Kōbe is the capital city of Hyōgo Prefecture, located on the north shore of Ōsaka Bay. Wedged between the Seto Inland Sea and Mt. Rokkō, the city is long and narrow. It’s Japan’s seventh-largest city and the third-largest port city after Tōkyō and Yokohama. When Japan ended of its policy of seclusion in 1853 , Kōbe was one of the cities to open for trade with the West, and it has retained its cosmopolitan character ever since.  The city is famous for its beef, which originated in rural areas throughout Kansai, but was stamped ‘Kōbe’ at shipment from the port. Arima Onsen, one of Japan’s most famous hot spring resorts, is part of Kōbe.

What to see

Kitano-chō
Name in Japanese: 北野町
Pronunciation: kita-no-chō

Kitano-chō is a district with a large number of residences built for foreign merchants (ijinkan) from the late Meiji and early Taishō periods. They combine Japanese and western architectural styles. While some of the houses still serve as residences, many are open to visitors, with fascinating exhibits documenting the lifestyles of expatriates from many countries who made their home in Kōbe.  

Kōbe Port Tower
Name in Japanese: 神戸ポートタワー
Pronunciation: kō-bei pō-to ta-waa

The tower was completed in 1963 as a dedicated tourist attraction, with an observation deck, a rotating restaurant, and souvenir shops. It stands 108 m high and offers views of Awaji Island, Osaka Bay, Mt. Rokkō and Kansai International Airport. The tower has featured in numerous monster and superhero films.

Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum
Name in Japanese: 竹中大工道具館
Pronunciation: takei-naka dai-koo dō-goo kan

A museum of carpentry tools opened in 1984 with the aim of collecting and conserving ancient tools and documenting their place in Japanese cultural heritage. Exhibits show the craftsmen who made and used the tools, showing the profound impact of carpentry on Japanese architecture and the culture of wooden buildings.

Kōbe Chinatown
Name in Japanese: 南京町
Pronunciation: nan-kin-matchee

Nankin-machi has over a hundred Chinese restaurants, shops, and a Chinese temple. It was settled starting by Chinese immigrants from Guangdong and Fujian in 1868, when Kōbe was opened to foreigners. In subsequent years, many people from Nanjing immigrated to Kōbe, hence its current name. Nankin-machi was damaged heavily both during World War II and the Hanshin earthquake, but it was quickly rebuilt, thriving as a centre of Chinese culture and business in the Kansai region.

Nada sake breweries
Name in Japanese: 灘五郷
Pronunciation: nada go-gō

The Nada district is Japan’s top sake producer, thanks to the availability of large volumes of rice and water, favourable weather conditions, and ease of shipping from Kobe and Ōsaka. Many of the sake breweries in Nada have museums and shops, where you can learn how sake is made and taste sake and its related products.

Mt. Rokkō
Name in Japanese: 六甲山
Pronunciation: ro-kō-zan

Mt. Rokkō is a mountain range to the north of Kōbe. It stretches about 56 km with a peak at 931 m. It’s a popular sightseeing and hiking area for people in the metropolitan Kansai region. It’s accessible by road and by two cable cars and two funicular railways. Various observation decks, cafés and restaurants offer spectacular views over Kōbe and Ōsaka Bay.

Arima Onsen
Name in Japanese: 有馬温泉
Pronunciation: aree-ma on-sen

Arima is a prestigious and historic hot spring resort located on the other side of Mt. Rokkō from Kōbe city, visited by many famous personages from the Heian period onward. There are three types of curative spring, numerous atmospheric ryokan, and a museum of automata.

History

Tools found in western Kōbe indicate the area was populated from the Jōmon period or earlier. Its geography made it the natural site for a port. The Nihon Shoki history describes the founding of the Ikuta Shrine by Empress Jingū in AD 201. During the Nara and Heian periods, imperial embassies to China were dispatched from the port, and Taira no Kiyomori made it the capital of Japan in 1180. However, the Taira were soon after driven from the area by the Minamoto clan.

During the Kamakura period, the port became an important hub for trade with China and other Asian countries. In the Edo period, the city was controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate. Hyōgo Port was opened to foreign trade by the Shogunal government in 1868, just before the Meiji Restoration. The area saw intense fighting during the civil war then in progress, and between western and Japanese troops. During the Meiji period, foreign merchants built large homes in the Kitano district.

In 1942, Kōbe was lightly bombed in the Doolittle Raid, and again with incendiary bombs in 1945, causing widespread death and destruction. In 1995, the Hanshin earthquake caused massive destruction, killing over 6,000 people.