Holiday in Kobe

About Kobe

Kobe, picturesque between the Rokko Mountains and Osaka Bay, is a cosmopolitan port city that has absorbed Western influences like few other Japanese cities since the opening of its port to international trade in 1868. The result is a unique atmosphere that combines Japanese tradition with international flair. Kobe beef (Wagyu) is legendary worldwide and a culinary experience of the highest order: The extremely marbled meat structure is created through a special breeding of Tajima cattle in Hyogo Prefecture. In the city's teppanyaki restaurants, the meat is prepared on a hot steel plate before the guests' eyes — the taste, buttery soft and incredibly intense, justifies the proud price. The Kitano district (Kitano Ijinkan-gai) with its well-preserved Victorian houses of 19th-century European merchants almost resembles a European old town. Meriken Park at the harbor with the Port Tower and the Earthquake Memorial commemorates the devastating earthquake of 1995 that hit the city hard and from which it has impressively recovered. The cable car to Mount Rokko (931 meters) offers a panorama at night that is considered one of the three most beautiful night views in Japan. The Nada sake brewing district is the center of Japanese sake production with tasting opportunities. Kobe can be excellently combined with Osaka and Kyoto — all three cities are less than 30 minutes apart by Shinkansen.