A major city not to be missed is Kobe! The sixth-largest city in Japan, it’s just a skip away from Osaka on the main island of Honshu. Hot humid summers and chilly winters, but the spring and autumn are warm and pleasant. It’s worth a visit in December just for the Luminarie, a stunning display of lighting installations in the city center. Jazz aficionados should come for “Kobe Jazz Street”, a music festival held every October.
Flying into Kobe allows for a few airports- naturally, Kobe airport is the closest, a short subway ride away from the city center on the Port Island Line. Osaka’s Kansai Airport handles most international flights. From there it’s possible to take a bus or train to Osaka Station, then head to Sannomiya Station, Kobe’s main transportation hub. Bullet trains from other areas of Japan will also stop at Sannomiya Station.
Kobe is a cosmopolitan city, and anything in the realms of food and shopping is available. Harborland is the main shopping and entertainment area located close to the port. Ride the Ferris Wheel or take a stroll down the Gaslight Street in the evening. There’s an endless array of restaurants and shops. It’s right next to the Harborland Station on the subway and JR Kobe Station, or take a walk through Meriken Park to get to it. Also in Meriken Park is the Port Tower (¥600), which boasts a height of 108 meters and offers a 360 degree panoramic view. There’s even a revolving café at the top that makes a full rotation every twenty minutes, so grab a drink and enjoy the changing view!
A must-see, Himeji Castle, makes for a short day-trip. From Sannomiya Station, you can take the JR Kobe Line to Himeji Station or the Sanyo Railway Main Line to Sanyo-Himeji Station. It’ll take anywhere from 40 minutes to an hour and ten minutes with ¥970 fare one-way. The castle is a twenty-minute walk. One of Japan’s original 12 castles, mostly unscathed by war or disaster, it is surreal to see. The “White Heron Castle”, it’s one of the most spectacular and beautiful sights in all of Japan. The entrance fee is ¥1,040, or ¥1,300 for entrance to the Kokoen Gardens as well. The castle grounds are open from 9:00 to 17:00.
For the active travelers, you can hike up Mt. Rokko to see a stunning view of Kobe, especially at night. There’s a Rokko-Arima ropeway with a cable car that will take you up and downhill for those who have limited time or hikers who don’t want to make their way down in the dark. The hiking trail does swing by Nunobiki Waterfall as an extra incentive. The ropeway is right by Rokko Station (take the Hankyu Kobe Line from Sannomiya) and costs ¥1010 one-way. It also acts as a short-cut to the Arima Onsen hot spring town. Don’t forget to check the operating times!
Arima Onsen is a famous hot spring (“onsen”) town on the edge of Kobe. The mountainous environment really makes the outdoor baths feel peaceful. The town is small enough to cover completely on foot, making it a great day trip excursion. The different kinds of water, kinsen gold and ginsen silver, are said to help with various ailments with their respective mineral deposits. Dip into the gold for skin issues and silver for muscle and joint problems. The bathhouses prices will range from ¥550 to ¥2500. Towels can usually be rented there, but it’ll save you a few yen to bring your own. If you go there without using the Mt. Rokko Ropeway, head out from Sannomiya or Shin-Kobe Station and get on the subway heading to Tanigami Station, then transfer over to the Shintetsu Arima-Sanda Line to Arima-guchi and switch again to the Arima Line for the Arima Onsen Station. It’ll take around 40 minutes for the journey.
A unique stop in Kobe is the UCC Coffee Museum. This ubiquitous coffee brand is absolutely everywhere in Japan, famous for being the first canned coffee. See the history of it here with a free audio guide and taste-test a few kinds of coffee. It’s open 10:00 to 17:00 and the entrance fee is a mere ¥300. From Sannomiya Station, take the Portliner towards Kobe Airport and get off at Minami-Koen Station. From there, it’s a 200m walk.
For history buffs, there’s Ikuta Shrine, one of the oldest shrines in Japan. It’s also extremely close to Sannomiya Station- a mere 5-minute walk northwest. Have a walk around the shrine grounds and soak in the beauty of its ancient buildings.
There’s also the historic Kitano district near Mt. Rokko, where foreign diplomats stayed in the 19th century. It’s famous for its many Victorian-style homes and nearby boutique stores and restaurants. You can purchase at combination ticket of the participating houses for anywhere from ¥600 to ¥3000. It’s a short 15-minute walk away from Sannomiya Station towards Mt. Rokko to reach Kitano. Please be aware that the road in Kitano is built on a fairly steep hill and many of the houses are not retrofitted to be accessible for those with physical disabilities.
What is there to eat and drink in Kobe? Swing by the Nada District to see some sake breweries and sample the goods. You can visit a single museum like the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum, open 9:30 to 16:30 (with last entry at 16:00) for free by using the Hanshin Railway bound for Umeda, exiting at Sumiyoshi Station. The subway ride will take about 7 minutes and cost ¥190, with a 15-minute walk to the district. Hard-core sake lovers can spend half a day walking around exploring the different breweries.
There’s also the Motomachi Shopping Street with its Nankinmachi, Kobe’s Chinatown, in the center. Satisfy your dim sum craving with one of the many Chinese food stalls. It’s one stop away from Sannomiya Station by JR Motomachi Station.
An unusual little bakery is Freundlieb, found in a church-turned-café. For some fresh-baked treats and a unique atmosphere, stop in here. It’s a ten-minute walk northeast of Sannomiya Station.
And of course, last but not least is Kobe’s most famous delicacy- Kobe beef! Perfectly marbled, this is a must-eat for any meat lover. There are specialty teppanyaki- and yakiniku-style restaurants dotting all of Kobe’s city center. Be sure to budget for it, as most restaurants start at around ¥5000 for the meal.