Kobe, Japan | November 2023

Come join us in Kobe, Japan, for a fun-filled and community-centered worldschooling gathering November 7 - 13, 2023.  

The Worldschool Pop-Up Hub provides super casual, budget-friendly opportunities to gather, connect with other worldschoolers, learn about the local area, instill new friendships, share your insights, and immerse in a friendly, accepting mobile community. Our activities highlight local nature, history, food, and culture... but you'll also have plenty of time to relax, get to know each other, and even stray from the itinerary to add activities that cater to the group's interests.

Pop in for a few days or the full week. Join as many activities as you'd like. It's up to you!  

Our itinerary will include activities such as the following: 

*Learn about the The Great Hanshin 1995 earthquake at the Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park. See the scope of the damage to appreciate the city's remarkable recovery. 

*Experience a simulated earthquake and learn about eathquake proofing technology at The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial & Disaster Prevention Center.  

*Kobe Chinatown, and its sights, sounds, smells and tastes. You might never see a cleaner Chinatown anywhere.  

*Let your kids challenge themselves at the obstacle & climbing course in Kobe Suma Rikyu Park.  

*Visit Kobe Motomachi Street, a lively, traditional arcade market dating back 140 years.  

*Experience Himeji Castle, the largest & best-preserved castle in Japan, dating back to the 1300's. Himeji Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

*Learn how to make sushi rolls in a group lesson & party.  

*Learn about a Japanese favorite dessert ingredient, red bean paste called anko, at the Azuki Museum.

*Experience a workshop-based tourist attraction: Kitano Meister Garden for hands-on learning.

*Visit Kobe Animal Kingdom or Bando Kobe Science Museum on Kobe Port Island, the largest of Kobe's man-made islands in Osaka Bay.  

*Check out Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (just surpassed as the longest suspension bridge in the world), the exhibition center, and marina promenade.

*Eat at an izakaya restaurant, where each restaurant serves up a variety of small, delicious Japanese dishes, generally unique to each establishment.  

*Eat at kaiten sushi, a rotating conveyor belt sushi restaurant.  

*Sing your heart out in a private echoing karaoke room, or applaud (or laugh) at the others while enjoying snacks and drinks.

COST per Family

US$100 Early Bird Rate, expires Sept 15, 2023

US$140 Regular Rates (a $25 discount is available for families in need, use code KOBE25 at checkout)

MEET YOUR HOST:

Hello, my name is Ken and my wife, Linda, and I are excited to be your hosts for the Kobe Pop-Up Hub. I experienced and saw first-hand some of the destruction of the 1995 earthquake in Kobe, from which the city has amazingly recovered.

Last year I retired early to start worldschooling with our 11-year-old twin daughters. I am from Canada and first got interested in Japan back in 1992 and have visited Japan more than 20 times. In 2018 we moved from Canada to the Tokyo area where we’ve lived for close to 4 years. Linda is native Japanese, and we are both functionally bilingual in both Japanese and English. You can ask us anything about Japan and we will likely be able to give you the inside story. 

We like to travel to places to explore new cultures, food, adventure activities, meet new people, and experience nature. Like you, we want to give our kids learning opportunities from rich real-world experiences and travel, rather than from a traditional school setting. Last year we visited Costa Rica, Mexico, France, Italy, Romania, UAE, & Vietnam, so we also learned some Spanish, French, Italian, and Romanian, although some of it may already be starting to fade away. Can't wait to meet you all to introduce you to many of the fascinating things in Tokyo, Japan, and make some worldschooling friends for our kids as well.

LODGING & NEIGHBORHOODS:

Most of our activities will be in the central ward (Chuo-ku) of Kobe. See the ward map here:  https://www.kobejet.com/en/term/ward#&gid=1&pid=1 

One activity will be in Suma-ku slightly to the west. The day trip to Himeji is also west, 1 hour by train from the center (Sannomiya). If you are slightly to the west of the center it would put you in a better position to travel to Himeji for the day trip. Your hosts will likely be staying in one of the wards to the west.  

Because of hills and mountains all along the north half of the city, most of the trains run west-east through the wards bordering the bay from Tarumi-ku in the west to Higashi Nada-ku in the east . There are 2 train/subway lines that run north-south. Although lodging in the central area will be the most convenient, trains are very efficient. If your lodging is in the west end or the east end (where it will be cheaper), even in neighboring Ashiya city, you are likely only 30 minutes from the center.  

Google Maps is reliable to determine the cost and travel time to get to the center.  Check the travel time to Sannomiya station (the center) avoiding the Shinkansen (bullet train) line because that requires reserved, premium tickets.  Accommodation on the Port Island is also possible but note that the monorail that services the island is slower and more expensive than regular trains.  

Here are some possible accommodations. Most are no-nonsense accommodations, generally classified as business hotels, but Airbnbs (if you can find them) will usually be more economical. 

https://www.superhoteljapan.com/ 

https://www.toyoko-inn.com/ 

https://www.apahotel.com/ 

This tourist map may also be a helpful reference: https://ontheworldmap.com/japan/city/kobe/kobe-tourist-map.html

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Join the private Facebook group to ask questions, stay up to date on activities in the area, and interact with other potential attendees:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/kobepopup2023

Browse our Frequently Asked Questions to learn more about how our pop-ups work:

https://www.worldschoolpopuphub.com/faqs

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