Kobe – Japan’s port City

A view over the Port of Kobe, with the Kobe Port Tower lit up red at night.

Located just a short train ride from Osaka, Kobe is Japan’s seventh largest city and the third largest port city in the country. Most people have heard of Kobe as it is the namesake of Kobe Beef which can be found in abundance in the city. Other than beef, Kobe is worth visiting for its port area and shops, of which there are loads to choose from.

Things to do in Kobe

Kobe Port

A view over the Port of Kobe, with the Kobe Port Tower lit up red at night reflecting in the water.

The Kobe Port area is a nice place to wander, especially at night when it’s all lit up. Around the port you can find various activities to do, such as going up the tower, visiting the shops and restaurants, taking a cruise, or visiting the earthquake memorial.

Kobe Port Tower

The Kobe Port Tower at sunset.

Built in 1963, the Kobe Port Tower is a 108m high sightseeing tower. The lower floors contain souvenir shops while the upper floors have the observation decks. You can get a view across the port and city from the higher levels. The tower is red, but 1000s of LEDs light it up at night so the tower shines across the port.

Looking up at the red Kobe Port Tower from below.

Earthquake Memorial park

The Kobe Earthquake Memorial, with the number 1995 on display.

In 1995, the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck of the coast of Kobe killing over 6,000 people and destroying thousands of buildings within the city. The port of Kobe was badly damaged, and a section of that damage has been preserved so people can learn about the earthquake. You can also find an information board at the memorial site that provides information about the destruction and reconstruction efforts.

A preserved section of the damage at the port of Kobe, caused by the 1995 earthquake.

Umie Mall

Inside part of the Kobe Harborland Umie Mall, with shops decorated in fairy lights.

Kobe Harborland Umie, or Umie Mall, sits opposite the Kobe Port Tower and has a wide variety of shops, restaurants and cafes to visit. Next to it you can also find the Ferris wheel to ride for a view of the port.

The Ferris wheel lit up blue at night at the port of Kobe.

Nunobiki Falls

The Nunobiki Falls, with a narrow waterfall flowing into a small lake, which then flows out with another waterfall.

The Nunobiki waterfalls are found on a trail behind Shin-Kobe station, and you can see them on a trek up to the Herb Garden or walk up just for them. You don’t have to walk too far to find them, and it is quite a pleasant walk through the forest. Though it can get a little steep in places, it is not a particularly tough hike up to the Herb Garden from the Falls, so I recommend continuing up as you get some spectacular views over Kobe.

The view over Kobe on the trek between Nunobiki Falls and the Herb Garden.

Herb Garden

A love display inside the greenhouse of the Herb Garden.

The Herb Garden sits on the mountains just behind Kobe. As mentioned, you can reach the Garden via the Nunobiki Falls trek, or you can take the short cable car. You can also do both as I did, walking up past the Falls then taking the cable car back down. The cable car entrance can be found close to Shin-Kobe station.

The view from the cable car coming down from the Herb Garden, with Kobe in the distance and a garden display below.

The Garden is split into different sections including a tropical greenhouse. I visited in winter which is obviously not the best time to see flowers in bloom, so I recommend going in spring or summer.

A path through a section of the Herb Garden.
Tall green plants growing inside the greenhouse of the Herb Garden.

At the highest point there is a small European-style village with cafes and shops. There is also a fragrance museum where you can smell many of the herbs grown in the Garden.

The European-style village at the top of the Herb Garden.
Inside the fragrance museum where many samplers are laid out for people to smell.

Chinatown

A street in Kobe's Chinatown with people queuing for street food under the glow of red lanterns.

The Chinatown in Kobe is also known as Nankinmachi and can be found leading off from the Motomachi Shopping Street. Here you can find lots of Chinese restaurants and shops, as well as street food for sale.

A street food stall in Chinatown, selling things like dumplings.

If you visit during the Lunar (Chinese) New Year, you can also expect to see lantern displays and celebrations.

A yellow phoenix lantern on display at one of the gates to Chinatown.

Kitano Ijinkan

An old red brick building in Kitano Ijinkan.

Kitano Ijinkan was recommended to me by a local. This area is where foreign merchants and diplomats settled when Kobe opened up to foreign trade in the 19th century. Many of the mansions have since become museums. Walking through the area feels like walking through the streets of Europe.

You can by tickets to enter the different houses, such as the English, French or Dutch house museums, or you can just wander the streets and visit the different cafes and shops. You can also ride a little tour bus around the area.

The little green tour bus in Kitano Ijinkan.

I would normally encourage people to visit local cafes or restaurants when travelling, but the Starbucks in Kitano Ijinkan is very unique. It has been built in a European-style wooden house which feels like sitting in someone’s home.

The Starbucks of Kitano Ijinkan, located inside a white and green wooden house.

You can also find the Kitano Tenman Shrine here which is a nice little shrine to visit.

The Kitano Tenman Shrine, with traditional Japanese lanterns outside.

Ikuta-Jinja Shrine

The main hall of the Ikuta-Jinja Shrine, painted in red.

The Ikuta-Jinja Shrine is believed to have been built in the 3rd century, potentially making it one of the oldest shrines in Japan. There are many bright red structures typical of Japanese shrines, including the main hall, gate, and torii gates.

Many red torii gates lined up.
A small red shrine protected by a pair dog statues.
The large red torii gate which marks the entrance to Ikuta-Jinja Shrine.

Within the grounds you can also see the remains of a camphor tree. This tree was around 500 years old and survived the bombing of Kobe during Word War II, thus becoming a symbol of reconstruction and revival within the city.

The remains of the old camphor tree on display, showing the inner rings of the tree trunk.

Motomachi Shopping Street

One of the entrances to Kobe Motomachi displaying the street name, with crowds of people moving between the shops in the background.

The Motomachi Shopping Street forms the backbone of the shopping area in Kobe. This street is approximately 1.2km long and features hundreds of unique shops, including clothes, souvenirs, cosmetics and accessories. This is a great area to visit for shopping in Kobe, with the surrounding streets also home to shops and malls.

You can also find lots of restaurants and cafes here. I recommend Zagin Chicken and Noodle restaurant for some delicious food!

A bowl of ramen with lots of meat, Kobe beef sushi, and a local beer at the Zagin Chicken and Noodle Restaurant.

San Plaza/Center Plaza Malls (Hobby Shops)

A hobby shop at San Plaza/Center Plaza, with dozens of capsule toy machines out front.

At the east end of Motomachi you can find the San Plaza and Center Plaza shopping malls. In there you can find dozens of hobby shops selling things like trading cards, video games and collectibles. There are many second hand stores as well as big chain stores such as animate. If hunting for collectibles in Japan is your thing, then this is the place to go.

A display of old Gameboy games.
The entrance to the animate store.
A display of the Charizard, Blastoise and Venusaur Pokemon cards at a hobby shop.

Recommendations:

For another major port city, try Busan
For a smaller port city, try Kitakyushu
For more Chinese street food, try Xi’an

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