Kobe

Kobe is a port city squeezed between the sea and the Rokko mountains, and its shape explains a lot about its character. The harbour was one of the places opened to foreign trade in 1868, and the traders, sailors and diplomats who settled on the slopes above it left behind a different kind of city from the temple towns of the Kansai region. Western-style houses, a Chinatown, bakeries and coffee shops all began here, and the city still has an international feel that is easy to like.

The waterfront is the natural starting point. Meriken Park, on the harbour, holds the red Kobe Port Tower, the Maritime Museum with its white roof, and a memorial to the Great Hanshin Earthquake of 1995, which badly damaged the city. The rebuilding that followed shaped the modern harbour, and the memorial preserves a stretch of the broken quay. The Harborland district nearby has shops, restaurants and a ferris wheel, and the lights of the harbour in the evening are the setting for many visitors' photographs. The waterfront restaurants and the lit Port Tower make a slow evening walk especially pleasant, and sightseeing boats run short trips around the bay for those who want to see the city from the water.

Kitano-cho, on the hill above Sannomiya Station, is where many of the foreign residents lived. The ijinkan, or foreigners' houses, built in styles from Europe and North America, are open to visitors, and their interiors, gardens and views over the city show how the first foreign families lived. Nankinmachi, the Chinatown in the lowlands near Motomachi, is one of the three main Chinatowns in Japan, and its lanes are full of dumplings, steamed buns and lanterns. Between the two, the shopping arcades of Sannomiya and Motomachi are lively from morning until night.

For many people the first thing that comes to mind is Kobe beef. It is Tajima cattle raised in Hyogo Prefecture and certified by strict rules, and it is served in teppanyaki restaurants, steakhouses and a few specialist grill houses across the city. Prices are high, and a small portion at lunch is a good way to try it without spending a fortune. Kobe is also known for its bakeries and patisseries, and for the cafe culture that grew up around the port.

The less obvious attraction is sake. The Nada district, along the coast east of the centre, is the largest sake-producing area in Japan. The combination of good rice from nearby farmland, soft and mineral water from the Rokko mountains and a port that could ship barrels to Edo made it the home of the industry, and the breweries are still active. Several of them run museums, tasting rooms and shops, and a visit with a guide is the best way to learn how sake is made and how to taste it. Tasting sets let you compare dry, fragrant and rich styles side by side, and the staff usually explain how the rice is polished and why the water matters so much.

Above the city, Mount Rokko offers cable cars, hiking trails and one of the best night views in Japan, and the hot spring town of Arima Onsen, one of the oldest in the country, lies on the other side of the ridge. Its two kinds of water, the reddish kinsen and the clear ginsen, are used in public baths and ryokan, and a half-day there is a good way to finish a trip. In December, the Kobe Luminarie, an illuminated arcade built in memory of the earthquake, draws large crowds.

Reaching Kobe is easy. Trains from Osaka take roughly 25 to 30 minutes, and the Shinkansen stops at Shin-Kobe Station. The city is a regular stop for cruise ships, and visitors who arrive by ship can reach Kyoto, Osaka and Nara by train on a day excursion. Himeji Castle is less than an hour to the west, and many visitors combine the two. The city centre is small, the subway and the loop bus are simple to use, and walking between the main areas is pleasant.

Spring and autumn are the best seasons, with clear weather and moderate temperatures. Summer is hot and humid, and the sea breeze helps only a little, while winter is cold but bright, and the harbour lights are at their best. Allow at least a day for the harbour, Kitano and Chinatown, and a second day for Nada, Mount Rokko or Arima Onsen if you are interested in sake or hot springs.

The Kobe experiences on Excurze include a private walking tour of the Nada sake district with a licensed guide, and a private walking excursion for cruise visitors who want to see Kobe, Kyoto, Osaka or Nara in a single day. Our concierge can combine Kobe with Osaka, Himeji and Kyoto, and arrange the restaurants, hotels and transport for a trip that uses the city as a base.