The postwar reconstruction period brought about major changes in people's lives. (2) is a collection of memories related to movies and beer gardens, which are representative of these changes. Movies on the big screen brought people together, and beer gardens brought people together.

[Cinema



(Photo) The front of the building displays a large display of movies shown at the 7th-floor Sky Cinema and the 3rd-floor Main Theater (1962), courtesy of the Kobe Shimbun.

 

Moved by the movie, courtship, bittersweet memories.

Hideharu Hashimoto (Akashi-city, age 74)

　I was born and raised in the downtown area just east of the Kobe Newspaper Hall five years before it was built. I moved when I was in the fourth grade, but ever since I can remember, the Kobe Shimbun Kaikan has been one of my playgrounds, and I have many fond memories of visiting it often.

When I was 20 years old, I was so moved by seeing the opening of that famous movie "The Poseidon Adventure" at a large theater with a girlfriend one year younger than me that I held her hand for the first time. On the way home, I boldly proposed to her at the entrance of the hall, and she said "yes.

But life is like "peaks and valleys," and my love sank like the Poseidon.

The Kobe Newspaper Hall, such a "mass of irreplaceable memories," is a sweet, sad, and bittersweet treasure of one's youth.

 

Standing and watching a movie was tough.

Takashi Kuramochi (Nishi Ward, age 75)

Half a century ago, I commuted from Tarumi to a university in Kyoto by the then Japan National Railways. It took two hours one way because there was no Shinkaisoku (new rapid train) yet. When I arrived at Sannomiya after passing Osaka and saw a large mural of Mt. Fuji on the north side of the Newspaper Hall, I felt relieved that I had finally arrived in Kobe. I went inside one of the two movie theaters. I remember "Chaplin's Dictator," which my father took me to see, and "Sengoku JSDF," which I went to with a friend. Both were tough standing up.

I have been going to KCC at Mint Kobe for almost 20 years now, and the view of the mountains and the sea from the 17th floor is amazing, and I never get tired of looking at it again and again.

 

Impressed by the Karafuto dog in "Tales from the South Pole."

　NAKAI, Hiroshi (Hyogo, age 85)

The Kobe Newspaper Hall had several movie theaters, and I remember taking my second son, who was in the upper grades of elementary school at the time, and his friends to see "Tales from the South Pole" more than 40 years ago.

Both parents and children were moved by a scene depicting the struggle for life of a Karafuto dog left behind by an Antarctic expedition due to bad weather. I hope to carry this kind of emotion with me today.

 

Enchanted by a great movie, happy hour

Masako Fujiwara (Nishi Ward, age 76)

After all, it is a movie. I was especially happy to be able to enjoy such great films as "Gone with the Wind," "Ben-Hur," and "The Sound of Music. When I was 20 years old, I was molested and chased by a female staff member up the hill in front of the museum. Of course, he got away... I was recommended to go back and watch the movie from the beginning, but I suddenly got scared and left.

I still recall the films I saw in the cinema with their magnitude. I have not been out recently, but hope to immerse myself in happy times for the first time in a long time.

 

Memories of 16mm Movies

Takashi Hinokake (Nishi Ward, age 89)

There was a senior colleague at the company where I worked who was a good skier, and he took me to Kannabe ski resort.

Staying overnight at a guest house, I was impressed by the unusual local cuisine prepared for dinner. I spent my New Year's holiday at a ski resort. At that time, the "Ski Movie Club" was held at the Newspaper Hall, featuring the work of the 16mm film production group "Fukuhara Films. In "Juhyosan no Hakkouda-yama (Mt. Hakkouda on Ice)," I was overwhelmed by the sight of ice trees on the screen for the first time. The atmosphere of a rustic hot spring resort warmed my heart. A film showing ski resorts in Shinshu was also screened, and the majestic slopes of the Alps in the background lured me to go skiing at the famous ski resort. The film festival was held every year and was always packed.

The Newspaper Hall reminds me fondly of 16mm movies.

 

 

Beer Garden

 

Worked part-time in an underground restaurant district, met his wife and had a golden wedding

Hajime Fujii (Kakogawa, age 80)

It was about 60 years ago. When I was a college student, my classmates and I worked part-time at the Kirin Beer Garden on the roof of the Kobe Newspaper Hall. I remember it was a very busy time, when air conditioning was still scarce in homes. Later, I also worked at the Kirin Beer Hall in the underground Shumi-gai. I met my current wife, Shigeyoshi Noboru, there, and we attended our golden wedding in 2019, and our picture was published in the Kobe Shimbun the next day. I am blessed with children and grandchildren, and I am still going strong. I have a reunion called "Kirin-kai" with my friends from my part-time job, and we have a lot of fun talking about old times. I feel that the relationship that began at the Kobe Newspaper Hall has led us to where we are today. The memories continue to grow.

The photo is my wife at the time.


(Photo) Mr. Tomoei during his part-time job (courtesy of Mr. Kaz Fujii)

 

Niizuma takes second place in karaoke contest

Kenichi NAKAO (Nada, age 72)

Around July 1971. They were operating a beer garden on the roof. Six months after we got married, my wife and I went there for a drink. We happened to enter a karaoke contest that was being held, and I lost in the preliminary round, but to my wife Mayumi was the champion that day.

They also ranked high in the monthly competitions. In the final competition held in the last month of the term, he was the runner-up, although he did not win the championship. The prize was a hotel ticket to a hotel in the Rokko Mountains. I don't remember what song it was, but I still have good memories of it.

 


(Photo) The rooftop beer garden was still unusually busy in 1963.

 

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