If you don't look it up on Google Maps, you'll probably walk right past it.

It is said that there are two other birthplaces of bowling besides this one.

◆The birthplace of bowling A stone monument located in Chuo Ward, Kobe City. A spherical commemorative stone monument in the shape of a bowling ball located at Higashi Amusement Park. Built: July 23, 1991 ●Black granite is mirror-finished into a spherical shape. A stone monument shaped like a bowling ball. There is no pedestal, the bottom of the ball is buried, and there is only one small white bowling pin in relief. On April 20, 1869, immediately after the Meiji Restoration, the Union Club, a members-only club for foreign residents, was established in Kobe, which was a foreign settlement, and had a bowling lane. Afterwards, it was moved to the Higashi Yuenchi Park next to the current Kobe City Hall and became known as the ``Kobe Club.'' The East Amusement Park is currently undergoing fairly large-scale redevelopment, and many areas are closed during construction. Immediately after the earthquake memorial service in 2020, the area around this monument has been closed to the public. The location may change due to redevelopment. In Nagasaki, Kyushu, there are two stone monuments marking the city as the birthplace of bowling in Japan.

Very beautiful place in the park (kobe east park)

Bowling ball didn’t die for this! - The place where bowling is said to have originated? Um. In short, this monument looks like this at night. Whether I went or not, there is actually no difference. AD 1869, one hundred and fifty years have passed. If the bowling spirit in the sky knew anything, he would be speechless after seeing this.

I never expected it to be in Kobe.

Bowling is fun. Bowling has always been fun. This monument is further support to this universal truth.

Now I go and there is nothing.

It's not even a place I'm going out of my way to go.