ROKKO 森の音ミュージアム (ROKKO Mori no Oto Museum)

Overview

The ROKKO Mori no Oto Museum is a music box museum located on Mt. Rokko in Nada-ku, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture. Opened on July 21, 1994, as "Hall of Halls Rokko," a division of Hanshin Electric Railway, it became the first museum in Japan dedicated to self-playing musical instruments to be designated as a museum equivalent facility under the Museum Act in 1996. Currently, it remains under the Hanshin Electric Railway Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, Inc., with its operation entrusted to Rokkosan Kanko Co., Ltd., a subsidiary, since 2003. It was renamed "Rokko Music Box Museum" during renovations in March 2012 and then again to "ROKKO Mori no Oto Museum" on July 16, 2021. The permanent exhibition features a diverse collection of self-playing musical instruments primarily from the 19th and early 20th centuries, including various cylinder and disc music boxes from Europe and America; a world-class dance organ; and various automata. The museum also features performances and demonstrations, including silent films with automatic musical accompaniment. Special exhibitions and concerts are also held. In addition, the museum includes a museum shop with everything from modern toy music boxes to antiques; a workshop for creating custom-made original music boxes; a music box assembly workshop; and "Mori no Cafe," a cafe with garden views. The adjacent "SIKI Garden ~Oto no Sansaku-ro~" (Sound Promenade) is a beautifully landscaped natural garden. This beautiful building, surrounded by a Western-style garden near the summit of Mt. Rokko, provides a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Enjoy the music box performances and the cafe. On a clear day, you can take breathtaking photos of the scenery. Considering the cost of a mountain bus pass (¥1500), admission (¥1500), and cafe, it's a worthwhile repeat visit, especially before riding the Rokko Cable.