Everything I wore in Kobe

+ how I spent my time there

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You know when you’re really excited about a holiday, but then when you’re just about to go on it, you start to stress and the anticipation wanes? Kobe was the perfect example for me.

I was juggling social commitments, EFF, studio time (sewing and pottery), studying, doing my taxes, medical appointments, and just generally having to deal with day-to-day life while feeling like I was constantly failing to keep up. Every time I’d look at my diary, those few days felt like a faraway respite.

Like a lot of the trips I go on, they’re because my partner has a weekend event, and I think if we’re paying for a hotel anyway, why don’t I tag along and do my own thing? As the trip got closer, I realised I’d barely planned anything and left packing to the very last minute.

What I really craved was to lie down curled up in a comfortable bed and finish reading Rich People Problems (the last book in the Crazy Rich Asians series). But I also didn’t want to waste the chance to see Kobe, even though most of the time I was there it was dreary and rainy.

The other thing is that while I’m travelling, I tend to have a burst of fashion confidence and willingness to experiment more. I get a buzz of excitement to trial outfits that exist in my head out in the ‘real world.’

So I tried to find a balance between cosying up in a soft hotel bed, listening to the rain and reading, with stepping out, taking in inspiration, and experiencing my clothes.

FRIDAY NIGHT

I bought super economy tickets with ANA (All Nippon Airways) several months ago. I haven’t flown in 6 years because usually train tickets are cheaper, but this time flights won out. It was also White Day, so my partner brought me a surprise gift—some fancy biscuits. My favourite part was the tin, which had embossed biscuit imagery.

I took them on the plane with us, where I ate a few with complimentary green tea, which felt very fancy.

As soon as we got into the hotel room, I took an outfit photo. The pants are a new thrifted find, which I paired with my red thrifted merino top that gets heavily featured. I’m noticing that it is starting to fit differently; the fabric has become looser. Blue circle tee linked below.¹

SATURDAY

I read for a while then went back to sleep, and one of the only motivations for leaving the hotel was that I needed to source lunch. I decided to venture out to IKEA because they are one of the only places to get guaranteed veg food (not a vegetarian, but I used to be and still eat mostly veg or plant-based, whatever label you prefer).

I absolutely love this skirt, but I struggle styling it because I don’t have a lot of neutrals in my wardrobe, nor do I have a lot of clothes in matching or complementary shades.

I thrifted this pale green cotton sweatshirt a few weeks ago. Funnily enough, even though I loved the colour, I hesitated because it wasn’t one of the colours I was planning on bringing into my wardrobe. But my partner convinced me. I actually intended it to be a casual sweatshirt for the gym, but I feel like it goes so well with this skirt.²

After having a slow and very late lunch, I went to the nearby science museum to book a ticket for the planetarium. They had a programme about how Van Gogh’s art was inspired by the starry sky (in Japanese, of course, so I only understood bits and pieces). Before that, I had some time to spare, so I looked at the science exhibits.

I played a game called ‘Space Hopper’ where I bounced on a giant crater. Most of the exhibits were out of order or were being renovated, but I enjoyed wandering. I really loved this one corridor that was lit up, with soft music playing in the background.

I didn’t know that most restaurants closed at around 9 p.m. in Kobe, even on a Saturday night, which means that the last order is likely 8 to 8.30 p.m. So we ended up having dinner at chain restaurants both Friday and Saturday.

SUNDAY

I definitely wanted to check out some art while I was in Kobe. I didn’t spend a lot of time researching beforehand, which led to some nice surprises alongside disappointments.

I only found out about Museum Road last minute—a road with outdoor sculptures that connects Hyogo Prefectural Art Museum and Oji Zoo (I was going to the Tadanori Yokoo museum, which was very close to the zoo). This sculpture is by Tsubaki Noboru (happy surprise one). Although their style, scale of work, and mediums are very different, there’s a phallic overlap that reminds me of Yōichi Umetsu’s ceramics.

When I reached Hyogo Prefectural Museum, I saw an exhibition ad for Paul Klee and thought about how lucky I was, only to realise I was a couple of weeks too early (disappointment one). However, the collection exhibit was pretty good; there were a couple of really cool animations and sculptures.

Walking towards Tadanori Yokoo’s museum (about 15 minutes away), I realised I needed to eat, and luckily I found a vegan bakery nearby (happy surprise two). I sat down on a table shielded from the rain and ate my sandwich with hot houjicha I got from a nearby vending machine. It was seriously delicious, and unlike conbini egg sandwiches, I didn’t get a stomach ache after—complete win.

My outfit felt like a natural chain reaction to previous ones. I’d worn the merino top and striped thrifted dress together before. I’d worn the merino top and pants³recently for my first ever high tea. Why not put the two outfits together? This was the result:

I like the colour combination; I like that it gives kurta vibes. I don’t like how relaxed the merino top has become, and I also wish the dress was shorter (above the knee) or longer (closer to the ankle) because I think the proportions are a bit off. Still happy with the outfit experiment.

I finally made it to the Tadanori Yokoo museum. There was an exhibition that showcased integral moments of his life using the format of a board game, which was really fun. I first saw his work at Teshima Yokoo House during a month-long art trip I took in 2022, but I remember feeling like some of the works were too overtly sexual. I don’t mind explicit work, but I always wonder about the power dynamics and women being perceived via a male artist/male gaze. But Tadanori’s body of work is expansive, and there are other works I connected with.

When I was about to leave Tadanori Yokoo museum, I found a poster of the map for Museum Road, and I realised that I’d missed a bunch of sculptures back at the prefectural museum (disappointment two). It was still pouring rain, and I had the choice to either double back (30 mins walk) or take a bus most of the way back to the hotel (plus another 10 mins walking).

I went back to the hotel.

MONDAY

I was actually filled with anxiety because it was the only day that I spent with my partner and where the weather was actually decent.

I tried to make up for lost time and put too many things into the itinerary whilst also not wanting to run the risk of being late for our flight. I wanted to go to Arima Onsen, I wanted to go to Nunobiki Herb Garden, and I wanted to see more of Kobe, like Meriken Park.

Little things started to add more time, like we went to a falafel place that opened up 20 minutes late, and the owner was super chatty, so it was more of an experience than a quick meal. Then at the ticket office, I misheard the time, and we ended up booking a bus almost 30 mins later than intended.

Finally we made it to Arima Onsen, and I started to calm down. When I let go of expectations—like recognising it wouldn’t be relaxing to bathe there when I was dealing with time pressure and we’d only really be able to get a ‘feel’ of the place—I enjoyed our short time there.

The only thing that I was disappointed in was my experience with a famous donut chain. It was 25 mins until closing time, and they had run out of most of their donuts. The staff member explained to a Japanese couple ahead of us that there were actually two stores, and the other one was open until later, even showing them a map and explaining how to get to the other one. Then it was my turn. I asked if everything else was sold out in Japanese; he replied, sold out, in English. He didn’t mention the second store; he didn’t even tell me there were iced donuts at the back of the store, which I stumbled across when I put my bag down. I promptly changed my chestnut donut order to a matcha one. It was tasty, but I felt sad that we didn’t get the same level of kindness as other customers.

I wore an outfit that has been on repeat for the last month or so now. My thrifted blue pants and a new turtleneck.⁴ It’s an instant confidence booster for me, although it didn’t start off that way (I wasn’t a fan of the pants or the turtleneck at first; more on that next week).

One of the reasons I was able to make peace with not being able to bathe in Arima Onsen was because I picked up some bath powders from a souvenir shop. They are meant to replicate the water from the two famous bathhouses—Kin-no-yu and Gin-no-yu (gold water and silver water). So the next day, after spending hours finishing my draft for last week’s newsletter (outer layer recs), I finally had my chance to ease into a long bath.

Next week we’re getting into a more intimate essay about body image.

As always, in gratitude,

Sushmita