Nobody knows much about Ben Allison, but he must have had one heck of a life.
Around 160 years ago, he was part of the British aristocracy. He spent much of his time going off on adventures and hunting animals. Today, there’s little information about him left, but take a trip to Kobe and you can see evidence of his past. It’s a fairly macabre evidence, all kept in what’s known as Ben’s House. Step inside and you’re greeted by a room of stuffed animals that include two giant polar bears, a Bald Eagle and a moose’s head. Whoever put the place together clearly had a sense of humour as there’s an ‘Alien’ skull on display and a pickled jars of scrunchies as well. Assuming Ben Allison was real and not the product of the Kobe Tourist Board, it’s a heck of a collection.
But it’s not the only one. In this small pocket of Kobe sit several other European-style homes, a throwback to when the port here first opened up to westeners. In 1868, the area started to welcome foreigners and around 300 European-style houses were designed. Today only 20 houses are open to the public but it’s still a valuable chance to see how the Kitano district was influenced. A few yards down from Ben’s House sits the English House, a tribute to fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Visitors can borrow a deerstalker and browse a beautifully-maintained home with immaculate gardens. Next to this is the French House, with an art nouveau theme, glass pieces by Emile Galle and a very early Louis Vuitton case.
Nearby, and up a short hill, is Uroko House, which offers great views across the city from its observation viewpoint, Yamate 8 Bankan – which boasts works from Rodin and Renoir and an impressive display of Thai Buddhas – and the foreigners association residence.
The area manages to just about stay on the right side of tacky as the quality of the architecture and displays is authentic. If you do want tacky (but fun), head to the former Panama consultate, which is now the home of ‘Trick Art’, a 3D art exhibition that features six rooms of various optical illusions.
Cost: A ticket for the main seven houses is 3,300Y; expect to take 2-3 hours exploring them all. You can pay for them separately or pay slightly less for a three-house combo.
Getting there: If you come by train, there’s a local bus loop line that drops you right outside the English House. Click here for a useful map of the district. For a full history of the area, go here.
Eating: Since it’s Kobe, you should try its world-famous beef at least once. The bus drops you in the heart of Kobe, where there are numerous restaurants. Expect a tower of Kobe beef to cost between 10,000-20,000Y.
Some of the more surreal displays at Ben’s House.
