Things to do in Kobe, Japan: a first-timer's guide
21.07.2023 - 08:18
/ roughguides.com
/ Sean Pavone
Often overshadowed by nearby Kyoto and Osaka, Kobe gets the chance to shine this autumn when it plays host to three of the Home Nations at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Here’s everything you need to know about this cosmopolitan city and the top things to do in Kobe, Japan.
The air-conditioned Kobe Misaki Stadium will host four pool matches at the 2019 Rugby World Cup: England v USA (26th September); Scotland v Samoa (30th September); Ireland v Russia (3rd October); and South Africa v Canada (8th October). The stadium is just five minutes’ walk from Misakikoen Station, a 10-minute subway ride on the Kaigan Line from Sannomiya Station in central Kobe.
Harborland on Kobe's waterfront © Sean Pavone/Shutterstock
Set between the mountains and the sea, Kobe has been shaped by its location on the northern shore of Osaka Bay. The busy waterfront is now home to Harborland, an entertainment and shopping district with a big Ferris wheel that’s lit up at night, and Meriken Park, where you can whizz up to the top of the landmark Kobe Port Tower for great views across the harbour. Part of the port has been left as it was following the earthquake that devastated the city in January 1995 and is now preserved as the Port of Kobe Earthquake Memorial Park. You can gain an even better insight into the terrible events that day, and the lessons learned, at the thought-provoking Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake Memorial Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution, 3km east along the waterfront.
Kobe climbs up the foothills of Mount Rokko, and you can hike up the mountain or take a funicular train to a lookout point that enjoys fantastic views down over the city as far as Osaka, particularly at night, when this vast urbanized strip sparkles in the dark. From the summit, a cable car runs down the other side of Mount Rokko to Arima Onsen, a historic hot-springs town famous for its restorative waters.
Kobe city view from the funicular on Mount Rokko © SmileKorn/Shutterstock
A 15-minute ride on the Shinkansen (bullet train) west of Kobe, striking Himeji-jō is the best-preserved castle in Japan. This UNESCO World Heritage site of stout towers and fortified passageways dates back over 400 years and is peppered with secret hideaways and defensive tricks. While you’re here, it’s also worth visiting Himeji Kōko-en, a series of tranquil Japanese gardens just across the castle’s moat. Even closer to Kobe, in the other direction, Osaka is known as Japan’s Kitchen, and for good reason – take your pick from the weird and wonderful seafood at Kuromon Ichiba Market before grazing on assorted street-food snacks under the neon lights of the Dotonbori district.
Himeji-jo castle is one of the top things to do in Kobe © SUTTANON