To us, Kobe is probably one of the most underrated cities in Japan and is often overlooked by budding tourists due its popular neighbours – Osaka and Kyoto. However, Kobe has a feel to it that is hard to put into words but we felt instantly relaxed as soon as we stepped off the train. It has great food, friendly locals and the mountain and sea views are beautiful so lets see what makes this city so memorable.
First of all, Kobe is situated between the sea and the Rokko Mountain Range making it a very attractive place to visit. It is a port city and is home to the iconic Kobe Port Tower which has sealed itself as an extremely popular tourist landmark. The port was opened in 1868 to foreign trade making it a very popular place for Europeans. It was the busiest port in Japan until the earthquake in 1995 when much of the old port was destroyed. It has been rebuilt to a mesmerising degree but it currently only qualifies as the 4th busiest port in the country.
The stunning backdrop of Kobe is the Rokko Mountain Range with the highest peak being Mount Rokko itself. You can visit the top of the mountain by taking the cable car and the views of the port are fantastic. Apparently, its pretty spectacular in the evening too with all of the city lights so bear that in mind if you ever visit. Another fantastic view of Kobe is offered in Kobe City Hall on the 24th floor and best of all, its free! If I had to choose, I would say that this offers my favourite views as not only do you get to see the port, you also get to see the mountains in all their glory. In my eyes, that view is hard to beat and not only that, there is quite a lot of information up there about the city so it really is worth the visit.
When visiting Kobe, it is hard to imagine the devastating effects the earthquake had on the city over two decades ago due to the tremendous restoration efforts of the Japanese people. Therefore, a visit to the Kobe Earthquake Memorial Museum is essential to learn more about this natural disaster and to achieve a bigger respect for the already much loved city. The Great Hanshin Awaji Earthquake struck on January 17th 1995 at 5:46 am and the museum transports you to that moment in time as soon as you arrive. It takes you to a simulation of the earthquake in a smaller version of an IMAX and you really feel like you are in the thick of it. I was absolutely terrified! The simulation was awful and I can’t even begin to comprehend the true horrors of actually being there as more than 5,000 people died and tens of thousands of homes were destroyed. The images and stories are extremely poignant and you will find yourself with a huge lump in your throat on numerous occasions. The museum also teaches visitors about other natural disasters and goes into detail about the tsunami which devastated the North-East Coast of Japan in 2011. Over 18,000 people were killed and half a million people were moved out of their homes as, at it’s peak, the water was over 40 metres high! How frightening!!! There is a documentary on the tsunami and you must watch it if you visit. The images of the wave are absolutely terrifying and I’m getting chills as I’m writing about it. The stories from survivors are unbelievable and one that really stayed with me was one of a woman who couldn’t hold onto her husband’s hand anymore and had to watch as he was swept away. I can’t begin to imagine how shattering that must have felt. She obviously misses him everyday but has now rebuilt her shop that she had with her husband and continues to work on the business that they built together. What an inspiration.
For lighter entertainment, you can have a pleasant stroll around Meriken Park; visit Ikuta Shrine; walk around Higashi Yuenchi Park; hit the shops on Motomachi Street or visit Harborland – the latter being a huge shopping and entertainment complex. Despite its size and popularity, Harborland actually has quite a pleasant romantic feel to it, especially overlooking Kobe Port Tower in the evening – unless you ask Paul and he’d say the only place to visit is the Sega arcade!
Finally, I can’t write about Kobe and not mention Kobe beef. This was the dearest meal we had on the whole trip but we had planned to do it and oh my god, it was worth it!!! We used a recommendation from a Kobe local and went to Koubegyuusutekiishida. https://tabelog.com/en/hyogo/A2801/A280101/28008987/
It had been a rainy day so we felt a bit bad when we turned up looking like drowned rats as it seemed quite posh on first impressions. However, we were greeted with extreme warmth and friendliness and the best meal of our lives!!! We had our own, amazing chef who gave us numerous courses of delicately made food with the stand out obviously being the Kobe beef. The marbled sirloin cut that we chose was just melt in the mouth delicious and grilled to perfection in front of our mesmerised eyes. My mouth is watering as I type…
One thing I feel the need to point out is that the weather was not on our side in Kobe. Therefore we didn’t take many pictures and the ones we did take, may seem a bit grey. Do not let this put you off though! The city is amazing!!!
Kobe, we love you!