Kobe 神戸市

Kobe (Japanese: 神戸市) is a major city and port in the Kansai region of Japan. With 1.5 million inhabitants, this city in Hyogo Prefecture is the sixth largest city in the country. The Keihanshin metropolitan area includes both Osaka and Kyoto.

Kobe is perhaps best remembered for the terrible 1995 Great Hanshin Earthquake, which caused much damage and loss of life to the city, as well as making some 300,000 people homeless. Nonetheless the city has since rebuilt itself from the quake with little trace of it remaining today.

Kobe is famous among tourists for Kobe beef as well as being the site of Japan's most famous hot spring resort, Arima Onsen. The center of Kobe is around Sannomiya Station, not Kobe Station. From there, you can plan your tour of the city and its surroundings.

Port of Kobe, Japan

Planning your trip to Kobe

By Plane
You can fly to Kobe from Tokyo landing at Kobe Airport (UKB), a new airport opened in 2006. The airport handles only domestic flights. Budget travelers can take Skymark, the low cost carrier with flights from Tokyo.

From Kobe Airport, there's a light rail service to Sannomiya station. The journey takes 20 minutes and the fare is ¥320.

If you are arriving from overseas, you will land at Kansai International Airport, which is shared among Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto and other surrounding cities. From the airport, you can take the Kanku Kaisoku train to Osaka Station. There, you need to change train to the Shin-kaisoku that runs to Sannomiya station as well as Kobe station.

By Train
You can reach Kobe by Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo. The Nozomi train leaves Tokyo Station and arrives at Shin-Kobe station two hours and 50 minutes later. The fare is ¥14,670. The Hikari train makes the same journey in 3 hours and 20 minutes. The fare is ¥14,270, but no charge if you hold a Japan Rail Pass.

From Shin-Kobe station, you will need to take the Seishin Yamata subway to reach Sannomiya station. The fare is ¥200. It is actually only a short distance - you can make it on foot if you are not lugging heavy baggages with you.

Planning your travel within Kobe

The most convenient way to get about in Kobe is to take the train. If you hold a Japan Rail Pass, then you should all all means use the train, as you can travel at no additional charge on many of the lines. The main train lines cross through Kobe's Sannamiya district in a east-west direction, allowing you to stop at any places of interest.

Kobe's shopping and nightlife districts are at Kitano-cho, in nearby Chinatown and at Flower Road. Newer development is now done on reclaimed land in the sea, among them projects such as Rokko and Port Island. There are also two subway lines, the Kaigan Line that runs along the coast, and the Yamate-Seishin Line that runs towards the hills. However, compared to the trains, they are more expensive and less practical.

Yumotazaka Street, Arima Onsen, Kobe

Places of Interest in Kobe

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