Sorakuen Garden was once part of the residence of Kodera Kenkichi, a former mayor of Kobe. It is located in the center of Kobe and is a traditional Japanese landscape garden. It first opened up to the public in 1941. The buildings in the garden were destroyed in the war except for the European style stable that survived. In 1961, the former home of a foreign trader was moved to Sorakuen Garden from the Kitano district. The structure is known as the Hassam House. The house has an old colonial style architecture. There is also the Funayakata, which is said to be the last “Kawagozabune” in existence. It was originally part of a houseboat that was used for pleasure cruises by a former lord of Himeji and was built between 1682 to 1704.
