Tours in Kobe

The City Transport Bureau has several half-day and full-day tours of major attractions around the city. The tours are conducted in Japanese. Buses depart from the south side of the Kobe Kotsu Center Building, near San-no-miya Station. Information and tickets, which start at ¥2,700, are obtained at the Shi-nai Teiki Kanko Annaisho (Sightseeing Bus Tour Information Office), on the second floor of the Kobe Kotsu Center Building. The buses leave from the San-no-miya Bus Terminal, to the east of JR San-no-miya Station.

Authorized taxi services run tours (¥4,200 per hour) that cover 11 different routes and take from two to five hours. Reserve at the Kobe Tourist Information Center (also known as "Hello Kobe"), near the west exit of JR San-no-miya Station. Several voluntary guide services are available, such as Kobe Systemized Goodwill Guides Club (SGG) and Kobe Student Guide. Guides are free, but please pay for all travel expenses, meal expenses, and building admissions. It's best to reserve a few days in advance. Kobe Student Guide, www.geocities.co.jp/Berkeley/3136/ Email: ksg-ml@ml-b8.infoseek.co.jp

Contact

Shi-nai Teiki Kanko Annaisho (078/231-4898). Systemized Goodwill Guides Club (SGG) (078/785-2898).

Reared on Beer

Around the world, Kobe beef is legendary for its extreme succulence and taste. The process of raising the cows would seem like a tall tale, except that it's true. Cows receive daily massages, and in summer they ingest a diet of sake and beer mash. They are descended from an ancient line of wagyu (Japanese cows) known to be genetically predisposed to higher marbling. True Kobe beef comes from only 262 farms in the Tajima region of Hyogo Prefecture (of which Kobe is the capital), most of which raise an average of five animals. The best beef restaurants are mostly in the central Chuo-ku district, and Kobe beef is on the menu at the top hotels.