Kobe Luminarie (神戸ルミナリエ) is an annual light festival to commemorate the Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake that struck in 1995. 

Held every December, Kobe Luminarie runs for around 10 days. This a free event however donations are appreciated with many boxes for you to drop some money in. 

The word luminarie is Italian meaning illumination. Every year a team of Italians come in to Kobe to help set-up the lights. The colours and designs vary slightly each year.

During Kobe Luminarie, Sannomiya Station and Motomachi Station are often crowded with everyone making their way to see the lights. Some of the roads around the old foreign settlement blocked off to cars and even walk through traffic.

The festival is designed with one-way access as you walk down through the illuminated arches and finish in Higashi-Yuenchi Park. If you want to skip the arched-street (and many of the queues) you can make your way park from Flower Road end. 

To get a birds eye view of the lights, head up to the Kobe City Hall Observatory on the 24th floor, also free. 

Visit the Official Kobe Luminarie site for all the latest information (Japanese).

2019 Kobe Luminarie Dates

Kobe Luminarie 2019 will run from December 6th to December 15th.
Times: 5pm ~ 10pm (Weekday, Friday night & weekend start/end times vary by 30 minutes are different but if you go between 6pm and 9:30pm you will be safe).