Situated in the Kansai region of Japan, Kobe city doesn’t have nearly as many bouldering halls as its bigger neighbor Osaka. Until recently, there were 4 gyms: Two run by Gravity Research, Rock Garden, and the climbing only Mint Kobe. Gravity Research Kobe unfortunately closed down its bigger, more spacious Annex leaving only the bouldering / climbing hall built into its outdoor shop.
Entry will cost you a registration fee (JPY 1,500) and either a day ticket (JPY 2,100) or 90 minute ticket (JPY 1,500). The hall does offer an option for those not willing to pay the registration fee (e.g. tourists). Tickets are purchased from a vending machine next to the cashier’s desk. The staff are friendly, however, English is very limited, but they will try their best to help you.
The hall is split into 5 smaller sectors, with plenty of color coded routes from beginner to advanced. In particular, the aggressively angled roof section provides tougher challenges for people looking to push difficulty. The team does a good job of creating weekly circuit challenges to keep things fresh.
The downside is the lack of space. During evenings and particularly when weekly circuits are refreshed, the hall becomes almost unbearably crowded with many people jostling for a chance at the routes. Further, the maximum height of the walls are probably around 2.5m – 3.0m, which means there isn’t much verticality to speak of.
Due to the closeness to the main Sannomiya station, and the fact that Gravity Research membership qualifies you for entry to a number of halls in the Region, this is probably the most convenient option for after work sessions. The hall does uniquely also feature a small section for lead climbing, offering enough space for 3-4 pairs of climbers. However, again, height is a limiting factor so don’t expect pumpy endurance based training.
