
Kobe is one of Japan's underappreciated cities. A cosmopolitan
port city with an international flavor, hemmed in by Mt.
Rokko, it constantly comes up number one in expatriate rankings
of the best place to live in Japan
Located roughly in the center of Honshu, Japan's main island,
Kobe is easily accessible by land, sea, and air. It is about
3 hours and 20 minutes from Tokyo by Bullet Train. Together
with Osaka and Kyoto, it forms the focal point for the economy
of western Japan.
One of the more interesting areas is Kitano. Since the late
1800s the area has served as a residential district for
foreigners. With many houses in semi-Western and semi-Japanese
style, the town is rich in exotic atmosphere characteristic
of Kobe. Some of the houses, called "ijinkan" in Japanese,
are open to the public, or used as boutiques and restaurants
offering ethnic foods; others are still inhabited by foreign
residents. Kyukyoruchi also has many old western style buildings.
Sightseeing:
Kobe's main attraction for the Japanese is its concentration
of Western-style houses, some dating back to the days when
Kobe was opened for foreign trade in 1868. Europeans who
grew up in similar scenery may find them less fascinating.
- Ijinkan (異人館) (walking distance from either
Sannomiya or Shin-Kobe stations) Kōbe's number-one
attraction is the Ijinkan or Barbarian Houses. These
are 19th-century residences of Kobe's foreign traders,
clustered in the Kitano area.
- Kyu-kyoryuchi (旧居留地), near Motomachi station (Hanshin
Line or JR Line). This is where foreign consulates and
trading companies built their offices. Several 19th-century
buildings have been converted into restaurants and shops.
Notable buildings include Chartered Square, once the
Chartered Bank branch and the 15th Building (十五番館),
once the American consulate. The area is also packed
full of high-fashion boutiques like Gucci, Louis Vuitton,
Prada and Fendi.
- Meriken Park (メリケンパーク) near the harborfront has
a poignant memorial to the devastating Hanshin Earthquake
in 1995, which killed 6,433 people. Kobe Tower nearby
is the unofficial symbol of the city and offers a viewing
pavilion (¥600).
- Fruit Flower Park(フルーツ?フラワーパーク), 35 min by bus from
Sannomiya, Open daily is 10 AM to 6 PM (except on holidays).
Phone: 078-954-1000. This park is surrounded by a lot
of flowers and greenery. Many people hold their wedding
ceremonies here every year. In spring, the park becomes
even more beautiful as about 100.00 tulips bloom. The
Hotel Fruit Flower is near the park, which is visited
by many families.
Kōbe is a well-known center of sake production and many
sake breweries are in the Nada (灘) area, and have tours
or museums open to the public. You can pick up a map of
the sake breweries at the tourist information office in
Sannomiya.
- Sawa-no-Tsuru Museum (沢の鶴資料館) (10-minute walk
from Hanshin ōishi station 大石駅). 078-882-7788.
Open daily 10 AM to 4 PM, closed Weds. This museum is
probably the best of the bunch, with an informative
multi-level exhibit partly labeled in English, and a
well-stocked gift shop. Free entry, but no free sake.
- Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum (walking distance
from Hankyu Mikage station 御影駅 or
Sumiyoshi station 住吉駅), 078-822-8907.
Open daily 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, closed Mon. This museum
is located inside a former brewery, and features traditional
tools, dioramas and English-language videos to explain
the sake-making processes. At the end, you can sample
some sake, which is non-pasteurized, presumably because
it doesn't have to travel far from the factory. Write
your name on a piece of paper provided by the guard
and return that at the end. Free entry, free sake.
- Hamafukutsuru-Ginjo Brewery and Shop Open daily
10 AM to 5 PM, closed Mon. 078-411-0492. Reportedly,
Hamafukutsuru offers factory tours, rather than just
a museum.
Things to do:
- Mt. Rokko (六甲山 Rokko-san) and its Rock Garden, the
first an easy cable car trip for suitable romantic evenings,
the second a light day's hiking with an excellent view.
The view over the glittering expanse of Osaka Bay is
canonized as one of the Three Great Night Views.
- Kobe Collection (神戸コレクション). Fashion event. Held
Twice a year (Aug-Sep, Feb-Mar) in Kobe since 2002.
Popular with young women.
- Kobe Jazz Street (神戸ジャズストリート). Famous Jazz event
in Japan. Held every October at jazz bars and hotels
in Kobe since 1981.
- Chikin George One of the most famous place with
live music in Japan. Near Sannomiya station.
Nunobiki Falls is one of three of Japan's most important
waterfalls. A 15 minutes walk up Mt. Rokko from Shin Kobe
station.