Top Reasons to Visit

Top Reasons to Visit

The Beef

Kobe beef is world famous for the highly marbleized texture that makes it supremely tender. It's easy to find a good steak house, and you would be sorely missing out by skipping a taste.

The Night View

The nighttime neon lights reflecting off the quiet ocean oppostie the black of the mountains make Kobe famous as a city for romantic moments. Seen from Harborland, the Ferris wheel and distant Akashi bridge alternate colors, adding to Kobe's nighttime magic.

Luminarie

For two weeks before Christmas, millions of lights arch across Kobe's streets, forming glittering tunnels. The Japanese tourists are as much of an attraction as the lights; hordes block the streets raising their keitai (cell phones) to snap pictures. This event began as a commemoration of the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, and now attracts approximately 5 million visitors each year.

East Meets West

When the port opened to international trade in 1868, Western fashion, cuisine, technology, and entertainment began to filter into the country. Jazz, international dining, and a larger than normal proportion of gaijin (foreigners) are lasting legacies of Kobe's history.

Nada no Sake

The sake breweries of Nada, a district in western Kobe, use the high-quality ingredients of miyamizu (mineral-rich water) and a higher-quality rice called Yamada Nishiki, grown near Mt. Rokko, especially for sake brewing. A large number of sake museums and breweries are in Nada, many offering free tastings and gift shops.