Roadside Station Kobe Fruit and Flower Park Ozo is a spacious resort and leisure destination in Ozo-cho, Kita Ward, Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. Covering approximately 100 hectares, equivalent to about nine Koshien baseball stadiums, the complex combines beautiful gardens and orchards with a hotel, hot springs, an amusement park, restaurants, and a farmers’ market. Visitors can enjoy everything from seasonal fruit picking and outdoor activities to relaxing hot spring baths and local cuisine, making it an appealing destination for families and travelers of all ages.
The park features Kobe Hotel Fruit Flower, the natural hot spring facility Akane no Yu, and FARM CIRCUS, a popular destination for food made with locally sourced ingredients. During summer, an outdoor swimming pool opens for visitors, while the winter season brings the spectacular Kobe Illuminage illumination event, which transforms the grounds into a magical landscape of lights.
The extensive barbecue area can accommodate up to 1,500 people at once and offers barbecues featuring Japanese Black Wagyu beef. The on-site orchards also provide seasonal fruit-picking experiences, generally from summer through autumn. With accommodation, dining, shopping, entertainment, and relaxation all in one place, the park is ideal for spending a full day or enjoying a longer stay.
FARM CIRCUS is a food and shopping complex built around the concept of enjoying locally produced food. Its three distinctive white buildings evoke circus tents and house a market, cafés, and restaurants. Visitors can sample dishes prepared with fresh Kobe vegetables and fruit while discovering the region’s culinary specialties and agricultural products.
The market offers more than 700 varieties of products, including fresh vegetables and fruit delivered directly by local farmers, Kobe-origin Worcestershire sauce, brewed vinegar, baked sweets, and handmade bread. It is a convenient place to discover local flavors and purchase souvenirs to take home.
The café serves gelato and refreshing sodas made with an abundance of locally grown fruit. Its menu offers seasonal flavors, making it a pleasant stop during a walk around the park.
Yorimichi Burger serves generous hamburgers packed with local vegetables. It is a satisfying option for visitors looking for a casual meal while exploring the grounds.
The dining hall serves dishes featuring fresh vegetables and regional home-style cuisine. One of its popular offerings is miso soup made with Hokushin Miso, a local specialty.
Days Kitchen is an Italian restaurant committed to using locally sourced ingredients. Its wood-fired pizzas are a particular highlight.
Kobe Hotel Fruit Flower stands out for its striking exterior inspired by the Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands. Its European-style architecture creates an unusual atmosphere within the gardens and makes the hotel a distinctive landmark in the park. The hotel has also served as a filming location for the Japanese animated film Whisper of the Heart and the live-action film adaptation of Fullmetal Alchemist.
Inside the hotel, Kobe Ozo Onsen Kinsenka no Yu offers a relaxing natural hot spring bathing experience. The hot spring water rises from approximately 1,200 meters underground. Initially colorless and transparent, the iron-rich water turns golden when exposed to the air, giving it a distinctive appearance.
The spring has water characteristics similar to the famous hot springs of Arima Onsen. Its mineral content is traditionally associated with relief from back pain, joint discomfort, and fatigue. Visitors can enjoy the hot spring in a relaxing bathing environment, with spring water supplied directly from the source.
Kobe Otogi no Kuni is an amusement park with free admission, allowing visitors to pay only for the rides and attractions they choose. Its selection of activities appeals to both children and adults, making it a convenient addition to a family day out.
Fruit Fortress Escape is a huge, maze-like fortress that challenges visitors to find their way through its winding passages. Twin Dragon offers the excitement of a swinging pirate ship, while GOGO Anpanman is especially popular with younger children. The Ferris wheel provides scenic views from above, and the roller coaster offers a longer, more thrilling ride.
The park’s go-kart circuit is approximately 1.2 kilometers long, making it one of the largest full-scale go-kart courses in the Kansai region. The track runs near the fruit gardens, where visitors may enjoy the fresh atmosphere of the orchards as they drive around the course.
Kobe Monkey Theater is an indoor, permanent theater featuring performances by Japanese macaques. Described as the first permanent theater of its kind in the Kansai region, it can accommodate up to 600 spectators.
The shows center on the message that perseverance and the determination not to give up are important. Visitors can watch the monkeys perform in a dedicated indoor venue, adding a distinctive entertainment experience to their visit.
During summer, the outdoor Pool Plaza opens for seasonal swimming and water-based fun. Facilities include an adult pool with a depth of approximately 1.3 meters and a shallower pool for children. A floating water obstacle course is another popular attraction, particularly among younger visitors and families.
Fruit picking is one of the park’s most enjoyable seasonal activities. Depending on the harvest and availability, visitors can pick grapes, pears, and apples from late July through early November. The experience offers a chance to enjoy freshly harvested fruit while exploring the orchards.
Grape picking, August to September: Varieties may include King Delaware, Shigyoku, and Pione.
Pear picking, September to October: Visitors can enjoy seasonal Japanese pears during the autumn harvest.
Apple picking, late September to early November: Varieties may include New Jonagold, Hokuto, and Fuji.
Beginning in November, the annual Kobe Illuminage event illuminates the park with elaborate displays of light. The event features imaginative light installations and projection mapping, with a different theme presented each year.
Additional entertainment may include evening performances known as the Hikari no Monkey Show and street performances. The combination of colorful illuminations and live entertainment creates a festive atmosphere that attracts visitors throughout the winter season.
The facility originally opened on April 20, 1993, under the name Kobe Fruit and Flower Park. It was initially operated by Kobe Wine Co., Ltd., on behalf of Kobe City. In April 2014, management was transferred to the Kobe Minori no Kosha Foundation.
On March 30, 2017, the facility reopened as Roadside Station Kobe Fruit and Flower Park Ozo, alongside the opening of FARM CIRCUS. This transformation strengthened its role as a roadside station, bringing together local agricultural products, regional cuisine, tourism, and leisure activities while contributing to the vitality of the surrounding community.
From Kobe-Sanda Interchange on the Chugoku Expressway, the park is approximately a five-minute drive. It is also located just off Ozo Interchange on the Rokko-Kita Toll Road.
From JR Sanda Station, take a bus for approximately 15 minutes. From Okaba Station on the Kobe Electric Railway, the bus journey takes approximately 20 minutes.
When planning your trip, check the latest bus routes and timetables in advance, as services and stopping points may vary.