Hyogo · Capital · Designated city

Kobe

神戸市こうべしKōbe-shi

Japan's cosmopolitan harbour city

Kobe is the capital of Hyogo Prefecture and one of Japan's great international ports, a long, narrow city squeezed between the Rokkō mountains and Osaka Bay, known for its cosmopolitan heritage, Kobe beef, Nada sake and its recovery from the 1995 earthquake.

Overview

Kobe stretches for some 30 kilometres along the coast, rarely more than a few kilometres deep between the steep Rokkō range and the sea. Its port, opened to foreign trade in 1868, made it Japan's gateway to the West alongside Yokohama: merchants from Britain, Germany, the United States, China and India settled here, and their legacy survives in the Western-style houses of Kitano, the Old Foreign Settlement's stone office buildings, the Chinatown of Nankinmachi, and a tradition of bakeries, coffee, jazz and Western confectionery.

The city also encompasses much more than its downtown. Behind Mount Rokkō lies Arima Onsen, one of Japan's oldest hot springs; to the east, the Nada district is Japan's largest sake-brewing area; to the west, Suma and Tarumi look across to Awaji Island and the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge. Artificial islands – Port Island and Rokkō Island – were built with earth from the mountains, whose excavated sites became new residential towns.

On 17 January 1995 the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake killed more than 4,500 people in Kobe alone and destroyed much of the city. Its reconstruction, and the preserved earthquake-damaged quay at Meriken Park, are part of the city's identity.

Landmarks

Kitano Ijinkan
北野異人館Kitano Ijinkan
Hillside district of Meiji- and Taishō-era foreign merchants' residences, including the Weathercock House.
Nankinmachi
南京町Nankinmachi
Kobe's Chinatown, one of Japan's three, with food stalls around a central pavilion.
Meriken Park and Kobe Port Tower
メリケンパーク・神戸ポートタワーMeriken Pāku, Kōbe Pōto Tawā
Waterfront park with the red lattice Port Tower and the Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park.
Ikuta Shrine
生田神社Ikuta Jinja
Ancient shrine in the city centre from whose sacred households (kanbe) the name Kobe is said to derive.
Mount Rokkō
六甲山Rokkō-san
931-metre peak behind the city with Japan's first golf course, gardens and celebrated night views.
Nunobiki Falls and Herb Gardens
布引の滝Nunobiki no taki
Waterfalls a short walk behind Shin-Kōbe Station, with a ropeway to the herb gardens.
Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution
人と防災未来センターHito to Bōsai Mirai Sentā
Museum of the 1995 earthquake and of disaster preparedness.
Hakutsuru and Kiku-Masamune sake museums
灘五郷Nada Gogō
Brewery museums in the Nada district explaining traditional sake making.
Sorakuen Garden
相楽園Sōraku-en
Stroll garden with a relocated Edo-period daimyo's river-boat pavilion.
Akashi Kaikyō Bridge
明石海峡大橋Akashi Kaikyō Ōhashi
Suspension bridge to Awaji Island with a central span of 1,991 metres, viewed from Maiko.

Districts

Sannomiya and Motomachi
三宮・元町Sannomiya, Motomachi
The downtown hub, with shopping arcades, the Old Foreign Settlement and Nankinmachi.
Kitano
北野Kitano
Sloping streets of foreign residences, cafés and boutiques above Sannomiya.
Harborland
ハーバーランドHābārando
Waterfront redevelopment with shopping, the mosaic promenade and harbour cruises.
Nada
灘Nada
Eastern district of sake breweries, part of the Nada Gogō brewing area.
Arima
有馬Arima
Hot-spring town in Kita ward, reached through the mountains or by ropeway from Rokkō.
Suma and Maiko
須磨・舞子Suma, Maiko
Western seaside districts with beaches, the Suma aquarium and the bridge viewpoint.

History

The area was an ancient harbour, Ōwada-no-tomari, which Taira no Kiyomori developed for trade with Song China; in 1180 he briefly moved the capital to nearby Fukuhara. The port of Hyōgo remained important through the Middle Ages. In 1868 the neighbouring village of Kobe was opened as a treaty port, and a foreign settlement was laid out on a grid east of the old town. Kobe grew into Japan's leading port, with shipbuilding and heavy industry, and was heavily bombed in 1945. After rebuilding, it pioneered land reclamation with Port Island (1981). The 1995 earthquake was followed by a decade of reconstruction.

1180
Taira no Kiyomori moves the capital to Fukuhara.
1868
The port of Kobe opens to foreign trade.
1889
Kobe becomes a city.
1945
Air raids destroy much of the city.
1956
Kobe becomes a designated city.
1981
Port Island, a large artificial island, is completed and opens with the Portopia exhibition.
1995
The Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake devastates the city.
1998
The Akashi Kaikyō Bridge links Kobe with Awaji Island.

Culture

Kobe likes to see itself as Japan's most international city – the place where Japan's first golf course, first jazz performances, first cinema screening and many Western bakeries appeared. Jazz remains part of city life, with the Kobe Jazz Street festival in Kitano. The city is also a centre of fashion and design, recognised by UNESCO as a City of Design in 2008.

Festivals

Kobe Luminarie
神戸ルミナリエKōbe Ruminarie
Winter light installation in the Old Foreign Settlement, begun in December 1995 in memory of the earthquake victims.
Kobe Festival
神戸まつりKōbe Matsuri
May festival with a parade along Flower Road.
Kobe Jazz Street
神戸ジャズストリートKōbe Jazu Sutorīto
Autumn jazz festival in venues across Kitano.
Nankinmachi Spring Festival
南京町春節祭Nankinmachi Shunsetsusai
Lunar New Year festival with lion and dragon dances.

Food

Kobe beef
神戸ビーフKōbe bīfu
Served as teppanyaki steak in the city's restaurants.
Sobameshi
そばめしsobameshi
Fried noodles and rice, born in the Nagata district.
Akashi-yaki
明石焼Akashi-yaki
Egg-rich octopus dumplings in dashi, from neighbouring Akashi.
Nada sake
灘の酒Nada no sake
Crisp "otoko-zake" brewed with miyamizu water and Yamada Nishiki rice.
Kobe sweets
神戸スイーツKōbe suītsu
A long-established Western-style patisserie and bakery culture, introduced by foreign residents.
Gyōza with miso sauce
味噌だれ餃子misodare gyōza
Kobe's style of dumplings, dipped in sweet miso sauce.

Getting around

Sannomiya is the central hub: JR Kobe Line, Hankyū, Hanshin, Kobe Municipal Subway and the Port Liner to Port Island and Kobe Airport.
Shin-Kōbe Station on the San'yō Shinkansen is one subway stop north of Sannomiya.
JR, Hankyū and Hanshin trains reach Osaka in 20–30 minutes.
The Rokkō Cable Car and Rokkō Arima Ropeway link the mountain with Arima Onsen; Kobe Electric Railway runs to Arima from Shinkaichi.
The City Loop sightseeing bus connects Kitano, Sannomiya and the waterfront.

Day trips

Himeji
Himeji Castle, about 40 minutes by JR special rapid.
Osaka
Japan's merchant city, 20–30 minutes east.
Awaji Island
Across the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge by highway bus.
Naruto Whirlpools
Tidal whirlpools at the far end of Awaji, reached by bus across the island.
Takarazuka
Takarazuka Revue and the Tezuka Osamu Manga Museum, about 30 minutes by Hankyū.
Kyoto
About 50 minutes by JR special rapid.

Other cities in the prefecture

Core cityHimejiHimeji-shiThe city of the White Heron Castle CityToyookaToyooka-shiHot springs, storks and the San'in coast

Frequently asked questions

Where can I eat Kobe beef?

Teppanyaki and steak restaurants around Sannomiya and Motomachi serve certified Kobe beef; certified outlets display a bronze statue or plaque of the Kobe beef association.

How do I get to Arima Onsen from Kobe?

By Kobe Electric Railway from Shinkaichi (about 30 minutes with a change), by bus from Sannomiya, or over Mount Rokkō by cable car and ropeway.

Is Kobe worth a day trip from Osaka?

Yes. Kitano, Nankinmachi, the harbour and Mount Rokkō fit into a day, and Arima Onsen or Himeji can be added with an overnight stay.

Where does the name Kobe come from?

It is usually traced to kanbe, the households attached to Ikuta Shrine that supported its upkeep in ancient times.

Sources

1.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
2.神戸市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 神戸市
3.Feel KOBE (opens in a new tab) — Kobe Tourism Bureau