an old-fahsioned means of transport, but its simplicity only adds to its charm.

Awaji World Park ONOKORO is a theme park on Awaji Island in the Seto Inland Sea. One of the park's higlights is "Miniature World" and its reproductions of the world's most famous buildings on a 1/25 scale. There are 18 structures from around the world, including Buckingham Palace, the Great Wall of China, and the Taj Mahal, so you can enjoy something of a world tour without travelling very far at all. You can also lose yourself in the "Fairytale Forest" with its outdoor exhibits based on Little Red Riding Hood, Three Little Pigs and other stories. Action-hungry children will be able to get their kicks on the exhilarating zipline and grass slide. There's also a Ferris wheel overlooking Osaka Bay from a height of 60 metres at the top.

Managed by Miki City, Mikiyama General Park is equipped with a wide range of sports facilities such as tennis courts, an athletics stadium, a baseball ground, and indoor pools. The large "Mikikko Land" playground is particularly popular with families. There's also an observation deck overlooking the park. There are 2 large slides measuring 40 metres and 45 metres long, both of which drop about 17 metres to give a thrilling ride. The large play equipment, based on a fairytale castle world, includes winding tunnel slides and rope ladders that are sure to give the kids plenty of excitement. It's easy to get here by car, a journey that takes about 50 minutes from Kobe.

Safari Resort Himeji Central Park is a safari resort also known as "Hime-Sen" for short. The park aims to be Japan's most up-close and personal safari with a wide range of contact experiences on offer. For example, you can feed the giraffes and elephants as well as the rare white tigers and white lions. You can also take your own car or a safari bus on a "drive-thru safari" to see cheetahs, tigers and lions up-close through the vehicle's windows. This is also the only place in Japan where you can encounter wildebeest herds. As well as the safari side of things, there's an amusement park featuring Japan's first high-speed inverted roller-coaster, the "Diablo", which certainly isn't for the faint-hearted. For more relaxed amusements, try the large Ferris wheel or the go-karts. There's also an ice-skating rink open in winter and a resort pool that opens in summer. To get here, take the train to JR Himeji Station and then hop on the direct bus.

Osamu Tezuka is world-famous as the manga artist who created masterpieces such as "Astro Boy" and "Princess Knight". In Takarazuka, where Tezuka spent 20 years from the age of 5 to 24, you'll find The Tezuka Osamu Manga Museum. This is arguably the best place in the world to see, touch and feel the world of Osamu Tezuka's manga. The entrance hall is built in the style of the royal palace from "Princess Knight". After checking out the display shelves that are full of Osamu Tezuka-related goods such as Astro Boy figures, head to the permanent exhibition corner where you'll find 40 life-support system capsules that appear in the "Phoenix" manga. Original productions and animations are screened every day in the "Atom Vision" area. There's also a library full of Osamu Tezuka's manga and related books to read.

Located in Kobe's Kita Ward, the Roadside Station Kobe Fruit Flower Park Osawa is a roadside station based on the theme of flowers and fruits. The site covers approximately 100 hectares and it's full of interesting activities to try. Fancy picking some fruit? Go right ahead! From late July to late October, you can enjoy picking peaches, grapes, pears, and apples depending on the season. Other activities at the on-site amusement park include karting, crazy golf, and play areas. Or you can have a laugh at the traditional Japanese monkey show put on at Kobe Monkeys Theatre. And if you just want to relax, make sure you visit the 9 types of baths at Kobe Osawa Onsen Kinsen Hana no Yu. To get here, take the train to JR Sannomiya Station and then hop on the Shinki Bus for a journey of about 35 minutes.

If you've ever wanted to the get the family together and compete in your own adventure course competition, Rokkosan Field Athletics has everything you could ask for together with a beautiful setting in the Rokko mountain range. With 40 courses to work through, you can easily spend a full day here. There are different scorecards to match your desired difficulty level, and the courses are tuned to your age and physical strength. One of the highlights is the "Treetop View" challenge that rises above a log frame. The site has excellent panoramic views of Arima. You'll be using your whole body in a series of adventure courses such as hanging from a net or rope while pushing a log, crossing over tree stumps, gliding through the air while handing onto a rope, or crossing log suspension bridges. After all that action, you'll be ready for a restorative lunch nearby. Fortunately the entire mountain range is a sightseeing area, so there are plenty of dining options out there.