Cheese at Rokko Mountain Pasture

Cheese Factory

The factory is in the basement of the Q.B.B Cheese House. You watch through windows along a corridor; you cannot go inside. Kobe Cheese is made from the pasture's fresh milk, and on some days the staff make ricotta or yogurt instead. Working hours vary, so ask the staff when the next batch is on.

Restaurant Kobe Cheese

Upstairs in the same building, the restaurant serves Alpine cheese fondue made with the pasture's camembert, course menus and a brûlée cheesecake, 11:00 to 17:00 (last orders 16:00). A fondue on its own costs ¥1,360. The restaurant is up a flight of stairs with no lift.

Make Your Own

The workshop room runs dairy classes. String cheese, made from curd with salt or pepper, takes about 30 minutes and costs ¥2,400 for a pair, on weekdays only, from 10:00 to 16:00, for junior high school age and up because it uses boiling water. Butter making is ¥990 per person, and ice cream is also on offer.

Tickets and Opening

Entry is ¥600 for adults and ¥200 for school-age children from March to November, ¥400 and ¥200 from December to February, and free for preschoolers. You pay entry even if you only want the cheese shop or restaurant. Parking costs ¥1,000, and entry and parking are cash only. The pasture closes on Tuesdays (open on public holidays and every day from 21 July to 31 August), over New Year and for a winter break.

Getting There

The address is 1-1 Naka-Ichiriyama, Rokkosan-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe. Take the Rokko Cable car up the mountain and the Rokko Sanjo bus to the pasture, or drive. Wheelchair and pushchair users should use the south car park; the cheese house shop is step-free.