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A certain saying in Japan's Kansai region represents the aspirations of its citizens; it roughly translates to "Be educated in Kyoto, get a job in Osaka, live in Kōbe." This just about sums up Kōbe, an often overlooked – though highly livable – city forever in the shadow of its more famous neighbors (Kōbe is 90 minutes from Kyoto and 30 minutes from Osaka by train).
Rather than passing over Kōbe on your way to Hiroshima or making only a brief stop to dine on its famous beef, seek out the best things to do in Kōbe to experience the city more deeply and discover its many charms.
1. Climb a mountain, local style
Kōbe residents coined the phrase "mainichi tozan" (毎日登山), meaning "daily mountain climbing." Many take the expression quite literally, with the Mt Rokko range at their doorstep and well-manicured trails creating easy access to enjoy the natural beauty and views of the city and Osaka Bay. A round-trip hike from the historic Kitano-chō, a former foreign settlement neighborhood, to the Nunobiki Herb Gardens can be completed in about 2 hours; to the slightly closer Nunobiki Reservoir, a return trip takes only 90 minutes.
Although Rokko is referred to as a mountain, it is actually an entire range sandwiching Kōbe with Osaka Bay. Along its ridges, you'll find some of Kōbe's attractions: the herb garden, architect Tadao Ando's minimalist Chapel of the Wind (only open to the public during the annual Kōbe Rokko Meets Art event) and the Rokko Garden Terrace, an art spot and observation deck. On the opposite side of Mt Rokko, Arima Onsen is an ancient hot springs area where travelers relax in the many ryokan (traditional Japanese inns).
Planning tip: If mountain climbing is not your thing, several cable car and gondola ropeway systems whisk visitors to the ridgeline from various points along the mountain range. Or you can split the difference and hike in one direction, then take the cable car or gondola in the other.
2. Sip sake in one of Japan's oldest sake-producing areas
Mt Rokko isn't just there for scenery. It also provides the city's pristine water supply, enabling the area to produce exceptionally high-quality sake for centuries. East of the Shin-Kōbe shinkansen (bullet train) station, the Nadagogo district (meaning the five villages of Nada) has been reputedly brewing sake for nearly 700 years. During the sake heyday of the 17th century, 80% of the sake consumed in the capital city of Edo (present-day Tokyo) came from Nadagogo.
Nadagogo had easy access to Yamada Nishiki rice, which was grown in Hyogo Prefecture, where Kōbe is the capital. Yamada Nishiki was – and still is – the best rice cultivar for producing sake.
About 25 sake breweries remain in the area, most offering tours and tastings. The 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake devastated the area, but most facilities were rebuilt, doing their best to renovate original buildings wherever possible. The renovated warehouses of rough timber and natural beams contribute to the historic feel of the Nadagogo breweries.
Planning tip: Several breweries not only offer tours but also have extensive museums. My personal favorite is the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum, which uses life-size dioramas and film footage of the historical brewing process, with English translations available via QR codes.
3. Dive into Kōbe's past as an international city
After Japan's isolationist period ended in the latter half of the 19th century, Kōbe was one of the first cities where foreigners could live in Japan since the Dutch were granted access to tiny Dejima in Nagasaki. At first the foreign settlement areas were designated as relatively small clusters between Motomachi Station and the waterfront. As the population grew, some foreign residents began eyeing land in the foothills. As these were unattractive areas to the local population, which was largely made up of fishers, land access was granted and grew into the affluent Kitano-chō district.
Modern Kōbe has mostly retained these historic enclaves. Take a walking tour starting in Kitano-chō in the foothills, where wealthy merchants and ambassadors made their homes. Many of these houses are preserved as museums and places of business, so take your time and explore the grandeur of Japan's Meiji period (1868–1912). From here, wander downhill toward the waterfront, passing Kōbe's synagogue in a neighborhood bordering the city's Muslim quarter and Kōbe Muslim Mosque.
The enticing aroma of hot shawarmas might lure you into one of the quarter's halal restaurants, but don't fill up because soon you'll enter Nankin-machi, Kōbe's Chinatown, with food vendors and knickknack shops spilling into the streets. Finally, you'll arrive in Kaigandori, with early 20th-century art deco buildings where many Americans lived and worked. There were many other examples of art deco buildings here before they were flattened by the Great Hanshin Earthquake.
Planning tip: Kōbe has three main areas. Kitano-chō is to the north. In the center are the shopping and dining areas of Sannomiya and Motomachi, plus Chinatown. To the south is the newer, glitzier waterfront.
4. Find out how Kōbe has prepared for the next big quake
On a cold January morning in 1995, a 6.9 magnitude jolt woke sleeping Kōbe, killing over 4500 residents and inflicting heavy damage on hundreds of thousands of buildings. The earthquake served as a wake-up call to the entire nation; better preparation was needed for the inevitable major disaster in earthquake-prone Japan.
The Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution is part memorial and part museum dedicated to remembering the Great Hanshin Earthquake, but it is also looking forward to better disaster resistance and recovery in Japan. In the context of the Great Hanshin Earthquake, the facility shows how new technology developed in the years after the quake has made structures more earthquake-resistant, as well as how people should prepare for future disasters. One room presents a version of the quake as it was experienced in various Kōbe neighborhoods, a frightening and sobering experience. This may be the only museum in the world where the gift shop is stocked with disaster preparedness kits.
Detour: To see Japan's latest earthquake-resistant technology, peek behind the Merikan Building in the Kaigandori district. Highly damaged by the quake, this building is now attached to an enormous moveable steel skeleton that supports its stone walls should another large quake occur.
5. Learn about traditional Japanese construction techniques
While there's no discounting the importance of modern building technology, the Japanese are no strangers to building structures that can last for centuries. The Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum explains the intersection between Japanese architectural design and engineering and the advancement of tool technology. Historical developments in tool technology are displayed in parallel with the types of construction they enabled, from the nail-less construction techniques of sashimono to the intricate kumiko lattices of overlaid wooden bars used in interior decor.
This museum, located steps away from Shin-Kōbe Station, was built on the estate of a former president of the Takenaka Corporation, a civil engineering and construction company. The facility, along with a beautiful traditional teahouse, was designed and constructed using the techniques and tools explained in the museum's exhibits.
To study a real-life application of traditional building techniques, visit Kōbe's Ikuta-jinja, considered one of the oldest shrines in Japan.
Detour: If you're willing to go a bit further afield, regal Himeji-jō, a castle that has stood for over 400 years, withstood the Great Hanshin Earthquake and even a direct hit from an Allied bomb in WWII (spoiler: the bomb didn't explode). It can be reached by train in under an hour.
6. Explore Kōbe's waterfront district
Kōbe ceased to have the world's busiest port after the Great Hanshin Earthquake, but that might have helped make it a more attractive destination to visitors. Several entertainment attractions have been constructed here, many in Meriken Park, which features a large open space covered by lawns and courtyards. The Kobe Port Tower, a 180m-tall latticed steel structure reminiscent of a Japanese drum, is located here, as is the Kōbe Maritime Museum, which provides insight into the city's history as a port in beautifully detailed ship models and interactive exhibits.
Closer to Kōbe Station, Kōbe Harborland is a shopping and entertainment complex that truly comes to life in the evenings, when the main Gaslight St is lit with gas-powered streetlights and the rest of the waterfront skylight is reflected on the water.
Planning tip: The best panoramic view of the area is the night view from Kōbe Port Tower, open until 11pm every night.
7. See the intersection of art and architecture at VAGUE Kobe
By the late 20th century, Kōbe had already attracted a following among contemporary artists and designers. Architect Tadao Ando, born in neighboring Osaka, was so enamored with Kōbe and Hyogo Prefecture that most of his most significant works were built here. Other artists also found their way to Kōbe, including designer Teruhiro Yanagihara, who built one of his two VAGUE studios here (the other is in Arles, France).
Yanagihara procured the former Chartered Bank building, originally constructed in 1930 and a survivor of WWII bombing raids and the Great Hanshin Earthquake. Keeping the bones of the structure unchanged, Yanagihara reimagined the interior, creating a fluid space to showcase his products and a gallery for other artists. Located within the Kaigandori District and open Fridays to Mondays, VAGUE Kōbe is a fascinating site for contemporary design lovers.
Detour: Yanagihara chose Kōbe because it was the gateway to Shikoku, which is connected to Hyogo Prefecture via Awaji Island. Cross the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge to Awaji Island and explore more contemporary design destinations, such as Ando's Escher-esqu Awaji Yumebutai and the contemporary retreat Zenbo Seinei, designed by Shigeru Ban.
8. Savor the flavor of Kōbe beef
No visit to Kōbe would be complete without at least one meal featuring its world-renowned beef. Beef from Hyogo's Tajima black cattle is produced under strict standards, creating finely marbled meat with a rich flavor and a melt-in-your-mouth texture. You can get a quick orientation about the basics of this famous meat at the Kōbe Beef Gallery, a short walk from Shin-Kōbe Station. In this small museum, you'll learn about the Kōbe beef production process, how it is graded and how to identify restaurants and resellers serving authentic Kōbe beef. The Kobe Beef Gallery also features a small restaurant counter where Kōbe beef meals are prepared teppanyaki style (on an iron hot plate), but you can find a more significant number of restaurants serving the beef in different styles around Sannomiya Station.
Planning tip: Kōbe Plaisir is a great place to try Kōbe beef prepared in a variety of styles. At Kōbe Gyūdon Hiroshige, prime Kōbe beef is thinly sliced and served over rice. Daichi is a reliable choice for Kōbe beef served teppanyaki style, with a range of differently priced cuts.
9. Enjoy live music in the birthplace of Japanese jazz
While the port cities of Kōbe and Yokohama have an ongoing debate about which city is the Jazz Capital of Japan, there is no dispute that Kōbe is its birthplace. In 1923, the Laughing Stars, Japan's first jazz band, debuted at a Kōbe hotel, and the city has been strutting its jazz stuff ever since.
A significant year for jazz in Kōbe was 1923 because the Great Kanto Earthquake destroyed many dance halls and other buildings used by musicians in Tokyo, forcing them to find different locations to perform. Many jazz musicians headed to Kōbe, whose reputation as a cosmopolitan city meant an established audience would likely be waiting to welcome them.
The Sannomiya Station area is lined with jazz clubs and bars, intimate venues with a rotating collection of talented local musicians and occasionally some big international names. Many annual jazz festivals are scheduled throughout the year, including the Shinkaichi Music Festival in May and Kōbe Jazz Street in October.
Planning tip: Sone Jazz Bar is the oldest existing jazz bar in the city. It was founded in 1969 and hosted jazz legends like Louis Armstrong, which is hard to believe considering its intimate atmosphere. Live bands perform several sets nightly, which you can enjoy over dinner or drinks.