Here is some useful information for expats moving to Kobe, including information about schools, housing, hospitals, communities, and more. Kobe has a wide range of accommodation to suit all budgets. Food & Drink The 10 Best Cafes in Kobe, Japan. Kobe Half-Day Private Tour with Nationally-Licensed Guide This value-packed trip with a nationally-licensed and experienced multilingual tour guide is a fantastic and efficient way to explore Kobe! However, with Kobe’s location on the Shinkansen Line just a few minutes away from Osaka on route to the famous Himeji Castle and Hiroshima, and only 20 minutes from Kyoto on a fast train it really should be a place you visit in Japan. RECEIVE 10% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER. A one-day pass is available for both Kobe subway and city bus (Shi Bus Chikatetsu Kyotsu Ichinichi Johsha Ken 市バス・地下鉄共通1日乗車券) for 1,030 yen. Buy your tickets on the City Loop Bus when you get on at any stop. Sign in and subscribe for the latest Japan travel news and updates. Offering panoramic views of Kobe and Osaka. Find the top-rated and best-reviewed tours and activities in Kobe for 2021. Kobe's main nightlife areas are Sannomiya, Kitano and Motomachi. We spent most of our time wandering and eating, of course. Available in 1000-yen, and 3,000-yen (providing 3,200 yens' worth of travel). Kobe in Japan is definitely less visited by tourists than the popular Cities of Japan like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima and doesn’t seem to make many travellers Japan Itinerary. The bus from Kansai Airport to Kobe takes just over an hour and costs ‎¥‎1,950 (around £13). Among Rokko Island's attractions is the Kobe Fashion Museum, Japan's first museum dedicated to fashion (Mon-Sat 11 am-6 pm, 500 yen). Japanese landscape garden in central Kobe. Kobe offers much much more than just Kobe Beef! The JR Sanyo Shinkansen bullet train stops at Shin-Kobe Station. Kobe is a port city in Hyogo Prefecture, 33 km west of Osaka, and one of Japan's most pleasant cities for both residents and visitors alike, with a laid-back cosmopolitan feel. In Japan’s southern side of the main island of Honshu is Kobe, its sixth-largest city. Kobe Maritime Museum in Meriken Park has an exciting modernist exterior and a collection of model ships and audiovisual displays. This UNESCO World Heritage site of stout towers and fortified passageways dates back over 400 years and is peppered with secret hideaways and defensive tricks. Save to Foursquare. Kobe Port Terminal (神戸ポートターミナル) is the main cruise ship port for central Japan, located in the heart of Kobe, in Hyogo Prefecture. Perched on a hillside sloping down to the sea, Kobe is one of Japan… All rights reserved. The cheapest ticket on the Kobe subway is 210 yen. Kobe's Chinatown (also known as "Nanking Machi") is west of Sannomiya, just south of Motomachi Station, but suffers slightly in comparison with Yokohama's more vibrant and authentic Chinatown. Today Kobe has developed into a cosmopolitan city with a wide range of attractions and lots of fun things to see and do. Kobe Japan – The word Kobe is synonymous with two things in the world: A globally recognised basketball player, and the supreme melt-in-your-mouth beef that hails from a humble city in Japan. Kobe, the home of the famous world-famous beef and a must-visit destination if you are on a foodie tour through Japan. Ferries arrive and depart from Naka Pier, next to Port Tower, about 10 minutes south of Motomachi Station. The Kobe Fashion Museum is Japan’s first public museum dedicated to fashion and is located in the Rokkō Island area in southeast Kobe, a short walk from Island Center Station. Adjacent to Shin-Kobe Station, this is Kobe's most convenient hotel for shinkansen users. Arima Onsen is a natural spa 35 minutes from Shin-Kobe Station to Arima-onsen by bus or take the Kobe Dentetsu Line (Shintetsu Arima Line) from Tanigami Station on the Hokushin Line which connects with Kobe subway. Smaller than Tokyo and Osaka, Kobe is more accessible and less formidable. The flights are operated by JAL, ANA and Skymark. Kobe was established as a port in 1868 as a privilege to the ships from the western countries. Sannomiya has the greatest concentration of hotels mainly clustered around the railway station. Kobe (神戸, Kōbe) is the capital of Hyogo Prefecture and one of Japan's ten largest cities. Located on the coast to the west of Osaka, and three hours from Tokyo by bullet train, Kobe was largely rebuilt after an earthquake devastated the region in 1995. "southern barbarian") art, namely wood block prints detailing Japan's early Western visitors, both traders and missionaries. Tourist information centers on Flower Road near Sannomiya Station (tel 078-322-0222) and inside Shin-Kobe Station. Japan's famous sightseeing locations and activities for tourists from abroad! In 1995, Kobe was hit by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, which killed over 5000 people and destroyed tens of thousands of buildings. Meriken Park is a spacious, waterfront with museums, memorials and luxury accommodation. Kobe : The Gate of the Gods. Currently located near the port of Kobe are parks such as Kobe Harborland, Kobe Port Tower, and Meriken Park. The coronavirus outbreak is having a large impact on travel to and within Japan. The iconic red, cylindrical 108 meter-high Port Tower overlooks Meriken Park, provides fine high-rise views of the city, and has a revolving cafe. The area south of Sannomiya Station is the site of the old foreign settlement, and is now Kobe's commercial center. Former residential area of foreign merchants. Check out the Relocation Guide to find more local information about the Japanese city. Posted March 2, 2017 by Stephanie. Kobe, Hyogo 650-0036. Would you be interested to participate in a virtual guided tour to a tourist spot in Japan using video and a chat function? Bars & cafes The Best Bars in the Japanese City of Kobe. Tokyo Tours with VoyaginKyoto Tours with Voyagin, Japan Entertainment: bars, restaurants, clubs. But hold on, Kobe has much more to offer than just juicy steaks. You also receive a 20 yen discount for each same-day transfer between a bus and a train. About 1km south of Shin-Kobe Station, the interconnected JR Sannomiya Station and Kobe-Sannomiya Station is the main rail hub for intercity Hankyu, Hanshin and JR trains to Osaka and Kyoto. Car parking fees are presently free for 1 day and 1,000 yen per day thereafter. These include the Kobe Tokyu Inn, the Toyoko Inn Kobe Sannomiya No.2 and the Daiwa Roynet Kobe Sannomya. Kobe lies along the Seto Inland Sea in the center of Honshu, a little west of Osaka and several hours east of Hiroshima. Japan. Hopefully after reading all of the above you will be more prepared and have a higher chance of success no matter if that means hooking up or finding something more long term. Address: 8 Chome-1-8 Onoedōri, Chūō-ku, Kōbe-shi, Hyōgo-ken 651-8511, Japan (see map below) Metro Stop: Kobe-Sannomiya. THE KOBE CLUB. The sake-brewing season runs from October through April, and that's the best time to take a tour of a kura (the Japanese word for brewery). Kobe is under an hour away from Kyoto and O... 1 day Japan travel itinerary guide on what to do and eat in Kobe. Includes population, expat hangouts, and places of interest in Kobe. Restaurants 10 Must-Try Restaurants in Kobe, Japan. There is a direct jet-foil boat to Kansai International Airport (KIX) from the Kobe City Air Terminal (KCAT) on Port Island, with buses to Sannomiya. Western-style international hotels include Hotel Sunroute Sopra Kobe, Crowne Plaza Kobe Hotel, the Hotel Isago Kobe near JR Shin-Kobe Station, the Sannomiya Terminal Hotel, a 4-star hotel attached to JR Sannomiya Station, the budget Green Hill Hotel Urban in Kitano and the APA Hotel Kobe-Sannomiya. Get quick facts about Kobe, Japan, before leaving on a trip. Kobe lies in Hyogo Prefecture which is part of The Kansai region of Japan. Expats living in Kobe have access to high-quality healthcare and medical facilities are of good standard. Kobe Destination Guide. Visit the Hakutsure Sake Brewery Museum year-round. The Kobe Japan earthquake, or Great Hanshin earthquake, occurred on January 17, 1995 in the southern part of Hyogo Prefecture. Featuring fine dining and a wide range of events and activities, it is a center of social, cultural and family life for the transient and long-term expatriate … Notable presences here are Kobe City Hall (with good views of Kobe from the top), the Daimaru Department Store and Kobe City Museum, with its fine collection of nanban (lit. This onsen is so old that it is even recorded in the Nihon-shoki. Flights to and from Kobe Airport run between 7am and 9pm. Modern art in a spectacular building by Ando. Kobe's status as one of Japan's foremost international ports and trading centers, along with Yokohama, dates back to the town's opening to foreign traders in 1868. Kobe Airport, named "Marine Air", opened February 2006 on a reclaimed island just south of Port Island, and has flights to and from seven cities: Kagoshima, Ishigaki, Nagasaki, Naha (Okinawa), Ibaraki, Sapporo and Tokyo (Haneda). The center of Kobe can easily be walked especially the central areas around Sannomiya Station, the Motomachi Shopping Arcade, the Old Settlement area near Kobe City Hill, Daimaru Department Store and Kobe City Museum and up the hill to the ijinkan in Kitano. If you’re travelling from abroad, the easiest way to get to Kobe is to fly into Osaka Kansai Airport. The Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution, Print out a map of the Kobe City Loop Bus, Tours of Japan - Tokyo, Nikko, Hakone, Kyoto, Nagoya. Measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale, the earthquake caused over 5,500 deaths as buildings and highways collapsed and fires swept the city. Today the city is completely rebuilt, and few signs of the terrible event remain. Now completely rebuilt after the devastating earthquake of 1995, Kobe's dramatic location, sandwiched on a narrow strip of land between mountains and sea, allied to its great food and lively nightlife make the city an ideal place to go if you are visiting nearby Kyoto or Osaka. The central district of Kobe is located around Sannomiya. Kobe is also home to a number of public and private universities. Famous for its luscious beef and crisp, pure sake, the Japanese port of Kobe is a thriving metropolitan city with an international feel. The sake-brewing season runs from October through April, and that's the best time to take a tour of a kura (the Japanese word for brewery). 29 Harima-cho Chuo-Ku. For a longer stay, depending on your needs, the New U-Line card is available for both bus and subway. Since the opening of Kobe Port in 1868, soon after the end of the isolation period of Japan, … It was a fun, vibrant, compact city – perfect for walking and easing into the Japanese way of life. A Guide to the Best Museums in Kobe, Japan. Visit the Hakutsure Sake Brewery Museum year-round. 600 yen for adults. View on Map. About Kobe. The Kansai region of Japan is home to some of the country's most popular tourist spots, including Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Kobe. It is reached by the Kaigan subway line to Misaki-koen. tory’s CITY GUIDES. The mountainside area of Kobe is host to Japan’s oldest onsen area, Arima Onsen. The New U-Line Card is simply a pre-paid card deducted from with each use. One ride: 260 yen for adultsDay pass: 660 yen for adults. Famous for its luscious beef and crisp, pure sake, the Japanese port of Kobe is a thriving metropolitan city with an international feel. Kobe Japan – A Complete Travel Guide To Read Before Your Trip. The first floor of the museum houses an extensive collection of costumes, including 18th-century ballgowns, folk costumes, shoes, jewellery and accessories. The Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution is a museum dedicated to the devastating Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995. Copyright © 2021. Only 30km west of Osaka, Kobe has developed a name for itself among foodies around the world thanks to the infamous Kobe beef. Japan's most beautiful castle is a short 40 minute train ride away in Himeji. There’s also the Kobe-Kansai Airport bay shuttle service – a high-speed ferry that links the airports. From prices and availability to skip-the-line options and mobile tickets, get all the information you need to make the most of your trip to Japan. Introducing a wide range of information, from the greater Japan area's most talked about shops, sightseeing spots and events to the souvenirs you can find there. Home » Travel Guides » Japan » 15 Best Things to Do in Kobe (Japan) 15 Best Things to Do in Kobe (Japan) The city of Kobe is located on the island of Honshu and is known for being one of the most vibrant cities in Japan. The glass-covered museum, built with an exterior frame designed to sway in an earthquake with shock absorbers to withstand vertical and horizontal movement, presents a computer-generated film of the disaster, a diorama of a Kobe city street after the earthquake and real footage of the event.Tel: 078 262 5050 Access: A short walk from JR Nada and Hanshin Iwaya Stationswww.dri.ne.jp. Kobe is known for its western-style houses many of them dating to 1868 when the area was established. We’ll be enthusiastically discussing the latter for this article! Kobe Japan Travel Guide - Things to do and eat in Kobe City including Kobe beef. Its port was among the first to be opened to foreign trade in the 19th century alongside the ports of Yokohama, Nagasaki, Hakodate and Niigata. Things to see and do in Kobe. This exotic and charming port city has managed to be reborn from its ashes time and time again. We introduce the best things to do and see in Kobe. Westerners built their wood and brick houses (ijinkan) in Kitano, up the hill from Sannomiya, now Kobe's main station for JR and Hankyu trains. Ropeway with great views over the city of Kobe. Kobe Misaki 'Wing' Stadium (now Noevir Stadium Kobe) more Kobe Stadium info. Daimaru Kobe Block 30. Kobe is today considered one of the most cosmopolitan Japanese cities. Kobe is a port city in Hyogo Prefecture, 33 km west of Osaka, and one of Japan's most pleasant cities for both... History of Kobe. Enjoy Dating Kobe Girls. The majority of people living in city areas in Japan use the name of the closest station to refer to their neighborhood. We strive to keep Japan Guide up-to-date and accurate, and we're always looking for ways to improve. The city is located on a scenic harbor and also has its own mountain which offers sweeping views across the region. There's more to Kobe than just its beef, famously massaged and beer-fed. The city is visited by thousands of visitors every year. Japan's first soccer match was held in Kobe in 1871, and the nation's first golf course was laid out here in 1903. Waterfront park with Kobe Tower and more. Celebrated hot spring resort within the city limits. Kobe Airport can be reached by Port Liner automated train from Sannomiya (320 yen; 16 minutes), bus, car or speed boat (30 minutes) from Kansai International Airport (service opened in 2006). The most tourist-friendly bus service is the Kobe City Loop, on a retro-style bus that passes many of Kobe's main attractions starting from Kobe Port Tower to Harborland, Chinatown, Kobe City Museum, Sannomiya, Kitano Ijinkan, Shin-Kobe Station, Sannomiya Bus Terminal, City Hall and back to Kobe Port Tower and Meriken Park: 17 stops in all. Japan can be a really fun country to visit, but it is also a different world. Kobe has some of Japan's finest international restaurants due to the cosmopolitan mix of people in the area, with Chinese and Indian food to the fore; not to mention the local delicacy of Kobe beef. Print out a map of the Kobe City Loop Bus (pdf). Showing the City Loop One-Day Pass gets you a discount at over 30 attractions along or near the route. Kobe Airport has flights to Ibaraki, Ishigaki, Kagoshima, Naha (Okinawa), Nagasaki, Sapporo and Tokyo (Haneda). How to get to Kobe, Japan? Kobe has some beautiful attractions; the area of Ijinkan has several western-styl… 078-333-6611. Kobe beef must be born, raised, and slaughtered in Japan's Hyogo Prefecture, of which Kobe is the capital city. Meriken Park and Kobe Harborland are a little further south, overlooking the bay. The Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art is a world-class art museum near the waterfront about 2.5 km east of Sannomiya Station. If you have any updates, suggestions, corrections or opinions, please let us know: Copyright © 1996-2021 japan-guide.com All Rights Reserved. The earthquake killed 5,378 people, damaged or destroyed 152,000 buildings, and is said to the most expensive earthquake ever to strike an urban area [ source ]. Hotels in Kobe - Booking.comHotels in Japan - Booking.comHostels in Kobe - Booking.comHotels in Himeji - Booking.com, Tours of Japan - Tokyo, Nikko, Hakone, Kyoto, Nagoya A subway-only one-day card (Chikatetsu nichi Johsha Ken 地下鉄1日乗車券) costs 820 yen. Located between the sea and the Rokko mountain range, Kobe is also considered one of Japan's most attractive cities. The city, which is the capital of Hyogo Prefecture, is one of Japan’s largest, and is located just a few kilometers from Osaka (and Kyoto for that matter). Hours: 9 am-9 pm (last admission 8.30 pm), but until 7pm (last admission 6.30 pm) December-February. Kobe's other culinary treat is located in Nada, a ward of Kobe, which has been famous for hundreds of years as one of Japan's best sake producers. Mike and I took a little trip to Kobe before we stopped in Tokyo for the majority of our stay in Japan. If you’re interested in shopping, Umie MOSAIC is very close by as well. Located between the sea and the Rokko mountain range, Kobe is also considered one of Japan's most attractive cities. For example, when the same breed—Japanese Black cattle—is raised in the Mie Prefecture, it is known as Matsusaka, another highly prized beef. See & Do Get Ready To Party at These Annual Festivals and Events in Japan’s Port City Kobe. Kobe, a major port city in Western Japan, located close to Osaka and Kyoto, is home to a sophisticated port cityscape, boasting many stylish cafes and historical buildings. The Kobe Club is a non-profit, private membership club serving Kansai’s international community. Join our list to hear about … Hours & Prices: 10am-8pm, daily (~¥200 per truffle) Goncharoff. Kobe has been an important port city for many centuries. Perched on a hillside sloping down to the sea, Kōbe (神戸) is one of Japan's most attractive and cosmopolitan cities. A 15-minute ride on the Shinkansen (bullet train) west of Kobe, striking Himeji-jō is the best-preserved castle in Japan. Alternatively take a JR train to Akashi and take the ferry (13 minutes). Choose from the usual chain hotels which all provide good value accommodation.