9 of the best things to do in Kōbe, Japan

There's a saying in Japan's Kansai region that represents the aspirations of its citizens. It roughly translates to "Be educated in Kyoto, get a job in Osaka, live in Kōbe." This sums up the vibe of this often overlooked place, forever in the shadows of its famous sibling cities, although located just a half hour away by train. Kōbe is a highly liveable city with convenient public transportation, fascinating historical districts, and lively nightlife, while lacking the slight conceit of Kyoto and the frenetic energy of Osaka.

Rather than passing over the city on your way to Hiroshima or making a brief stop to dine on its famous beef, here are a few ways to experience Kobe more deeply and discover its many charms.

1. Climb a mountain, local style

Kōbe residents have coined the phrase "mainichi tozan" – 毎日登山 – meaning "daily mountain climbing." Many take the phrase quite literally, with the Mt Rokko range at their doorstep and well-manicured trails creating easy access to enjoy 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 City with Osaka Bay. Along its ridges, you'll find some of Kōbe's attractions: the aforementioned herb garden, the minimalistic Tadao Ando-designed Chapel of the Wind (currently only open to the public during the annual Kobe Rokko Meets Art event), and Rokko Garden Terrace, an art spot and observation deck that affords one of Japan's "Ten Million Dollar Night Views" of Kōbe and Osaka. On the opposite side of Mt Rokko is Arima Onsen, an ancient hot springs area that is a resort town for travelers seeking relaxation and pampering in one of its many ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) facilities.

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 and 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 a scenic part of Kōbe City. 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 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.

Today, about 25 sake breweries remain in the area, most offering tours and tasting. The 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake devastated the area, but most facilities were rebuilt, doing their best to renovate original buildings whenever possible. The renovated warehouses of rough timber and natural beams contribute to the authentically historic feel of the Nadagogo breweries.

Local tip: Several breweries not only offer tours but have also created extensive museums. My personal favorite is the Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum, which uses life-sized dioramas and real film footage of the historical brewing process with English translations available via QR codes.

3. Dive into Kōbe's past as an international city

One of a handful of cities opened as trading ports after Japan's isolationist period ended, Kōbe was one of the first cities where foreigners could live in Japan since the Dutch were granted access to tiny Dejima Island in Nagasaki. At first, 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 its ethnic enclaves, which is unusual for generally homogeneous Japan. 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 Jewish 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 its early 20th-century art deco-style buildings that could have been ripped from the streets of Manhattan, 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 three decades ago.

4. Find out how Kōbe is 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 of the city 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 facility dedicated to remembering the Great Hanshin quake, but also looking forward to better disaster resistance and recovery in Japan. In the context of the Great Hanshin quake, the facility shows how new technology developed in the years after the earthquake has made structures more earthquake-resistant, as well as how people should prepare for future disasters. One room presents a CGI 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 lastest earthquake-resistant technology in action, take a peek around 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 things that can last for centuries. The Takenaka Carpentry 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 itself, along with a beautiful traditional teahouse, were all designed and constructed using the techniques and tools explained in the museum's exhibits.

Detour: To study a real-life application of traditional building techniques, visit Kōbe's Ikuta-jinja, considered one of the oldest shrines in Japan. If you're willing to go a bit further afield, regal Himeji-jō, a castle that has stood for over 400 years, withstanding 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 famous waterfront district

Kōbe Port ceased to be the world's busiest port after the Great Hanshin quake, 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 city icon, Kobe Port Tower, a 180m-tall (590ft) latticed steel structure reminiscent of a Japanese drum, is located here, as well as 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, Kobe 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 Kobe Port Tower, open until 11pm every night.

7. See the intersection of art and architecture at VAGUE Kobe

In 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 are found here. Other artists also found their way to Kōbe, including designer Teruhiro Yanagihara, who built one of his two VAGUE studios here, the other in Arles, France.

Yanagihara procured the former Chartered Bank building, originally constructed in 1930 and survivor of WWII bombing raids and the Great Hanshin Earthquake. Keeping the bones of the structure unchanged, Yanagihara reimagined interiors and design elements, creating a fluid space used to showcase his own work in interior design products and as a gallery for other artists. Located within the Kaigandori District and open Fridays to Mondays, VAGUE Kobe is a fascinating site for contemporary design lovers.

Detour: Yanagihara said he chose Kobe as the location for his gallery because it was the gateway to Shikoku, an area that has reinvented itself on the back of the contemporary art festival, the Setouchi Triennale. Shikoku is connected to Hyogo Prefecture via Awaji Island, another island that has benefited from the influx of contemporary artists and designers. Cross the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge to Awaji Island and explore more contemporary design destinations, such as Tadao Ando's Escher-esqu Awaji Yumebutai and the contemporary zen retreat Zenbo Seinei, designed by Shigeru Ban.

8. Savor the flavor of Kōbe beef

No visit to Kōbe could be complete without enjoying 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 Kobe 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 hotplate), but you can find a more significant number of restaurants serving the beef in different styles around Sannomiya station.

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 a pre-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 peppered throughout the year in and around Kōbe, including the Shinkaichi Music Festival in May and Kobe Jazz Street in October.

Detour: Sone Jazz Bar is the oldest existing jazz bar in the city. It was founded in 1969 and hosted jazz legends like Louie Armstrong, which is hard to believe considering its intimate atmosphere. Live bands perform several sets nightly, which you can enjoy over dinner or just drinks.