Kōbe (神戸) [1] 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.

Port of Kobe

Understand

A port in what would become Kōbe was established as a concession to western powers in 1868, during the time when Japan was opening to the world. Nagasaki and Yokohama had already begun serving foreign ships nine years earlier. Today, a synagogue, a Chinatown, and European architecture mark Kōbe as a place that foreigners and foreign culture first came to Japan.

On January 17, 1995 an earthquake measured at 7.3 on the Richter Scale occurred at 05:46am JST near the city killing 6,433, making 300,000 homeless and destroying large parts of the port facilities and other parts of the city. It was one of the most costly natural disasters in modern history. The earthquake notably destroyed the Hanshin Expressway, an elevated freeway which dramatically toppled over: within Japan, the earthquake is known as the Great Hanshin Earthquake (or the Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake). In the last 10 years, the city has recovered completely, but it lost some of its ship traffic.

Kōbe's core, and central business district, surrounds Sannomiya station, rather than Kobe Station. Sannomiya station has a tourist information office well-stocked with area maps. The Japanese kanji characters for Sannomiya station on Japan Railways (三ノ宮) differ from the Sannomiya station on other railways (三宮).

Get in

By plane

Kobe Airport (神戸空港, UKB) [2], built on reclaimed land in front of the harbor, opened in February of 2006. The airport handles domestic flights only: both Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) have flights to Kobe from Tokyo Haneda, Sapporo, Sendai, Okinawa, and Kagoshima. ANA also offers service from Niigata, while JAL has flights from Kumamoto. A new low-cost airline, Skymark, is offering cheap flights to and from Tokyo.

From Kobe Airport, the Port Liner light rail runs about every 10 minutes, reaching Sannomiya in less than 20 minutes (¥320) for easy connections to the JR, Hanshin, Hankyu and subway lines. From there, a small trip on the subway will link you to the Shin-Kobe bullet train station (¥200). If coming from Sannomiya to the airport, be sure to board a train marked "Kobe Airport", as some head to the Kita Futo branch line instead.

The nearest international airport is Kansai International Airport. The fastest way to get there is on Kaijo Access [3] high-speed ferries from Kobe Airport, which run every 45 minutes or so, taking 29 minutes one way (¥1500). However, if coming from central Kobe, it's nearly as fast and less hassle to take the Airport Limousine bus. Airport buses cost ¥1800, and the run to Sannomiya is listed to take 65 to 75 minutes depending on whether the bus travels directly to Sannomiya or stops first on Rokko Island. Alternatively, the JR Rapid Express connecting at Osaka is not much slower and more dependable. By JR, the ride costs ¥2410 and lasts 90 minutes, taking the Kanku Kaisoku (関空快速) rapid to Osaka station and changing there to the Shin-kaisoku (新快速 - Special Rapid) that runs to both Sannomiya and Kobe stations.

Finally, if you land at Itami Airport in Osaka, airport buses run to Sannomiya in 40 minutes and cost ¥1020.

By train

The nearest station on Japan's high-speed shinkansen network is at Shin-Kobe station. From Tokyo station, Shin-Kobe is 2 hours, 50 minutes away via Nozomi (¥14670); 3 hours and 20 minutes via Hikari (¥14270; no charge with the Japan Rail Pass). From Shin-Kobe station, take the Seishin Yamate subway line one stop to Sannomiya (¥200). If you are traveling light you can walk as well.

From Osaka, there are several ways to arrive in Sannomiya:

• Trains on the Hankyu and Hanshin private lines depart respectively from Hankyu-Umeda and Hanshin-Umeda stations. The Tokkyu (特急) express takes roughly half an hour to reach Sannomiya (¥310).

• The best option via JR is to take the Shin-kaisoku (新快速 - Special Rapid) or Kaisoku (快速 - Rapid) service that departs from JR Osaka station, running to Sannomiya in 20 and 26 minutes, respectively (¥390, no charge with the Japan Rail Pass).

From Kyoto, Sannomiya is 50 minutes away from the main train station via Shin-kaisoku (¥1050; no charge with the Japan Rail Pass). You can also make the run to the area in 30 minutes via bullet train, but it is more expensive, and if you have the rail pass, you can only take one train every hour without changing trains (the Hikari that runs through to Okayama).

From the central area of Kyoto (near Gion and the shopping district), you can reach Sannomiya in 70 minutes via Hankyu limited express, changing once at Juso station (¥600). Hankyu trains depart from the Kawaramachi and Karasuma stations.

By bus

Traveling to Kobe by bus can result in significant savings when compared to train fares.

The JR Bus Group (Japanese Website) is a major operator of the routes from the Tokyo area to Kansai. You can receive a discount of between 10 and 35 percent off the cost of the ticket if reservations are made at least 21 days in advance on most routes.

Other bus companies offer trips between Tokyo and Kobe, but it should be pointed out that seat reservations for JR Buses can be made in train stations at the same "Midori-no-Madoguchi" ticket windows used to reserve seats on trains.

The following services are available: (Current as of July 2006)

Daytime buses from Tokyo

Daytime buses only run as far as Osaka Station; there are multiple departures daily to Osaka from Tokyo and Shinjuku stations. You can then take a regular JR train from Osaka to Sannomiya. Expect the bus ride to be approximately 8 1/4 hours to Osaka, and the train ride 20 minutes by shin-kaisoku from Osaka to Sannomiya, for a total of ¥6540 (compared to ¥9030 if taking all local trains).

Nighttime buses from Tokyo

From Tokyo, nighttime buses run to and from Kobe in approximately 9 hours.

• The Dream Kobe runs from Tokyo Station to Shin-Kobe, Sannomiya and Kobe stations via the Tomei Expressway. It departs from Tokyo Station at 23:00, with the return trip starting from Kobe station at 22:40. Beginning in August of 2006, an additional round-trip will be added on Fridays, weekends and holidays, departing Tokyo Station at 21:50 and Kobe station at 21:10. This added bus will run via Takarazuka station, and will not stop at Shin-Kobe.

• The New Dream Kobe runs from Shinjuku Station to Shin-Kobe, Sannomiya and Kobe stations via the Chuo Expressway. It departs from Shinjuku Station at 23:00, with the return trip starting from Kobe station at 22:10.

These two buses cost ¥8690 one-way and ¥15640 round-trip.

• The Seishun Dream Kobe runs from Tokyo Station to Shin-Kobe, Sannomiya and Kobe stations via the Tomei Expressway. It departs from Tokyo Station at 22:30, with the return trip starting from Kobe station at 21:40. This bus only costs ¥5000 one-way and ¥9500 round-trip. The notable difference is that Seishun buses use four-across seating found in standard buses, while the others use more comfortable and wider three-across seating.

Note that the Japan Rail Pass is not valid on the Tokyo-Kobe bus route. As with taking a daytime service, you can take an overnight bus to Osaka (covered under the pass) and then transfer to train service for the final leg of the journey.

Get around

By train

The Hankyu (阪急), Hanshin (阪神) and JR lines cross Kōbe in a west-east direction, and provide the cheapest and fastest way to travel across town. Each of these three lines have their own station located around the busy central Sannomiya shopping district and each provide access to different points of interest.

For visitors with a Japan Rail Pass, JR will be of the most use. Shin-kaisoku (新快速 - Special Rapid) trains stop at both Sannomiya and Kōbe stations and provide the best way to travel west towards Akashi and Himeji or east towards Kyoto and Osaka. Boarding a Futsu (普通 - Local) from either Sannomiya or Kōbe stations will allow you to easy access to Motomachi (for Nankin-machi and Meriken-park) Nada (for the sake brewing district and museums) Rokkomichi (for buses to Mt. Rokko) and Sumiyoshi (for the Rokko Liner to Rokko Island).

The Hankyu and Hanshin lines are of less use to tourists but you may be forced to use them to visit certain sights. Koshien Stadium, home of the baseball team the Hanshin Tigers, is easily accessible from Hanshin Koshien Station and both lines provide service to Shinkaichi for transfer to the private Kobe Dentetsu line and access to the famed Arima Onsen hot-spring district.

By subway

Kōbe has two subway lines. The Kaigan Line runs along along the coast, and the Yamate-Seishin Line runs toward the mountains. Both are more expensive than ordinary trains and unlikely to be of use for the traveler, except when connecting to Shin-Kōbe, the station located north of the city where the Sanyo Shinkansen stops. The small jaunt between Shin-Kobe and Sannomiya costs ¥200. If you want to explore Kobe, there is a one-day-pass for both lines (1日乗車券; Ichinichijoshaken), costing ¥800 (kids: ¥400) or subway plus bus for ¥1000 (¥500).

• WikiPedia:Kaigan Line
• WikiPedia:Seishin-Yamate Line

By light rail

The automated Port Liner links Sannomiya to the reclaimed port district south of the city, and continues over the Kobe Sky Bridge to Kobe Airport. Likewise, the Rokko Liner links the Rokko Island area to JR Sumiyoshi station.

By bus

Kobe has a comprehensive city bus system, which is often your best choice when travelling to areas located north of the city, away from the predominately east-west running train and subway lines. Schedules and boarding locations can be obtained from the tourist information office below JR and Hankyu Sannomiya stations.

The city also operates a loop-line tourist bus that travels around scenic spots and famous tourist locations in Kobe including the Kitano Ijinkan streets, Nankin-machi and Meriken Park. These distinctive old-fashioned green buses can be boarded are 15 stops between the Shin-Kobe area and Harborland and cost 250 yen for a single loop or 650 yen for a day pass. Boarding locations are indicated by green and red signs on the side of the road. Buses run at 15-20 minute intervals and one loop takes approximately 70 minutes.

On foot

Kōbe is thin in the north-south direction, but long in the west-east direction. Since much of it is built on a hill, a reasonable itinerary is to take the bus up the hill, and walk down.If you get lost, find the mountains or the harbour. The mountains are on the north, and the harbour’s on the south.

See

German house, Ijinkan

• 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. Europeans who grew up in similar scenery may find them less fascinating.

• 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).

• Harbor Land (adjacent to Kobe station). This is a modern shopping and dining area, developed on the edge of the Kobe Bay.

• MOSAIC is Kobe’s playground. There are restaurants, bars, a movie theatre, a shopping market, an amusement arcade and a little amusement park. Harbour cruises are offered, some of which go as far as the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge.

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.

Do

Osaka Bay at night

• 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.

Buy

Kōbe's shopping is clustered around the Sannomiya train station and the Center-Gai shopping arcade leading off from it. Many of the unassuming little cafes and specialty shops in the arcade in fact have histories tracing back well over a hundred years.

Piazza Kōbe (ピアザ神戸) and Motokō Town (モトコータウン) are the two names of essentially one long arcade where all manner of second-hand goods are sold. These stores are underneath the JR lines, running from Sannomiya station, past Motomachi Station, to Kōbe Station. Motoko sells a variety of things as books, clothes, shoes, accessories, knives, lighters, toys...... You can get heaps of things.

Eat

Kobe has a large number of restaurants offering international cuisine.

Kōbe is known worldwide for its Kobe beef, exquisitely marbled, very fatty and very expensive beef. Recommended for a splurge, but expect to pay close to ¥10,000 per head.

Nankinmachi (walking distance from Sannomiya station). Cheap eats can be found in Kōbe's Chinatown.

• Sky Buffet, [4]. It’s a little bit hard to find (several blocks south of Sannomiya Station, but it’s the tallest building one street over on your left), but at 24 floors up, the view is quite impressive especially at night and definitely worth the troubles of finding it. The food’s a reasonably good mix of cultures and well priced.

There are many types of restaurants in Mosaic. Japanese, Chinese, Brazilian, Italian. It's your choice. Also, you can get a nice view there.

Drink

Kōbe's specialty are tachinomiya, literally stand-and-drink bars.

• New Muenchen Kobe Taishikan (ニューミュンヘン神戸大使館), Sannomiya-cho, 2-chome, 5-18 (on Ikuta Road a block south of Center-Gai, about 3 blocks south of the JR tracks, under 10 min. by foot from either Hankyu, Hanshin, or JR Sannomiya station), tel. 078-391-3656, [5]. Open 11:00 am to 11:00 pm, lunch hours are 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. A long-time Sapporo Beer brewpub and restaurant newly rebuilt after the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995 that serves seasonal brews and dishes as well as the timeless favorites of German and Japanese beer halls. Bar service on ground floor, table service on higher floors. Capacity 540. Beers range around ¥550-950, food ranges around ¥750-1500.

• Sone, 1-24-10 Nakayamate-dori (in Kitano just north of Sannomiya station), tel. 078-221-2055, [6]. Not only an excellent place to relax with a drink, Sone also happens to be one of the best jazz clubs in Kansai.

Sleep

Kōbe has a wide variety of accommodation, ranging from love hotels near Shin-Kobe to luxury hotels by the waterfront.

• Kobe Harborland New Otani, 1-3-5 Higashi-kawasaki-cho, Chuo-ku, tel. 078-360-1111, [7]. A member of the prestigious New Otani chain. While not quite swanky as its Tokyo flagship, the location near JR Kōbe station is good and internet rates can be had for around ¥10,000 a night (plus taxes).

• Hotel Tor Road, 3-1-19 Nakayamate-dori, Chuo-ku, tel. 078-391-6691, fax 078-391-6570, e-mail htorroad@oak.ocn.ne.jp. Convenient location in the heart of Kobe's main shopping and dining area between Sannomiya and Motomachi train stations. New Muenchen Tor Road beer cellar right next door. Singles ¥7500-9000, doubles/twins ¥15,000-19,000.

Get out

• Arima Onsen, a hot-spring town located at the terminus of the Mt. Rokko cable car

• Himeji, a nice city with Japan's most beautiful well-preserved castle, is a 20 minute train ride away.

• Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge leading to Awaji island is 10 km far to the West. (10 minutes by train.)