Weathercock House (Kazamidori no Yakata)
By Andrew Liyan · Last updated: September 8, 2026 · Facts verified: September 8, 2026
- Area
- Kitano, Kobe
- Best For
- History, Architecture, Couples, Photography
Visiting Weathercock House (Kazamidori no Yakata)
Weathercock House (風見鶏の館), also known by its Japanese name Kazamidori no Yakata, is a red-brick residence completed in 1904 for Gottfried Thomas, a German trader, in Kobe's hillside Kitano district. Its distinctive pointed tower, topped by the weathervane that gives the building its name, has made it the single most photographed and most recognizable individual house among Kitano's cluster of preserved 19th- and early 20th-century foreign merchant residences, known collectively as the Ijinkan.
The house was designated a National Important Cultural Property on January 21, 1978, under its official name, the Former Thomas Residence. Visitors today can tour the interior for ¥500, seeing period furnishings and architectural details across a half-timbered, gabled structure that mixes German residential styling with the hillside setting overlooking Kobe and its harbor. The house keeps unusually generous hours, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, and closes only on the 6th and the first Tuesday of February each year, an easy detail to miss but useful to know before planning a winter visit.
Things to Do at Weathercock House (Kazamidori no Yakata)
Tour the Period Interior
The house preserves early 20th-century furnishings and room layouts across multiple floors, giving a sense of how a wealthy foreign merchant family lived in Kobe's foreign settlement era.
Photograph the Exterior
The red-brick facade, half-timbered gables, and the rooftop weathervane are the most-photographed single view in the Kitano district, especially from the small plaza in front of the house.
How to Get to Weathercock House (Kazamidori no Yakata)
Weathercock House sits partway up the Kitano hillside, reachable on foot from either of Kobe's two central stations.
From Sannomiya or Shin-Kobe
Both stations are within a 15-20 minute uphill walk of Kitano-cho; many visitors combine the walk with browsing other Ijinkan houses along the way.
Best Time to Visit Weathercock House (Kazamidori no Yakata)
Any season; clear mornings for photography.
The house keeps the same hours and admission year-round, with the single narrow February closure exception.
Entry Fee & Hours
| Category | Price (JPY) | Approx. (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | ¥500 | ~$3 |
| High school age and younger | Free | Free |
- •The only regular closure is the 6th and the 1st Tuesday of February each year; the house is open every other day of the year, including most public holidays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Planning Your Kobe Trip?
See the full Kobe destination guide or browse Japan itineraries that include this city.